The Godfather opens with the line, “I believe in America.” Then the next eight hours and 59 minutes of the trilogy explore the unsaid “but” at the end of that sentence. Like me, you might be turned off by stories that glorify the mafia, violence, and toxic notions of masculinity. But bear with me because The Godfather isn’t that. Like Julio Rodríguez, it’s one of those rare things in life that actually lives up to its reputation. Rather than focus on the simplicity of good guys and bad guys, G-Men and thugs with guns, Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola turned the traditional gangster story on its head, fascinated by why someone would turn to power structures that lie outside legitimate society.
40 in 40: Sam Haggerty
