Should people be pulled back in on a new version of The Godfather, Part III?
A few years ago I reviewed III; I've never held the opinion that this was bad, even when first seen by me more than two decades ago. It's just a shame that it isn't one of the best films of all time like the first two are. Last night (the same day it came out on disc) a trip was made to an AMC to view Coppola's new cut of the movie, entitled The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. Spoilers, I know... turns out, Coda isn't too terribly different from III.
Sure, the opening is different (now, it starts w/ a scene from about 40 minutes in moved up), the last half of the final scene is cut, various edits happen-only a few of which I even noticed-some music cues are probably different and a gory death is finally able to be shown; otherwise, it's the same film about Michael paying for the sins of the past while finally trying to go legitimate. All the drama involving the Vatican Bank and the short reign of Pope John Paul I... it's based rather loosely on real life events, believe it or not. There is plenty of conspiracy concerning both in the late 70's to early 80's; from what little I've seen/heard about it, a fascinating story no matter the truth.
The same strengths and weaknesses from III are present; it is pretty good overall, aided by some powerful performances from the likes of Keaton, Garcia, and especially Pacino. The general conceit of the film (Michael's downfall) is a great idea. Of course, the financial struggles of both Francis Ford and Mario Puzo are the main reasons why this was made rather a burning desire to finish this saga... but the movie is not horrible like some think it is. The long finale at a opera is not subtle-which is alright as it managed to fit with all the dramatic moments. Of course it's a shame that Robert Duvall did not want to return so a new character played by George Hamilton is there instead. Then there's Sofia Coppola... last month on the big screen they played a trailer for Coda; I laughed once the realization hit that the only time Mary Corleone was shown was at the very end.
Even with some of her footage being cut, that performance was not good. If only Winona Ryder was not sick with exhaustion and she was able to play the role as originally intended. Her dropping out at the 11th hour put everyone in a bind, but dad putting his novice daughter in such a position is still a legendary bad decision in Hollywood history. It's amazing she still wanted to be in film after all the savage criticism she received; at least she's far better as a director. The whole “first cousins have a torrid love affair” is kind of strange and certainly gross; I at least hope it is not a common phenomenon in the real world.
Comparing the two versions, both receive the same rating. While it is better paced, I am unsure if every change made was for the better. Irregardless, those that don't like III could think of the whole thing better if they gave Coda a shot. Of course, the passage of time and hindsight might be bigger factors for reappraising this third tale in the trilogy. In any event, it's been a treat to have seen all three motion pictures on the big screen since 2010.
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