54 Years Later, The Godfather Still Has The Greatest Opening Scene In Gangster Movie History

Published Sep 1, 2026, 3:20 PM EDT Sky Blanton is a Movie Contributor at ScreenRant with professional experience covering movies, television, and pop culture. Her published work spans news, interviews, features, and opinion pieces, with a focus on film, franchise storytelling, and the entertainment industry. She earned her bachelor's degree in Communications with a concentration in Professional Writing and a minor in Business Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. The greatest gangster movie opening does not need a gunshot to announce itself. The Godfather begins with a desperate undertaker explaining why he has lost faith in America, while the man who can solve his problem remains hidden in the shadows. It is an extremely memorable way to begin a film, especially one that would go on to define the gangster genre for generations. Francis Ford Coppola takes his time introducing Don Vito Corleone. We hear Amerigo Bonasera's plea before we can properly see the man he has made his way out to see, and when Vito finally appears, he is sitting behind his desk with a cat in his lap. Outside, Connie's wedding is in full swing. Inside, the Don is deciding whether a desperate man's request is worth granting. The Godfather's Opening Scene Is A Perfect Introduction To Don Corleone Coppola makes us wait to properly see Vito Corleone. The film opens on Conasera's face as he explains how two men attacked his daughter and escaped punishment. The camera slowly pulls back, revealing the room before finally showing Vito behind his desk. Bonasera's "I believe in America" quickly takes on a more bitter meaning. He trusted the courts to punish the men who hurt his daughter, but when they failed, he went and sought out help from a Mafia boss instead. Marlon Brando barely raises his voice, but Vito controls the conversation from the moment Bonasera enters. He speaks softly, rarely moves from his chair, and overall seems more disappointed in Bonasera than angry with him. Bonasera has avoided Vito's friendship for years, yet suddenly expects him to arrange a murder. Vito refuses to treat their relationship like a business transaction. Only after Bonasera calls him "Godfather" and asks for his friendship does Vito agree to help. Throughout Bonasera's plea, Vito is also stroking the cat sitting in his lap. Coppola had actually found it wandering around the Paramount lot and gave it to Brand during filming, who incorporated it into the scene (via IMDB). Its purring was so loud that some of Brando's dialogue actually had to be dubbed over afterward. Gordon Willis keeps Vito's face partly hidden in the shadow, so we see his eyes and expression only in fragments throughout their conversation. The Godfather Only Needs 7 Minutes To Tell You It's Going To Be A Masterpiece MoviestillsDB During production, Coppola had originally considered opening at Connie's wedding. However, Bonasera's plea drops us straight into a problem we have to piece together for ourselves. Bonasera wants Vito to have the men who attacked his daughter killed, and we have to figure out why he came to this particular man. Nobody gives us Vito's resume. Bonasera does the explaining for him, and even then, the important information comes from what he says, what Vito refuses to accept and how their conversation changes one Bonasera finally calls him "Godfather." Coppola lets the way these two men occupy the room tell us plenty. Bonasera is leaning across Vito's desk as he pleads, while Vito remains seated, listening, and deciding how much of it he wants to entertain. Wedding music and voices drift in from outside, and people keep coming through the door to ask Vito for favors. That is such a great way to introduce his power, because Coppola never has to announce it. We watch people interrupt a family celebration to see him, watch how carefully they speak to him and watch Vito overall decide who deserves his help. Michael's introduction is another great example. Vito refuses to take the family photograph until his youngest son arrives, while Michael is outside with Kay, telling her that his father is nothing like him. In that one little exchange, we see the father who still wants his son beside him and the son who thinks he has escaped his father's world. Add Bonasera, the people waiting to see Vito, the wedding happening outside and everything we have already learned about the Corleones, and it is almost ridiculous how much Coppola has packed into the first seven minutes of The Godfather.