The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (1992) (V)

Director:

Francis Ford Coppola

Writers:

Francis Ford Coppola (writer)
Mario Puzo (novel)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

The multigenerational saga of the rise and fall of the Corleone crime family.

Plot Keywords:

Mano Nera | Severed Horse's Head | Knife In Hand | Honor | Hospital

Cast

Al Pacino	...	Don Michael Corleone (archive footage)
Robert Duvall	...	Tom Hagen (archive footage)
Diane Keaton	...	Kay Adams Corleone Michelson (archive footage)
Talia Shire	...	Connie Corleone Rizzi (archive footage)
Marlon Brando	...	Don Vito Corleone (archive footage)
James Caan	...	Santino 'Sonny' Corleone (archive footage)
John Cazale	...	Fredo Corleone (archive footage)
Robert De Niro	...	Young Vito Corleone (archive footage)
Andy Garcia	...	Vincent Mancini (archive footage)
Richard S. Castellano	...	Peter Clemenza (archive footage)
Lee Strasberg	...	Hyman Roth (archive footage)
Michael V. Gazzo	...	Frankie Pentangeli (archive footage)
Sofia Coppola	...	Mary Corleone (archive footage)
Richard Bright	...	Al Neri (archive footage)
Eli Wallach	...	Don Altobello (archive footage)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

583 min | Poland:523 min (DVD) | Poland:710 min (longer version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:15 (DVD rating) | Iceland:16 | USA:R | UK:18

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Director Francis Ford Coppola agreed to reedit The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974) into one in order to raise money for his beleaguered production Apocalypse Now (1979).

Goofs:

Continuity: As the Corleone's pack up to move to Las Vegas, there is a real estate sign outside the compound offering the property for commercial development. Later, Michael meets Frankie Pentangeli in his father's old (redecorated) house.

Quotes:

Don Michael Corleone: It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Terkel i knibe (2004)

An offer you can't refuse!

Everyone knows the "Godfather" movies. If you don't by now, you probably don't belong on this site. (Just kidding...everyone is welcome!) In 1992, Francis Ford Coppola assembled together the entire footage from all three of his "Godfather" movies and spliced them back together again in chronological order...along with about 30 minutes of deleted scenes, making the outcome clock in at about 530 minutes altogether (astounding!).

The movie compilation was released on VHS and played on TV as part of a mini-series type deal, but I never got around to seeing it back then. Watching it now it really adds a new aspect to the familiar story and truly compliments the original films - it doesn't seem like an unnecessary cash-in.

Part of what I enjoy about the first sequel is its non-chronological passage of events...flashbacks to Don Vito's days really contrasted Michael's conflicts in a superb way... but I don't really have any beefs with Coppola changing that for the sake of a new and unique narrative. It makes it more interesting for this particular project.

It starts off with scenes from "The Godfather Part II" - a young Vito Corleone emigrates from Corleone, Sicily (and no, the film wasn't actually shot there...I went to the real town of Corleone and it's nothing like in the film) to Ellis Island at the turn of the century. Once there he eventually opens his own business, gets a wife and births children - including Michael, his beloved son.

Vito becomes a Mafia Don and after many years Robert De Niro transforms into Marlon Brando, whose son Michael (now played not by a baby, but rather a baby-faced Al Pacino) is reluctant to join the "business." He's in the military and all is going well with him and his girlfriend (Diane Keaton) but then an assassination attempt leaves his older brother dead and his father in intensive care.

In order to defend his family he must kill a corrupt cop and Mafia kingpin. He does this and then flees to Sicily (and, if you've read the book "The Sicilian" by Mario Puzo, you'll be aware of what fate awaits him there).

This stuff goes on forever and I could give a detailed plot description but I'd be ruining whatever you might not have seen.

Overall there's nothing I can really say about this other than that it's an interesting spin on the movies. If you want my opinion on the other films you'll have to search my archive here on IMDb, they'll all available if you care so much as to read them (which I highly doubt).

Suffice to say Coppola's remix of his movies is a refreshing twist on the saga...I enjoyed it and although it's something of a monster to sit through (I recommend an hour or two per night, which I don't ever usually like to do with other films), you'll find the time passes by pretty quick at times.