In late summer 1945, guests are gathered for the wedding reception of Don Vito Corleone's daughter Connie

(Talia Shire) and Carlo Rizzi (Gianni Russo). Vito (Marlon Brando), the head of the Corleone Mafia family who is known to friends and associates as "Godfather" and Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall), the Corleone family lawyer and consigliere (counselor), are hearing requests for favors. Meanwhile, the Don's youngest son Michael (Al Pacino), a decorated Marine war hero returning from World War II service, tells his girlfriend Kay Adams (Diane Keaton) anecdotes about his family, attempting to inform her about his father's criminal life; he reassures her that he is different from his family. According to tradition, a Sicilian cannot refuse a request made on his daughter's wedding day, and therefore, several supplicants come to him asking for various favors. The Don's wealth and his ability to bribe various judges and congressmen make him a powerful man in New York. Among the guests at the celebration is the famous singer Johnny Fontane (Al Martino), Corleone's godson, who has come from Hollywood to petition Vito's help in landing a movie role that will revitalize his flagging career. Hagen is dispatched to California to fix the problem by convincing the head of the studio, Jack Woltz (John Marley) to give Fontane the part. Woltz refuses but is soon persuaded, when he finds the severed head of his prized $600,000 stud horse in bed with him, after waking up the next morning. Upon Hagen's return, the family meets with Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo (Al Lettieri), who is being backed by the rival Tattaglia family. He asks Don Corleone for financing, and political and legal protection for importing and distributing heroin. Despite the huge profit to be made, Corleone doesn't agree and feels his political influence could be jeopardized. The Don's eldest son, Sonny questions Sollozzo's assurances along with the family's investment with the Tattaglia family. Don Corleone then sends his primary enforcer Luca Brasi (Lenny Montana) to infiltrate Sollozzo's organization and report back with information. During the meeting, Brasi is stabbed in his hand to prevent him from defending himself and garroted by an assassin. Soon after Brasi's meeting with Sollozzo, Don Corleone is shot in an assassination attempt. Sollozzo abducts Tom Hagen and persuades him to offer Sonny the deal previously offered to the Don. Sonny instead issues an ultimatum to the Tattaglia family to turn over Sollozzo or face war. They send him "a Sicilian message," in the form of a fresh fish wrapped in Luca Brasi's bullet-proof vest, to tell the Corleones that Luca Brasi "sleeps with the fishes."

Michael, whom the other Mafia families consider a "civilian" uninvolved in mob business, visits his father at the small private hospital. There are supposed to be family soldiers on constant watch at the hospital but Michael finds the entire facility almost empty. Realizing that his father is again being set up to be killed, he calls Sonny for help, moves his father to another room, and goes outside to watch the entrance. With the assistance of a young man who benefited from the Don's favors, Michael scares away a car full of hoods who presumably expected no resistance. Police cars soon appear with the corrupt Captain McCluskey (Sterling Hayden), who breaks Michael's jaw when he insinuates that Sollozzo paid McCluskey to set up his father. Just then, Hagen arrives with "private detectives" licensed to carry guns to protect Don Corleone, and he takes Michael home. Sonny responds by having Bruno Tattaglia, son and underboss of Don Phillip Tattaglia (Victor Rendina), killed. Following the attempt on the Don's life at the hospital, Sollozzo requests a meeting with the Corleones, which Captain McCluskey will attend as Sollozzo's bodyguard. Michael volunteers to kill both men during the meeting. Although police officers are usually off limits for hits, Michael argues that since McCluskey is corrupt and has illegal dealings with Sollozzo, he is fair game. Before the meeting in an Italian restaurant, McCluskey frisks Michael for weapons and finds him clean. Michael excuses himself to go to the bathroom where he retrieves a planted revolver, and returning to the table, he fatally shoots Sollozzo, then McCluskey. Michael is sent to hide in Sicily while the Corleone family prepares for all-out warfare with the other four mafia families (Five Families) who are now united against the Corleones, as well as a general clampdown on the mob by the police and government authorities. When Don Corleone is brought home from the hospital, it falls to Hagen to tell him that Michael did the hit on Sollozzo and McCluskey and is now in hiding. Vito's face becomes pained and he dismisses Hagen and Sonny. Sonny then tells Hagen he wants a hit on Don Tattaglia. Hagen objects on the grounds that they're losing too much money due to the war. Sonny loses his temper, accusing Hagen of incompetence, but then apologizes. As the war rages, Sonny has to be accompanied by family soldiers at all times, including visits to his mistress. They are also with him when he viciously beats Carlo who, Sonny discovers, has been physically abusive to Connie. Later, Carlo again beats Connie who is visibly pregnant. When Sonny receives a telephone call from Connie he is enraged and speeds off in his car, without protection, to confront Carlo. However, he is ambushed at a tollbooth and shot dead. When news reaches the still-recovering Don, he demands a meeting of the Five Families to end the violence between them.

During this time, Michael waits in exile and is protected by Don Tommasino, an old family friend. In a small village, he meets and falls in love with Apollonia Vitelli (Simonetta Stefanelli), the beautiful young daughter of a bar owner. They quickly marry, but soon after, Michael is informed of Sonny's death and needs to leave immediately. As the couple are about to be moved to a safer location, Apollonia is killed when their car is bombed; Michael, who barely escapes alive, spots his bodyguard, Fabrizio, hurriedly leaving the grounds mere seconds before the explosion, implicating him in the assassination plot. A meeting among several Mafia bosses including many from outside New York City is held. Emilio Barzini (Richard Conte) acts as the primary arbitrator among the Five Families. He implores Vito to reconsider his position on drugs. Another boss, Don Zaluchi, tells the organization that drugs are inevitable, but the families can at least control distribution. As long as the narcotics are kept in the ghettos and never sold to children, there should be little opposition from the Don's patrons. Vito now softens his stance on narcotics, but also demands that no harm comes to Michael who stands accused of the Sollozzo hit. In return he swears not to seek revenge for Sonny's killing. He and Don Tattaglia embrace, but on the drive home, he tells Hagen that it is now obvious to him that Don Barzini has been pulling the strings of the entire situation. With his safety guaranteed, Michael returns home. More than a year later, he reunites with his former girlfriend Kay after a total of four years, three in Italy, and one in America. He tells her he wants them to be married. Although Kay is hurt that he waited so long to contact her, she accepts his proposal. With the Don semi-retired, Sonny dead, and middle brother Fredo (John Cazale) considered incapable of running the family business, Michael is now in charge; he promises Kay he will make the family business completely legitimate within five years. A couple of years have passed. Peter Clemenza (Richard S. Castellano) and Salvatore Tessio (Abe Vigoda), two Corleone Family caporegimes (captains), complain that they are being pushed around by the Barzini Family and ask permission to strike back, but Michael denies the request. He plans to move the family operations to Nevada and after that, Clemenza and Tessio may break away to form their own families. Michael further promises Connie's husband, Carlo, that he will be his right hand man in Nevada (this contradicts Vito's earlier declaration that Carlo must never be included in true family business). Tom Hagen has been removed as consigliere and is now merely the family's lawyer, Vito will now fill that role. Privately, Hagen complains about his change in status, and also questions Michael about a new "regime of soldiers" secretly being built under Rocco Lampone (Tom Rosqui). Don Vito explains to Hagen that

Michael is acting on his advice. It is obvious that everyone feels Vito is senile and Michael is not qualified to be Don. On a trip to Las Vegas, Michael intends to buy out the casino owned by gambling mogul Moe Greene (Alex Rocco). The Corleone family financed the casino, but it loses money. Fredo has now been in Vegas for a few years and has grown close to Moe. Greene and Michael start arguing. Greene tells Michael that he'll make a deal with Barzini, and that everybody knows the Corleones power is fading. Fredo yells at Michael afterwards, and Michael prophetically tells him, "Don't ever take sides with anyone against the family. Ever." In a private moment, Vito explains his expectation that the Family's enemies will attempt to murder Michael by using a trusted associate to arrange a meeting as a pretext for assassination. Vito also reveals that he had never intended a life of crime for Michael, hoping that his youngest son would hold legitimate power as a senator or governor. Shortly after, Vito collapses and dies while playing with his young grandson Anthony in his tomato garden. At the burial, Tessio conveys a proposal for a meeting with Barzini, which identifies Tessio as the traitor that Vito was expecting. Michael, acting sheepish, agrees to it. Tessio, along with others in attendance, shakes hands with Barzini, ostensibly congratulating him. It is clear that, now, with Vito's passing, Barzini no longer has to share power and is now considered the capo di tutti capi ("boss of all bosses") of the families. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/