BBC iPlayer has added The Godfather to its streaming library, offering viewers the chance to watch what many consider the greatest film ever made. Over half a century after its release, the gangster epic continues to command a massive following.
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and adapted from Mario Puzo's novel, the film stars Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone and launched Al Pacino into stardom as his son Michael. The story follows Michael's transformation from reluctant outsider to ruthless Mafia don.
The Godfather won three Oscars in 1972, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Brando, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also earned seven Golden Globe nominations, winning five awards. Today it ranks as America's second-greatest film ever made, behind Citizen Kane, with a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fans have praised the film as 'cinema's holy scripture' and 'a towering, operatic masterpiece'. One reviewer called it 'the most memorable, most influential, most quoted, most beloved, most discussed, most imitated, most revered and most entertaining American movie ever made'.
