The Godfather: Part III ««««
R, 170m. 1990
Cast & Credits: Al Pacino (Michael Corleone), Talia Shire (Connie Corleone), Diane Keaton (Kay Adams), Andy Garcia (Vincent Mancini), Sofia Coppola (Mary Corleone), Eli Wallach (Don Altobello), Joe Montegna (Joey Zasa), George Hamilton (B.J. Harrison), Raf Vallone (Cardinal Lamberto), Frank D’Ambrosio (Anthony Corleone), Donal Donelly (Archbishop Gilday), Richard Bright (Al Neri), Bridget Fonda (Grace Hamilton). Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
The most beloved movie series have a certain unique quality, which make them easy to identify. It is as if you already know how they are going to begin.
The James Bond movies always open with 007 on some life and death mission. The Star Wars trilogy opened with the words, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away”, before we hear composer John Williams’ familiar pulse pounding musical score while the Indiana Jones movies began with the archeologist evading death in a series of cleverly calculated stunts.
The first two Godfather films in 1972 and 1974 opened with a family celebration (a wedding in part one and a first communion in part two) and ended in a bloody series of betrayals as the most famous fictional movie crime family meted out its own brand of justice against those who opposed them. It didn’t matter if you were a brother or a brother-in-law. The rule was plain and simple. Go against the family and you pay the ultimate price.
Now sixteen years after The Godfather: Part II was released director Francis Ford Coppola, along with screenwriter/Mafia novelist Mario Puzo return to familiar territory to complete the third and likely final chapter of the Corleone family.
Like its predecessors before it, Part III opens twenty years after the events of Part II in 1979 with another family celebration as an older, frail, sadder perhaps much wiser Don Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) is honored by the Roman Catholic Church.
Both Coppola and Puzo incorporate the same elements that made the first two so haunting and memorable. Murders are planned out in a dimly lit hospital chapel in front of a large crucifix while gang leaders enact the sign of the cross the minute they step inside a church; as if the only other thing these murderers hold sacred besides honor and the family business is God and the catholic faith. Hitmen are given a box of chocolates that hides a gun underneath the candies while conspirators dedicate their toasts to death.
Since so much time has passed and so many characters have died in the twenty years since Part II ended and when Part III begins, this family it seems has become much smaller. This despite the presence of hundreds of people at the party who we can only assume are either somehow related to the Corleones or are government and law enforcement officials on their payroll.
We do meet a few old acquaintances like singer/actor Johnny Fontaine (Al Martino) whose character Puzo modeled after Frank Sinatra in real life. We’re introduced to intriguing new characters like Don Altobello (Eli Wallach), the supposed peace keeper of the Corleone family whose roots go back to the old days but who we’ve never heard about until now. And Joey Zasa (Joe Montegna), an over ambitious mob boss with devious plans of his own.
Puzo modeled a few of his fictional characters in his 1969 novel and in Coppola’s film adaptations after real life people. Characters like Moe Greene who founded Las Vegas (a bullet went through his eye) in the first movie was modeled after gangster Bugsy Siegel who died in similar fashion in the 1950s. While Lee Strasberg’s Jewish businessman Hyman Roth in part two was modeled after crimelord Meyer Lansky. Unless one had read about this in various entertainment magazines like I have, most people probably wouldn’t be aware of the similarities.
This time, though, Coppola and Puzo have their characters entangled in current events like the Vatican bank scandal of the late 1970s and early 1980s that supposedly involved the Mafia and the untimely death of Pope John Paul I, whose one month reign and demise in 1978 has been the subject of unproven but interesting conspiracy theories since.
The story has elements of Shakespeare’s King Lear as Pacino’s Michael decides to put the family’s future in the hands of Sonny’s violently, temperamental illegitimate son, Vincent Mancini (Andy Garcia).
The film is rich with great performances especially from Pacino who clearly makes this his show giving an emotionally, power driven role who has become repentant in his old age and regrets his past actions. Michael’s relationship with Vincent is much like the one he had with his father, Vito, (Marlon Brando) in the first one.
He feeds Vincent with conventional words of wisdom like “Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment.”
Garcia’s mannerisms echo James Caan’s character in the first movie but he plays it a step further almost to the point of hilarity in the beginning before displaying how serious he is about being in the family business. His outbursts are enough to make Michael jump slightly out of his chair and he has a thing for biting his rival’s ears off.
Diane Keaton has some fine moments as Kay who, even after despising everything Michael has become realizes she still loves him. While Talia Shire plays her role as Connie as the sole matriarch and Michael’s protector who wants to keep the spirit of the crime family alive.
Then there is Sofia Coppola, the director’s daughter who reportedly had no acting experience and plays Michael’s daughter and Vincent’s love interest in the film. Coppola recast the part after Winona Ryder dropped out prior to shooting. Her first time role here was critically lambasted when the film was released (she hasn’t acted in front of the camera since) and some think her performance literally tanked the picture. In a sense, she could be the Jar Jar Binks (Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace - 1999) of the Godfather films who fans say ruined the Star Wars prequel.
Coppola’s role isn’t a bad performance and although I read reports how some audience members laughed at the young woman’s acting abilities, I noticed quite a few people outside the lobby whose eyes were red and teary after the first showing Christmas Day weekend.
Then again, the Godfather movies aren’t love stories. They are about family relationships and loyalty. I have often heard of people saying how they wished their families were as close as this criminal empire is despite coming from an immoral background.
Perhaps when it comes to large families, the Corleones are like the Kennedys. Their stories are a combination of both celebrations and tragedies.
©12/1/99
R, 170m. 1990
Cast & Credits: Al Pacino (Michael Corleone), Talia Shire (Connie Corleone), Diane Keaton (Kay Adams), Andy Garcia (Vincent Mancini), Sofia Coppola (Mary Corleone), Eli Wallach (Don Altobello), Joe Montegna (Joey Zasa), George Hamilton (B.J. Harrison), Raf Vallone (Cardinal Lamberto), Frank D’Ambrosio (Anthony Corleone), Donal Donelly (Archbishop Gilday), Richard Bright (Al Neri), Bridget Fonda (Grace Hamilton). Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
The James Bond movies always open with 007 on some life and death mission. The Star Wars trilogy opened with the words, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away”, before we hear composer John Williams’ familiar pulse pounding musical score while the Indiana Jones movies began with the archeologist evading death in a series of cleverly calculated stunts.
The first two Godfather films in 1972 and 1974 opened with a family celebration (a wedding in part one and a first communion in part two) and ended in a bloody series of betrayals as the most famous fictional movie crime family meted out its own brand of justice against those who opposed them. It didn’t matter if you were a brother or a brother-in-law. The rule was plain and simple. Go against the family and you pay the ultimate price.
Now sixteen years after The Godfather: Part II was released director Francis Ford Coppola, along with screenwriter/Mafia novelist Mario Puzo return to familiar territory to complete the third and likely final chapter of the Corleone family.
Like its predecessors before it, Part III opens twenty years after the events of Part II in 1979 with another family celebration as an older, frail, sadder perhaps much wiser Don Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) is honored by the Roman Catholic Church.
Both Coppola and Puzo incorporate the same elements that made the first two so haunting and memorable. Murders are planned out in a dimly lit hospital chapel in front of a large crucifix while gang leaders enact the sign of the cross the minute they step inside a church; as if the only other thing these murderers hold sacred besides honor and the family business is God and the catholic faith. Hitmen are given a box of chocolates that hides a gun underneath the candies while conspirators dedicate their toasts to death.
Since so much time has passed and so many characters have died in the twenty years since Part II ended and when Part III begins, this family it seems has become much smaller. This despite the presence of hundreds of people at the party who we can only assume are either somehow related to the Corleones or are government and law enforcement officials on their payroll.
We do meet a few old acquaintances like singer/actor Johnny Fontaine (Al Martino) whose character Puzo modeled after Frank Sinatra in real life. We’re introduced to intriguing new characters like Don Altobello (Eli Wallach), the supposed peace keeper of the Corleone family whose roots go back to the old days but who we’ve never heard about until now. And Joey Zasa (Joe Montegna), an over ambitious mob boss with devious plans of his own.
Puzo modeled a few of his fictional characters in his 1969 novel and in Coppola’s film adaptations after real life people. Characters like Moe Greene who founded Las Vegas (a bullet went through his eye) in the first movie was modeled after gangster Bugsy Siegel who died in similar fashion in the 1950s. While Lee Strasberg’s Jewish businessman Hyman Roth in part two was modeled after crimelord Meyer Lansky. Unless one had read about this in various entertainment magazines like I have, most people probably wouldn’t be aware of the similarities.
This time, though, Coppola and Puzo have their characters entangled in current events like the Vatican bank scandal of the late 1970s and early 1980s that supposedly involved the Mafia and the untimely death of Pope John Paul I, whose one month reign and demise in 1978 has been the subject of unproven but interesting conspiracy theories since.
The story has elements of Shakespeare’s King Lear as Pacino’s Michael decides to put the family’s future in the hands of Sonny’s violently, temperamental illegitimate son, Vincent Mancini (Andy Garcia).
The film is rich with great performances especially from Pacino who clearly makes this his show giving an emotionally, power driven role who has become repentant in his old age and regrets his past actions. Michael’s relationship with Vincent is much like the one he had with his father, Vito, (Marlon Brando) in the first one.
He feeds Vincent with conventional words of wisdom like “Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment.”
Garcia’s mannerisms echo James Caan’s character in the first movie but he plays it a step further almost to the point of hilarity in the beginning before displaying how serious he is about being in the family business. His outbursts are enough to make Michael jump slightly out of his chair and he has a thing for biting his rival’s ears off.
Diane Keaton has some fine moments as Kay who, even after despising everything Michael has become realizes she still loves him. While Talia Shire plays her role as Connie as the sole matriarch and Michael’s protector who wants to keep the spirit of the crime family alive.
Then there is Sofia Coppola, the director’s daughter who reportedly had no acting experience and plays Michael’s daughter and Vincent’s love interest in the film. Coppola recast the part after Winona Ryder dropped out prior to shooting. Her first time role here was critically lambasted when the film was released (she hasn’t acted in front of the camera since) and some think her performance literally tanked the picture. In a sense, she could be the Jar Jar Binks (Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace - 1999) of the Godfather films who fans say ruined the Star Wars prequel.
Coppola’s role isn’t a bad performance and although I read reports how some audience members laughed at the young woman’s acting abilities, I noticed quite a few people outside the lobby whose eyes were red and teary after the first showing Christmas Day weekend.
Then again, the Godfather movies aren’t love stories. They are about family relationships and loyalty. I have often heard of people saying how they wished their families were as close as this criminal empire is despite coming from an immoral background.
Perhaps when it comes to large families, the Corleones are like the Kennedys. Their stories are a combination of both celebrations and tragedies.
©12/1/99
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