The second film, especially, is a stunner - a tough-minded, grandly expansive portrait of American corruption. The storyline fixates on the cost of regaining an image of legitimacy, both Michael Corleone’s and Francis Coppola’s.Īfter a string of disappointments, Coppola accepted Paramount Pictures’ un-refusable offer to create a sequel to “The Godfather” (1972) and “The Godfather Part II” (1974), critical and popular smashes as well as top Oscar winners. It’s strictly business, not personal, following the old Corleone ethos. Written by Coppola and Puzo in a collective sweat, in between losing bouts at the casino tables in Reno, Nev., the “Godfather III” dialogue keeps coming back to money worries, debts and obligations. The 1990 film re-teamed director Francis Coppola with his co-writer, Mario Puzo, whose pulp bestseller “The Godfather” got the whole thing going in 1969. The third “Godfather” movie never had a reason for existence beyond its financial one. And rarely has a director tested the limits of reshaping his own material across multiple versions. Never was there a sequel so unlucky in following such singular predecessors. It may be ambitious to believe The Godfather, Coda can right the wrongs of 1990, but restoring Coppola's original title is a promising sign that the 30th anniversary edit will be a marked improvement.In “The Godfather Part III,” recut and retitled “The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone,” flashes of greatness periodically illuminate a general, frustrating fog of not-badness. Unlike Zack Snyder, Coppola also can't call upon hours of unused footage to re-cut the entire film from scratch. The Godfather Part III's problems extend beyond just its title - the events lack weight, the supporting cast aren't as strong, and the Vatican storyline is a strange addition to an organized crime tale. Whether The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone can truly redeem the film, however, remains to be seen. Repositioning The Godfather Part III from the third part of a trilogy to a simple coda goes a long way to improving the film, lifting the burden of expectation. "Coda" translates from Italian to "tail" - musical parlance for the ending of a song. The "Coda" title also reaffirms the third film's status as an epilogue rather than a fully-fledged third installment. By changing the title to The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, it's easier to appreciate the film for what it is, rather than expecting a masterpiece and inevitably being let down by a decent but unspectacular 2-and-a-half hours. It would be a stretch to say that The Godfather Part III has enjoyed a renaissance over the past 3 decades, but many believe that even though the sequel undoubtedly pales in comparison to the rest of the Corleone story, the third Godfather movie isn't inherently awful. By billing itself as "The Godfather Part III", viewers are destined for disappointment even before the opening credits. When an audience hears "The Godfather Part III," they expect a cinematic epic on par with the 1970s classics, but the third effort was never intended or written to deliver the same experience. The director also planned to use the title "The Death of Michael Corleone." Paramount stood firm, however, preferring the more marketable "The Godfather Part III." The problem with this title is the intense pressure and expectation it brings to the film. Francis Ford Coppola never envisioned the 1990 Godfather film as a genuine third entry, but rather an epilogue to the previous two. The Godfather, Coda releases in December, but the reedit has already fixed the biggest flaw of The Godfather Part III - the title. Related: Best Non-Traditional Christmas Movies More intriguingly, The Godfather, Coda promises a revised beginning and different ending, which Coppola claims is closer to the original vision he and Mario Puzo shared for their final installment. As close to a "Coppola cut" as The Godfather fans are likely to get, The Godfather, Coda comes with restored picture and sound quality, as well as several altered scenes. Despite being the uninvited guest of the franchise, The Godfather Part III is getting a re-release to celebrate the film's 30th anniversary.
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