Francis Ford Coppola on the lasting impact of The Godfather

At 50 years old, The Godfather remains one of the greatest movies of all time. There's not exactly a whole lot new to say about the iconic film that hasn't already been said, yet Francis Ford Coppola continues to speak passionately and incisively about his masterwork.

In a new clip, released for the movie's anniversary and as the 4K version reaches stores, Coppola talks about The Godfather's resonating themes and how stories can last hundreds of years when they touch on what's important to humanity. He compares the lasting impact of his movie to the works of Shakespeare, with his tales of kings and sons. Watch the clip of the famous filmmaker above.

Released in 1972, The Godfather stars Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, with Al Pacino playing his son Michael. Coppola has been speaking with various publications for the film's anniversary and recently revealed his favorite scene.

"I think my favorite scene is when the little boy is with his grandfather, and Marlon surprised him with the orange in his mouth in the garden," he said.

Coppola has previously revealed that Brando came up with the idea of using the orange peel, telling Playboy that, while Coppola was wondering how to make the scene believable, the actor offered his thoughts. "[Brando] said, 'Here's how I play with kids,' and took an orange peel, cut it into pieces that looked like fangs and slipped them into his mouth," he said.

The director added: "I thought, 'What a ridiculous idea.' Then suddenly I saw it: of course! The godfather dies as a monster! Once I'd seen him with orange peel fangs, I knew I could never shoot it any other way."

A series about the making of The Godfather, titled The Offer, is currently in the works for Paramount Plus. Dan Fogler will play Coppola, while Miles Teller, Juno Temple, Michael Gandolfini, and Colin Hanks also have roles.

The Offer is set for release April 28, 2022. In the meantime, check out our roundup of the best Netflix shows to fill out your watchlist.

Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.