There are few films that can claim to have as great an influence on cinema as Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather. The groundbreaking masterpiece, which was released 43 years ago and won 9 Oscars at the 1973 Academy Awards, not only redefined the gangster genre as a whole—it also critiqued the American dream, casting it as an American nightmare.

Steven Spielberg, the much-celebrated director behind such classic movies as E.T. and Raiders of the Lost Ark, has in the past called The Godfather “the greatest American film ever made.” While the sentiment behind Spielberg’s statement is most certainly true, it is undercut by the film’s opening monologue by undertaker Amerigo Bonasera (Salvatore Corsitto), who whispers an unheard plea into Don Corleone’s ear after detailing how his daughter was denied justice by the American legal system. The greatest irony, therefore, lies in the contrast between Spielberg’s words and his own varied filmography, which has largely romanticized the prospects of honor and the American Dream.

Steven Spielberg Has Called The Godfather The Greatest American Movie Ever, And He’s Probably Right

Spielberg Praised Coppola And His 1972 Film

At a recent ceremony for the American Film Insтιтute, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg praised Francis Ford Coppola while awarding him the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award, an achievement that’s been presented to acclaimed Hollywood figures like Martin Scorsese and Sidney Poitier. During their speech, Spielberg declared that The Godfather is America’s greatest film, and that Coppola’s talent has “inspired a generation of storytellers“:

“’The Godfather,’ for me, is the greatest American film ever made. Many artists can and do take a bow from their work on a page, on a canvas, on a screen, but our applause for you Francis, is from a different kind of audience…You have taken what came before and redefined the canon of American film, and in so doing, you’ve inspired a generation of storytellers who want to make you proud of their work, proud of our work, and I always want to make you proud of my work.”

Spielberg is correct in that The Godfather is a uniquely American tragedy, one centered around the idealistic Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) who’s thrust into the violent life his father Vito (Marlon Brando), the boss of the Corleone family, never wanted for him. However, the transformation of Michael from a decorated war hero into the cold-blooded Don Corleone signifies a cynical reflection of the American Dream, which too often rewards immorality instead of nobility.

The Godfather Is About The Darker Side Of The American Dream

Michael’s Transformation Is At The Core Of This Darkness

The depths of The Godfather‘s narrative are far deeper than the ordinary tropes of gangster pulp fiction. At its heart, the film is more about family than it is about the mafia. Furthermore, The Godfather goes to great lengths to illustrate the violent cost of great power, which is most evident through the loss of Michael’s humanity as he slowly transforms into the ruthless head of the family over the course of the film.

Many of us are already so familiar with The Godfather‘s story that we forget how the film subverts our expectations with Michael’s arc toward evil. At the beginning of the movie, Michael is cast as the opposition to the Corleones, a celebrated war hero in full US military garb who makes it clear to his girlfriend Kay (Diane Keaton) that he desires no part in his family’s criminal enterprises. However, Michael’s morality is shattered once his father’s life is threatened, and he willingly sets on the course to damnation out of loyalty to his family thereafter. With a narrative that powerful and awe-inspiring, it’s no wonder that Spielberg also said that The Godfather made him want to quit directing.

What The Godfather’s “I Believe In America” Opening Line Really Means

Bonasera’s Words Are A Declaration Of America’s Opportunities

When Bonasera delivers those four spine-chilling words during The Godfather‘s opening, it’s in fact the desperate undertaker’s plea to the agent of the American Dream’s darker side, Don Vito Corleone. Having been failed by the legal system, Bonasera seeks an alternative path through Don Corleone, a man of honor who’s built his empire on fear and bloodshed. Like Michael, Bonasera is unable to secure justice within the bounds of the law, and must get his hands dirty in order to defend his loved ones.

The reality of Bonasera’s declaration is unwittingly cynical; for many Americans, past and present (particularly immigrants), the path toward justice cannot be found through the legal system due to a mulтιтude of reasons, including corruption, racism, xenophobia, etc. Therefore, other means toward an end become advantageous, often at a brutal, immoral cost. Spielberg may have been right when he called The Godfather America’s greatest film, and one of the best movies ever created; there may be such a perfectly ᴀssembled cast under one cohesive narrative that has affected society as much as the 1972 classic has.