Is The Godfather Opening Scene the Best Opening Scene EVER?

What do great opening scenes do? They capture the essence of the upcoming story, whether the audience knows it or not. At their best, they lay out the story’s essential driving theme cinematically and grippingly as well as establishing tone, genre and some elements of characterisation. With this in mind, The Godfather opening scene makes a strong case for a perfect opening scene.

But what is it exactly that makes this scene such a great opening to the film? And do these elements of strength make The Godfather opening scene the best opening scene of all time?

Let’s break down the scene and assess its case for being the greatest movie opening of all time.

The Godfather Opening Scene

So what happens in The Godfather opening scene?

• A man, Bonasera, comes to the titular Godfather, Don Corleone (Marlon Brando), for advice.
• In a monologue, Bonasera outlines how his daughter has gotten into trouble with a boyfriend. The boyfriend, along with some friends, took her out one night and brutally beat her.
• Bonasera comes to Don Corleone to seek justice against the men that beat his daughter and got away with it.
• He asks Corleone for help and the Don then responds, refusing what he initially asks for but offering to help in a different way.
• The Don eventually ushers Bonasera out, promising to help him and putting the wheels in motion for this.

At face value, this is a man coming to see Don Corleone for help. But the scene cohesively establishes who Don Corleone is; a man who is to come to for these sorts of problems. Moreover, it gives the audience a clear hint of how this world operates and the machinations that underpin it.