Steven Spielberg Names Crime Epic With 97% RT Score The Greatest American Film Ever Made

Steven Spielberg remains one of the greatest living filmmakers working in Hollywood. After getting his start with Jaws (1975), the director would continue to find success with a host of films, including Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and two Indiana Jones sequels. Spielberg didn’t slow down in the ’90s, releasing some of his most acclaimed and beloved films.

Jurᴀssic Park (1993) still stands as one of the most iconic blockbusters ever made, and Spielberg followed that movie up with releases like Schindler’s List (1993), a lesser dinosaur sequel in The Lost World: Jurᴀssic Park (1997), and Saving Private Ryan (1998). Since the ’90s, Spielberg has continued to excel with films like Minority Report (2002), War of the Worlds (2005), Lincoln (2012), and The Fabelmans (2022). The director has now set his sights on a UFO blockbuster starring Emily Blunt, Colin Firth, Wyatt Russell, and Josh O’Connor, with a release slated for 2026.

Steven Spielberg Names The Godfather The Best American Movie Ever

The Director Shares His Praise For The Francis Ford Coppola Crime Epic

Spielberg dubs The Godfather

the greatest American movie of all time. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the 1972 film stars Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan, and Robert Duvall, with a story that follows an aging crime boss as he transfers power over his empire to his reluctant son. The Godfather, which is widely considered one of the most important movies in Hollywood history, was followed by The Godfather Part II (1974) and The Godfather Part III (1990).

During a recent American Film Insтιтute ceremony, as reported by Variety, Spielberg and George Lucas awarded Coppola the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award. Both directors shared kind words about the legendary filmmaker, with Spielberg calling him “fearless” and “a warrior for independent artists.” After recalling a meeting with Coppola about an early, five-hour cut of Apocalypse Now (1979), Spielberg reveals that he thinks The Godfather is the “greatest American film ever made.” Check out Spielberg’s full comment below:

“’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. When we’re young, it’s our parents we want to make proud, and then it’s our friends, and then it’s our colleagues, and finally, it’s our peers, but you, sir, are peerless. 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.”

A post on X from Variety editor Jazz Tangcay is included below, showing the moment Spielberg delivered his speech:

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What This Means For The Godfather

The Film’s Legacy Explained

Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in The Godfather looking disappointed.

Spielberg’s comments about The Godfather echo a common sentiment, with Coppola’s crime epic considered a truly monumental achievement in filmmaking. The movie was nominated for 11 Oscars and ultimately won two for Best Picture and for Best Actor, with Brando memorably choosing to send Sacheen Littlefeather on his behalf to refuse the award due to the poor treatment of Native Americans in the world of entertainment. On Rotten Tomatoes, The Godfather‘s critical acclaim earned the movie a 97% critics’ score, with the audience-driven Popcornmeter score coming in one point higher at 98%.

The Godfather is largely responsible for launching Pacino’s acting career, paving the way for roles in movies like Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and Scarface (1983). For Brando, the film stands as one of the most memorable performances in the latter part of his career alongside his performances in Last Tango in Paris (1972) and Apocalypse Now. Spielberg calling The Godfather the greatest American film ever made, then, isn’t an outlier or a radical opinion, but it does further cement the film’s impressive legacy.

Source: Variety