The Godfather is a 1972 movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola . It is based on Mario Puzo 's novel of the same name , and stars Marlon Brando and Al Pacino . The Godfather is a 1972 American crime film based on the novel of the same name by Mario Puzo and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a screenplay by Puzo , Coppola , and Robert Towne ( uncredited ) .