The Godfather opened forty years ago this month. On the week that it did, I skipped school and bluffed my way into the restricted movie under age. That’s because my loyalty to movies was infinitely deeper than my loyalty to school.
Coursing through its epic depths, of course, is the very issue of loyalty; is Michael Corleone’s loyalty to his country – he’s a WWII vet – stronger than his loyalty to his family? Or to his fiancé? Later, when he acquires power, the question only becomes more complicated and acute; is his loyalty to preserving power greater than his loyalty to family? Is blood really thicker than power?
Segarini: Don't Believe a Word I Say 