One of the most enduring films of the 20th century has once again taken the top spot.
The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola's landmark 1972 crime drama, has been ranked the best movie of all time by Rotten Tomatoes. The iconic film currently holds an impressive 97% score on the popular movie rating site, further cementing its reputation as one of the greatest achievements in film history.
Based on Mario Puzo's 1969 novel of the same name, The Godfather began as a publishing phenomenon. Though the book did not win major literary awards, it became a massive bestseller, spending 67 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list and introducing millions of readers to the Corleone crime family. Puzo later teamed up with Coppola to co-write the screenplay, ensuring the adaptation stayed true to the novel's operatic scope and emotional weight.
Released in 1972, the film follows the powerful Corleone family, led by patriarch Vito Corleone, played by the legendary Marlon Brando. As rival crime families threaten their empire, reluctant son Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, is drawn deeper into the family business, setting the stage for a sweeping saga about loyalty, power and betrayal.
"I've always felt The Godfather was really less about gangsters, than about power and powerful families, and the succession of power, and the Machiavellian way that real power works in the world," Coppola told BBC in 1991.
Al Pacino relaxes in garden as Michael Corleone in a scene from the Francis Ford Coppola movie 'The Godfather' 1972. (Photo by Screen Archives/Getty Images)"It seemed to me that Michael Corleone in the first Godfather, like America, started really with some ideals, freshness, and although he came from Europe, as America really was born out of Europe, there were these new ideals and new directions which was so inspiring,"
When The Godfather hit theaters, it was both a commercial and critical triumph. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, while Marlon Brando took home Best Actor for his now-iconic portrayal of Vito Corleone. Coppola and Puzo also won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. In total, the film received 10 nominations, including a Best Director nod for Coppola.
Beyond the trophies, The Godfather reshaped modern cinema. Its moody cinematography, deliberate pacing and layered performances elevated the gangster genre into high art. Lines like "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" became instantly legendary, woven into pop culture for decades.
More than 50 years after its release, the film continues to influence filmmakers and captivate new audiences. Its themes of family, ambition and moral compromise feel as urgent now as they did in the early 1970s.
Now, with its latest recognition as the best movie of all time, The Godfather once again proves why some stories don’t just endure, they define an era.
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