While it may have taken Coppola 30 years to realize his vision, the wait was well worth it. I also came away with more respect for what Coppola had sought to accomplish with Part III: he had wanted to make an epilogue that enhanced the original films, rather than a "Part III" that would equal two of the greatest movies ever made.
I won't give away the new ending, but I found it far more nuanced and emotionally satisfying than the much-mocked finale of the original version. The new cut forces us to see the world through his eyes as the disgraced Mafioso tries to salvage what is left of his family while attempting to absolve himself of his past sins. While Michael is listening and responding to the preacher, his associates are dispatching their enemies in different locations throughout the city. Luca Brasi only actually does two things in The Godfather: He nervously gives. By the time of the stunning baptism/murder. It is also the birthplace of several fictional characters in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather, including the eponymous Vito (Andolini) Corleone. Michael Corleone’s transformation is the real story of the movie. Corleone is an Italian town and commune of roughly 11,158 inhabitants in Sicily. Although the original cut suffered from an uneven focus on a cluttered cast of characters, "The Godfather Coda" is absolutely Michael's story. Editing In The Baptism murders The Godfather (1972), the scene begins with one of the main characters, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) in a church setting attending the baptism of his infant son. The Godfather Filming Locations in Sicily. Coppola restructures the narrative of "Part III" by placing Michael's dealings with the Vatican front and center, which clarifies the plot while making the Don's doomed quest for redemption the overarching theme of the film. Yet Coppola's new edit of the film transformed a flawed crime drama into a compelling - even moving - epic that I loved practically from beginning to end. But the convoluted plot, absence of Robert Duvall, and Sofia Coppola's underwhelming performance had long made "Part III" a frustrating viewing experience for me.Īfter watching "The Death of Michael Corleone," I was still left wondering what might have been if Duvall and Winona Ryder, the original choice to play Mary Corleone, had been able to leave their mark on the conclusion to the Godfather saga. I've always had mixed feelings about Part III: to me there was never any doubt that the cinematography, the dialogue, Andy Garcia's performance, and the operatic climax were pure gold. A few hours ago I saw Francis Ford Coppola's revised version of "The Godfather Part III." Released as "The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone," this new cut features a different beginning and ending while running 12 minutes shorter than the original.