Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Trilogy made its Blu-ray debut back in 2008. The picture, audio, and extras were impressive. A lot of fans jumped on the set pretty quickly, but some waited, hoping each of the films would be sold separately, largely because of a lack of interest in owning the third film. Paramount answered the call, releasing The Godfather and Godfather Part II as standalone releases in February of 2010. Now, More than four years later, Godfather Part III is finally getting the standalone treatment.
By Christmas day 1990 when The Godfather Part III opened in U.S. theaters, it had been sixteen years since the second film’s triumphant reception. In that time, tastes had changed, and the movie going public wasn’t as enamored with mobsters as they once were. As a result, the third installment of the Godfather trilogy fell short in both Box office receipts and critical acclaim. At the time, many critics blamed the films lackluster performance on Francis Ford Coppola’s decision to cast his daughter Sofia, in the major role of Michael’s now-grown daughter. Many thought her lack of experience detracted from the high standards set by the actors around her. At the time I agreed, simply because it seemed like as good a reason as any, to explain some of the films rough patches. In hindsight, her performance works fairly well for the character.
Watching the film again, I was struck at how complicated The Godfather Part III was in relation to the first two films. When I think back on seeing the movie during its original theatrical run, I remember being confused by all its complexities; I imagine many others joined me in that camp. Most of the Corleone family we had come to recognize had disappeared or been killed. There was no more Brando, De Niro, Duvall, Caan or Castellano. Only Pacino; Shire and Keaton were still in evidence, looking much older, and occasionally bored.
Andy Garcia joins the fray as Sonny’s son (and Michael’s protégé), Vincent, Eli Wallach as old Don Altobello, Joe Mantegna as gangster Joey Zasa, George Hamilton as new consigliere B.J. Harrison, and Raf Vallone as Cardinal Lamberto.
The final installment begins in 1979. Michael and Kay have divorced, and Michael has moved back to New York. As he looks back on his life, Michael sees that he has gained everything yet nothing, and he now seeks respectability and redemption. He tries to go legitimate by severing his ties with the old Mafia families, but, as he says, “Just when I thought I was out, they force me back in.”
Michael is moving in to take over a worldwide corporation (Immobiliare) run by the Vatican. In order to do this, he essentially tries to bribe the church. He negotiates the transfer of $600,000,000 to the Vatican Bank with Archbishop Gilday, who has plunged the Holy See into tremendous debt through his poor management and corrupt dealings. The Church honors Michael for his deed, and secretly agrees to go along with his plans to take over the reins of the company they own. But the old Mafia families want in on the deal with him. This is where the film gets a bit cluttered. I’ve seen the film at least three times, and I still don’t understand all of the details and internal machinations that go on.
The Godfather Part III was nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Andy Garcia), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Song (for Carmine Coppola and John Bettis for “Promise Me You’ll Remember”) and Best Picture but won none.
This appears to be the same transfer used on the Coppola Restoration released in 2008. Presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, this is the darkest of The Godfather films. Detail is very solid, and a significant improvement over previous standard editions. Skin tones look natural throughout, and textures are pronounced.
The 5.1 Digital Surround Sound has some noticeably aggressive moments, while dialogue is clean and clear throughout. There are no audio anomalies to speak of; The Godfather Part III has never sounded better than it does here.
English, English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles are available.
The following extras are included:
- An Audio Commentary with Director Francis Ford Coppola: Coppola provides an extensive overview of the film, providing details, stories, information about actors, scenes, various shots and more. It never feels like he’s struggling to fill dead, air; in fact, listening to any Francis Ford Coppola commentary is like attending your own private film school.
