The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather
Definitely in my top 5 of favorite soundtracks of all time, it’s easily one of the best scores ever written in cinema history. Nino Rota, who is Italian, did a freaking amazing job on this one. I love how they actually got an Italian to do the score of a movie based on Italian-Americans. There have been many cases where a movie based on a certain ethnicity has the score done by someone not of the same nationality. But, in this case, a piece of Italy feels like it is literally put into this score. Although it’s not the official album, I loved the inclusion of “Manhattan Serenade”. You can’t actually find the song used in the movie (except on YouTube), but it’s one of my favorite parts of the whole movie. That’s one reason I love this soundtrack so much, is because of the use of music from that era, as well as the familial Italian sound. The opening track “Main Title (The Godfather Waltz)” is a frigging beautiful way to open both the soundtrack, as well as the movie. The lone trumpet is really pretty but also really haunting, and it creates a sense of mystery, as well as beauty. In fact, it gives me chills every single time I hear it. It perfectly sets the stage for what’s about to come. “I Have But One Heart”, sung by Al Martino (Johnny Fontane), is a really beautiful piece, and it’s sung so passionately. My favorite piece of the whole album is “Love Theme from The Godfather”, and it’s one of the most iconic and beautiful themes ever written for a movie. It perfectly captures the emotions that the characters give off, as well as the feeling of heartbreak and hope, all at the same time. The album ends with “The Godfather Finale'', which feels like it takes a little piece of all the previous songs before it, and puts it into one final goodbye. It sums up the entire movie and score, and leaves you with a feeling of love as well as curiosity. Overall, Nino Rota made one of the most beautiful and intriguing pieces of music, and it gives you a perfect taste of suspense, as well as a taste of Italian tradition and culture. Even if you’ve never seen The Godfather, I would highly recommend you listen to this. This soundtrack is officially Berry Approved, so go listen to it now!