This is a programme people have been waiting for, or, to consciously quote what we're talking about, an offer you cannot refuse.
This Sunday, the Film Archive continues its World's Classic Cinema series with The Godfather, and next Sunday it will be The Godfather, Part II. The two Francis Ford Coppola classics, part of the canon of cinema history, will be shown at Scala Theatre in Siam Square.
The Godfather came out in the US in 1972 and won three Oscars in 1973 (Best Picture, Best Actor for Marlon Brando, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Coppola and Mario Puzo, who wrote the original novel). The film opened in Bangkok in October 1973 -- roughly on the same week as the student uprising of Oct 14, 1973, a landmark in Thai political history. That year, the film was shown at three cinemas, Paramount, Hollywood and Paris, all of them torn down years ago.
Ten years later, The Godfather had a run at another cinema, and this time the reception was more hearty given the film's established reputation.
This Sunday will be the first time it is shown at Scala, the last remaining stand-alone theatre in the city, and it is likely to be a packed screening.
The greatness of The Godfather (and The Godfather, Part II) has been ratified for over 40 years by critics, scholars and audiences, and it's one of those rare classic films whose appreciation seems to have weathered the passing of generations. Marlon Brando is no longer here, but who could resist the power of his presence as Don Corleone presiding over the clan of mafiosi, hitmen and other professional criminals in this film? Al Pacino as Michael Corleone and James Caan as Sonny Corleone also leave an indelible impressions.
For critics and scholars, the film is an endless source of wonderment in formalism, narrative structure, acting and editing (the parallel cutting at the end is a staple of all film classes). For viewers, it's a gripping, powerful film that can be watched over and over again (its IMDB score stands at 9.2; its Rotten Tomatoes score is 98%). And, of course, The Godfather was made at a time when movies had to be watched on the big screen, so to see it like that is probably the best way of honouring it.
Showtime is at noon this Sunday for The Godfather, and on Feb 18 for The Godfather, Part II. Tickets are available now, and seats are filling up fast.
