Three-time «Oscar» winner Steven Spielberg, who is currently considered the highest-grossing director in the history of world cinema, has a rather extensive «track record», including «Schindler’s List», «Jurassic Park» and «Back to the Future», but he gives the title of the best American film of all time to the project of his colleague Francis Ford Coppola.
This Saturday, Spielberg presented Coppola with the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award, and among other things, he recalled his emotions from watching his work, where he recognized The Godfather» as the best American film of all time. Interestingly, Steven has repeatedly mentioned the crime drama in his interviews, calling it «the quintessence of cinema», but this is the first time he has recognized it as the best.
«For me, The Godfather is the best American movie of all time. You took something that came before and redefined the canon of American cinema, and in doing so, you inspired a generation of storytellers who want you to be proud of your work, and proud of our work,» Spielberg said during his speech (via Variety).
The crime drama «The Godfather», released in 1972, starred Marlon Brando and Al Pacino and focused on the history of the Corleone crime family. Coppola co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, the author of the original 1969 novel.
Many consider the film adaptation to be one of the best gangster movies of all time, although its direct sequel in 1974 may well compete with this title. Unfortunately, the situation was different with the threequel, and some people doubted the feasibility of its existence, although rumors of a fourth film continued to appear from time to time. After the death of Puzo in 1999, Francis Ford Coppola decided not to make a fourth film, although in 2020 Paramount stated that «The Godfather 4» is «possible». There have been no updates since then.
Meanwhile, Coppola’s latest work remains far from being recognized — science fiction movie «Megalopolis» starring Adam Driver, has been critically acclaimed by both critics and audiences alike 45% and 35% rating on Rotten Tomatoes respectively. The film grossed only $14.3 million at the box office against a budget of $120 million. However, the director himself rated their creation 5 stars on Letterboxd.
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