The lattice Green function, i.e., the resolvent of the discrete Laplace operator, is fundamental in probability theory and mathematical physics. We derive its long-distance behaviour via a detailed analysis of an integral representation involving modified Bessel functions. Our emphasis is on the decay of the massive lattice Green function in the vicinity of the massless (critical) case, and the recovery of Euclidean isotropy in the massless limit. This provides a prototype for the expected but unproven long-distance behaviour of near-critical two-point functions in statistical mechanical models such as percolation, the Ising model, and the self-avoiding walk above their upper critical dimensions.