My Film Notes: The Godfather Part III (1990) directed by Francis Ford Coppola [Updated 28/8/2021]

US / 162 min / Color / Paramount Pictures, Zoetrope Studios. Dir: Francis Ford Coppola. Pro: Francis Ford Coppola. Scr: Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola based on The Godfather by Mario Puzo. Cin: Gordon Willis. Mus: Carmine Coppola. Cast: Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy García, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, Bridget Fonda, George Hamilton, Sofia Coppola. Synopsis: In this third film in the epic Corleone trilogy, Al Pacino reprises the role of powerful family leader Michael Corleone. Now in his 60’s, Michael is dominated by two passions: freeing his family from crime and finding a suitable successor. That successor could be fiery Vincent (Garcia) … but he may also be the spark that turns Michael’s hope of business legitimacy into an inferno of mob violence. [Paramount Pictures]. Release dates: 20 December 1990 (Beverly Hills, California) (premiere); 25 December 1990 (United States); 8 March 1991 (UK); 1 March 1991(Spain). Spanish title: El padrino: Parte III. IMDb Rating: 7.6/10.

The Godfather Part III is a 1990 American crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from the screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo. The film stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, and Andy García, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, Bridget Fonda, George Hamilton, and Sofia Coppola. It is the third and final installment in The Godfather trilogy. A sequel to The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), it concludes the story of Michael Corleone, the patriarch of the Corleone family, who attempts to legitimize his criminal empire. The film also includes fictionalized accounts of two real-life events: the 1978 death of Pope John Paul I and the Papal banking scandal of 1981–1982, both linked to Michael Corleone’s business affairs. (Wikipedia)

The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. (Wikipedia)

The Godfather Part III at the American Film Institute Catalog

While not in the same league as the first two instalments in the series, The Godfather: Part III is not without its own merits.

In December 2020, Coppola completed a long-discussed new edit of The Godfather Part III, just in time for the film’s 30th anniversary. The project, with the title Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, has a length of 158 minutes in comparison with the  original 162 minutes. The one impactful change is the new opening scene.I look forward to seeing the new version soon.

My Film Notes: The Godfather: Part II (1974) directed by Francis Ford Coppola

US / 200 min / Color / Paramount Pictures, The Coppola Company. Dir: Francis Ford Coppola. Pro: Francis Ford Coppola. Scr: Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola based on The Godfather by Mario Puzo. Cin: Gordon Willis. Mus: Nino Rota. Cast: Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Talia Shire, Morgana King, John Cazale, Mariana Hill, Lee Strasberg. Synopsis: The Godfather: Part II juxtaposes two stories: that of Michael Corleone (played, as in The Godfather, by Al Pacino) in the years after he becomes head of the Corleone family business and that of his father, Vito Corleone, as a young man (portrayed by Robert De Niro). In the former storyline, set in the 1950s, Michael has moved the family and his base of operations to Nevada, seeking to expand his influence into Las Vegas and also into Havana. The other storyline shows Vito first as a child arriving in New York City in the early 1900s after his family in Sicily was killed by the local Mafia. As a young man, he is introduced into criminal activity by his friend Clemenza (Bruno Kirby), beginning with thievery. When a neighbourhood crime boss (Gastone Moschin) demands a cut of Vito’s profits, however, Vito murders him. Vito gains more power and respect while retaining his devotion to family. In the other narrative, Michael turns down a request from Frankie Pentangeli (Michael V. Gazzo) to approve a hit in New York City, because it would interfere with business with Jewish crime kingpin Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg). Michael’s story then becomes one of betrayal, deceit, and paranoia. He is targeted by assassination attempts and government investigations. The part of the film dealing with Vito Corleone’s rise to become the don of his own crime family was adapted from the novel The Godfather, but Puzo and cowriter and director Francis Ford Coppola created the story of Michael’s journey into soullessness for the movie. (Source: Britannica). Release dates: 12 December 1974 (New York City, New York) (premiere); 18 December 1974 (United States); 15 May 1975 (UK); 13 October 1975 (Spain). Spanish title: El padrino: Parte II IMDb Rating: 9.0/10.

The Godfather Part II is a 1974 American epic crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from the screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo, starring Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Talia Shire, Morgana King, John Cazale, Mariana Hill, and Lee Strasberg. It is the second installment in The Godfather trilogy. Partially based on Puzo’s 1969 novel The Godfather, the film is both a sequel and a prequel to The Godfather, presenting parallel dramas: one picks up the 1958 story of Michael Corleone (Pacino), the new Don of the Corleone family, protecting the family business in the aftermath of an attempt on his life; the prequel covers the journey of his father, Vito Corleone (De Niro), from his Sicilian childhood to the founding of his family enterprise in New York City.(Wikipedia)

The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards at the 47th Academy Awards and became the first sequel to win for Best Picture. Its six Oscar wins also included Best Director for Coppola, Best Supporting Actor for De Niro and Best Adapted Screenplay for Coppola and Puzo. Pacino won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. (Wikipedia)

The Godfather Part II at the American Film Institute Catalog

The Godfather: Part II is a continuation of my previous post about my long-awaited project to see the three films of the trilogy one after another. This note was intended solely for my own records, but perhaps it may be of some interest to the readers of this blog. As good as the first instalment. The Godfather Part III coming soon.

My Film Notes: The Godfather (1972) Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

US / 177 min / Color / Paramount Pictures, Alfran Productions. Dir: Francis Ford Coppola. Pro: Albert S. Ruddy. Scr: Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola based on The Godfather by Mario Puzo. Cin: Gordon Willis. Mus: Nino Rota. Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Diane Keaton. Synopsis: Set in the 1940s, the story takes place entirely within the world of the Corleones, a fictional New York Mafia family. It opens inside the dark office of the family patriarch, Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), on the wedding day of his daughter, Connie (Talia Shire). Vito’s youngest son, Michael (Pacino), who has distanced himself from the family business, attends the festivities with his non-Italian girlfriend, Kay (Diane Keaton). A few months later, Vito is nearly killed by gunmen sent by a rival family, and Michael saves him from another attempt while he is recovering in the hospital. Michael then takes revenge, killing a corrupt police captain as well as the man who ordered the hit on Vito, after which he flees to Sicily as a gang war breaks out. Vito’s eldest son, Sonny (James Caan), is gunned down, and the violence eventually reaches Michael when his Sicilian wife is killed during an attempt on his life. Michael returns home and marries Kay, and Vito makes peace with the rival families. Michael succeeds his father as don, and, after bringing prosperity to the family, he launches a campaign to systematically wipe out all those who had ever attacked the Corleones. (Source: Britannica). Release dates: 14 March (Premiere: Loew’s State Theatre), 24 March 1972 (United States); 24 August 1972 (UK): 20 October 1972 (Spain). Spanish title: El Padrino IMDb Rating: 9.2/10.

The Godfather is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo’s best-selling 1969 novel of the same name. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, and Diane Keaton. It is the first installment in The Godfather trilogy. The story, spanning from 1945 to 1955, chronicles the Corleone family under patriarch Vito Corleone (Brando), focusing on the transformation of his youngest son, Michael Corleone (Pacino), from reluctant family outsider to ruthless mafia boss. (Wikipedia)

At the 45th Academy Awards, the film won the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Puzo and Coppola). In addition, the seven other Oscar nominations included Pacino, Caan, and Duvall for Best Supporting Actor, and Coppola for Best Director. Since its release, The Godfather has been widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, especially in the gangster genre. It was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1990, being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and is ranked the second-greatest film in American cinema (behind Citizen Kane) by the American Film Institute. It was followed by sequels The Godfather Part II (1974) and The Godfather Part III (1990). (Wikipedia)

The Godfather at the American Film Institute Catalog

Last week I watched again The Godfather, part of my long awaited plan to see the three films in the trilogy one after the other. This note was intended for my own record only, but maybe it can be of some interest to readers of this blog. Probably one of the best films ever. The Godfather (Part II) coming next soon.