Watch Our Godfather

Our Godfather is a gripping documentary released in 2019 that tells the story of Tommaso Buscetta, a former Mafia boss who became a government informant, and sheds light on the inner workings of organized crime in Italy and the United States in the 1980s. The film begins by introducing the audience to Buscetta, a man who is 70 years old and living in Brazil in the late 1980s, having fled Italy due to death threats from his former colleagues in the Mafia. Buscetta is initially reluctant to talk about his past, but eventually agrees to open up to filmmakers Mark Franchetti and Andrew Meier, revealing previously unknown details about his life and his decision to cooperate with Italian authorities.

Through a series of interviews, archival footage, and dramatic reenactments, the film explores Buscetta's rise to power in the Sicilian Mafia, his involvement in the Mafia's war against the Italian government and other rival groups, and his eventual capture and extradition to Italy, where he provides key testimony in the historic "Maxi Trial" that led to the conviction of hundreds of Mafia members.

The film also delves into Buscetta's complicated relationship with Paul Castellano, the head of the Gambino crime family in New York, and Castellano's right-hand man, Thomas Bilotti. Through interviews with family members, former Mafia associates, and law enforcement officials, we see how Buscetta's decision to cooperate with Italian authorities led to the downfall of Castellano and Bilotti, who were both assassinated on the orders of John Gotti, the man who succeeded Castellano as head of the Gambino family.

What sets Our Godfather apart from other documentaries about the Mafia is its focus on Buscetta's personal life and his motivations for cooperating with the authorities. The filmmakers spend a significant amount of time exploring the impact that his decision to become a witness had on his family and his own psyche, and this lends the film a depth and emotional weight that is sometimes lacking in other true crime stories.

In addition, the film offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the Mafia, from the structure of the organization to the tactics used to maintain power and silence informants. We see how Buscetta rose through the ranks of the Sicilian Mafia through a combination of brutality and cunning, and later used his knowledge of the organization to help prosecutors dismantle it.

Throughout the film, Buscetta comes across as a complex and nuanced figure, neither hero nor villain, but a man who made difficult choices and lived with their consequences. His story offers a window into a dark and often misunderstood world, and sheds light on the human cost of organized crime.

Overall, Our Godfather is a compelling and thought-provoking documentary that offers a fresh perspective on a familiar subject. It is a must-watch for anyone interested in true crime, the Mafia, or the intersection between crime and law enforcement.

Our Godfather is a 2019 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 32 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8.