I was combing through my television channels the other day when I landed upon the familiar confines of the Corleone clan. Of course I had to stop and watch; it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. The first time I remember watching The Godfather, I was five years old. As many times as I’ve seen this landmark film, I still marvel at it’s all around greatness.

It is difficult for me to even isolate a single element that I would consider my favorite. This got me thinking, why has the immense legacy of this 1972 movie endured? Why does this film continually gain fresh audiences and newfound admiration 47 years after its release? These are some contributing factors, in my opinion.