In The Godfather Coppola has almost reconciled the artistic and commercial impulses in his work. It is a spectacular that isn't vulgar or overblown or contemptuous of the audience; on the contrary, it seems smaller than it is—always thoughtful, often intimate, with a depth of feeling in its portrait of Italian family life that must grow from understanding and firsthand experience. Coppola has not sacrificed the quiet perception that he brought to The Rain People, but this time he has a strong narrative line to give the film dramatic momentum.

Considering the limitations of the material, it is remarkable how much social commentary Coppola manages to introduce….

The Corleones would in fact be difficult to distinguish from many respectable immigrant families. Their goals of material success are certainly estimable; the godfather is a perfect example of the American self-made man. The film plays up the contrast between...