The Godfather And Me

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James Watkins explores the impact of The Godfather movie on his life and work.

Marking 50 years since its release, director James Watkins explores the impact of The Godfather movie on his life and work.

Since debuting in 1972, many people have attempted to capture what makes Francis Ford Coppola’s  film a defining moment moment in cinema history. Based on Mario Puzo’s best-selling gangster epic, The Godfather examines the dynamics between fathers and sons, family bonds, ruthless violence, capitalist greed and the American Dream. 

The story has infiltrated our collective consciousness, generating an aura around the Corleones, an Italian-American crime family and the conversion of power in their ranks.
 
Co-writer and Director of McMafia James Watkins has long been drawn to this world. In this programme he re-evaluates The Godfather effect and why the films influence casts a huge shadow over his career. 

Taking to the streets of New York he identifies several key areas which for him inspired fascinating filmmaking techniques and memorable moments. As he recalls the first time he saw it, the notable cast performances, and the origin of how it came to be made, he pieces together his persistent fascination with the film and its place in our culture and history.

As we roll back the covers we’ll also hear how Puzo’s book, amplified by the genius of the film, changed the way Italian-Americans saw themselves, why the Mafia blockbuster became a political handbook with a set text for politicians in Washington and Westminster and how this cultural juggernaut paved the way for the wonder of the ‘box set’.

The compulsion to continue examining the Godfather phenomenon and consider why the movie is so compelling only feeds its standing in the pantheon of great filmmaking and storytelling.

Producer: Stephen Garner

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