Steven Spielberg has declared Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 crime drama “The Godfather” as the greatest American film ever made. The acclaimed director made this pronouncement during the 50th American Film Institute Life Achievement Award ceremony honoring Coppola on April 26 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
Spielberg and his longtime friend George Lucas presented Coppola with the prestigious award in front of a star-studded audience that included Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, Adam Driver, and Spike Lee, among others.
Spielberg, who first met Coppola in 1967, called the filmmaker “fearless” in his tribute speech. He recalled an experience watching an early five-hour cut of “Apocalypse Now” with other filmmakers, noting how Coppola openly solicited their feedback.
He described how Coppola invited them to share where they felt lost and found in the film, with Spielberg remarking that he sat in awe, realizing that Coppola’s openness to feedback was his superpower.
It was after this reflection that Spielberg made his definitive statement about “The Godfather,” which starred Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and James Caan in the story of the powerful Corleone Mafia family.
“‘The Godfather,’ for me, is the greatest American film ever made,” Spielberg declared to the audience, who witnessed Coppola cover his face with his hands in response to the high praise.
Spielberg continued his tribute by acknowledging Coppola’s influence on the film industry, noting how he had redefined the canon of American film and inspired a generation of storytellers who wanted to make him proud of their work.
Lucas, who co-founded the production company American Zoetrope with Coppola in 1969, also shared warm words for his longtime friend and mentor. He recalled how he encouraged Coppola to make “The Godfather” to help their production company. During his speech, Lucas reflected on their long partnership and told Coppola he was their hero, recounting how Coppola had taught him at age 22 not to be afraid of “jumping off cliffs,” a philosophy Lucas said he had carried throughout his life.
De Niro, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as the young Vito Corleone in “The Godfather Part II,” spoke about how Coppola had changed his career and life. According to The Wrap, De Niro quipped that he was thankful Coppola didn’t cast him in the original “Godfather,” as it meant he was available for the sequel, which transformed his career.
Pacino, who played Michael Corleone in the trilogy, talked about how Coppola fought constantly for his vision and for the actors during the making of the film.
It’s worth noting that while Spielberg considers “The Godfather” the greatest American film ever made, it doesn’t top all authoritative lists. The American Film Institute lists “The Godfather” as No. 2 on its list of The 100 Greatest American Films of All Time, with “Citizen Kane” taking the top spot. On Sight & Sound’s list of the greatest films of all time, “The Godfather” sits at No. 12, with the 1975 film “Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles” claiming the top position.
After receiving the award from Spielberg and Lucas, Coppola delivered an emotional acceptance speech. He compared the experience to returning to his old neighborhood, saying he felt as if after many years he had returned to the old neighborhood where he grew up, and everything around him was so familiar yet had all changed.
Coppola concluded his speech with gratitude toward his colleagues, explaining that he now understood that the place that created him wasn’t really a place at all but friends, colleagues, teachers, family, and neighbors welcoming him back because he was and would always be nothing more than one of them.
The AFI Life Achievement Award is the highest honor given by the American Film Institute. Previous recipients include Orson Welles, Bette Davis, Alfred Hitchcock, Gene Kelly, Sidney Poitier, Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, and Denzel Washington. Last year’s honor went to Nicole Kidman.
The AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Francis Ford Coppola will be televised on TNT on June 18, with an encore airing on TCM at a later date.
Coppola’s impressive filmography includes not only “The Godfather” trilogy but also classics like “The Conversation,” “Apocalypse Now,” and “Bram Stoker’s Dracula.” His most recent film, “Megalopolis,” was self-financed and released earlier this year to mixed reviews, though many critics praised his continued artistic ambition.
The tribute event also included a posthumous Franklin J. Schaffner alumni medal tribute to director David Lynch, who praised the AFI for helping filmmakers find their unique cinematic voice.
Spike Lee, another acclaimed director in attendance, shared that he still has his ticket stub from when he was first in line to see “Apocalypse Now” when it opened in 1979, an experience he described as having a profound impact on him.
