‘The Godfather Part III’ New Edit, Complete With Different Ending, Coming to Theaters
- Thread starter Cosmic Smash
- Start date
If they digitally replace Sofia Coppola with a mop and cut out about an hour, this new edit might have some value.
diffusionx
Gold Member
Huh there were only two Godfather movies; what is this guy talking about?
Maxwell Jacob Friedman
leads to fear. Fear leads to xbox.
still wont save this movie, should have stopped at 2
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Bolivar687
Banned
I love this. It's a gorgeous movie and it's interesting when you realize everything Michael is doing is a reaction to how guilt-wracked he is about what happened at the end of Godfather pt. II. It's not reminiscent of Pacino's earlier portrayal of the character because he's been broken and now is trying to crawl out of it however he can. I don't think you can really fix it, though, without Robert Duvall as the family attorney. I think you could even get beyond the Sophia performance if you had that.
I'm definitely going to see this and buying it whenever it's released.
I'm definitely going to see this and buying it whenever it's released.
The Pleasure
Gold Member
Someone finally found it!
Dr Bass
Member
See, I completely disagree. His character difference isn't because of "guilt." It seems Pacino literally forgot how to play Michael. Examples:
-How he's laughing and making jokes with guests during the opening party scene. This is Al Pacino, not "Michael Corleone."
-How he responds to Connie's stupid callback line "Now they will fear you." ... again Al Pacino.
-How he calls a meeting with all of those Dons to figure out who could be behind the hit or whatever it was. When one guy just blurts out the answer seconds after the meeting begins Pacino throws his hands up as if to say "What brilliance, I could have never figured this out."
In the first two movies Michael is the smartest person in every room. He's cold, calculating and ruthless. Here he comes across as a chump. Yes he is feeling guilty but instead of coming across like Michael Corleone, full of remorse, he comes across like a mildly bummed Al Pacino.
Then you have the fact that part 3 is basically a mirrored version of the first part in a lot of ways, the fact that Connie is now some dark mafiosa out of nowhere, ordering hits on people for crying out loud, when in the first movie she's screaming about "read the papers, that's who your husband is" to Kay. Michael being a different person. The fact they make Sonny's recently shown up love child the head of the Corleone family (
) and then he starts fooling around with Michael's daughter and Michael's response is "hey man, what are you doing with my daughter" in a totally low key way. Imagine what the Michael of part 1 or 2 would have done. The plot is dumb. The characters are literally out of character. The whole thing is stupid, stupid, stupid.
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Bolivar687
Banned
See, I completely disagree. His character difference isn't because of "guilt." It seems Pacino literally forgot how to play Michael. Examples:
-How he's laughing and making jokes with guests during the opening party scene. This is Al Pacino, not "Michael Corleone."
-How he responds to Connie's stupid callback line "Now they will fear you." ... again Al Pacino.
-How he calls a meeting with all of those Dons to figure out who could be behind the hit or whatever it was. When one guy just blurts out the answer seconds after the meeting begins Pacino throws his hands up as if to say "What brilliance, I could have never figured this out."
In the first two movies Michael is the smartest person in every room. He's cold, calculating and ruthless. Here he comes across as a chump. Yes he is feeling guilty but instead of coming across like Michael Corleone, full of remorse, he comes across like a mildly bummed Al Pacino.
Then you have the fact that part 3 is basically a mirrored version of the first part in a lot of ways, the fact that Connie is now some dark mafiosa out of nowhere, ordering hits on people for crying out loud, when in the first movie she's screaming about "read the papers, that's who your husband is" to Kay. Michael being a different person. The fact they make Sonny's recently shown up love child the head of the Corleone family (
I felt this way for a while but, this video helped change my mind on whether this is the same Michael Corleone:
It was in this retrospective that I first heard that Coppola saw 3 as a Coda and wanted to call it The Death of Michael Corleone, so I'm glad to see the director getting back to that direction.
Maybe you can blame this all on the writing, but Pacino's performance is very much in line with the film establishing, at the very beginning of the movie, that this is not the same Michael Corleone. Much like the way the Godfather Pt. II's decadent American celebration in Nevada contrasted against the first movie's ethnic Italian wedding in Long Island, Michael is now back in his family's hometown of New York City at a liturgical awards ceremony. He never demonstrated piety in the previous movies, in fact he used the sacrament of Baptism as an alibi for simultaneously orchestrated assassinations. But now he is being recognized for his substantial work in a lay Catholic apostolate. He is making lavish donations to the poor and spends his time operating a network of charitable organizations. He is literally seeking the Pope's blessing to devote the rest of his life to a truly legitimate business. This is a man desperately in search for absolution, going to the ends of the earth and sparing no expense for his penance.
The crew originally styled Pacino with the slick-back hairstyle of the previous movies but in the end opted for the short cut of his graying hair to accentuate his face weathered by guilt. He now lets his guard down, makes small talk and jokes, and can even try to be around Kay in an effort to show he's no longer the calculating mob boss. He does everything to deny his power and dangerousness in his meeting with Joey and Vincent and in his dealings with Don Altobello and the Commission.
His diabetes and his stroke (which I think is a great moment of acting in the film), show that his body has token this substantial toll from his sins. The moment where he needs to catch his breath after yelling at Connie, Vincent, and Al the way he might have in the past shows that he literally has nothing left in the tank for this life anymore. Michael's killing of his brother goes hand in hand with him taking his American corporatist spin on organized crime to its fullest extent. What I love about Godfather pt. III is that it picks up from this impossible event from which he could never come back from, and just shows him suffering from it, depiciting how it utterly shattered him in mind, body, and soul, and dictated his relentless pursuit of reconciliation for the remainder of his life, until he dies alone in Sicily, having lost all the women he cared most about.
Dr Bass
Member
Interesting take and also I didn't know that about the haircut. I've honestly always thought he should have had the slicked back hair in part 3 too, so to know it was a conscious decision to NOT do it is somewhat intriguing.
I still stand by my current opinion but I like your thoughts and agree there are still good moments.
John Mullins
Banned
The third one....?
A lot of people didn't like it but I think it was just misunderstood.
A lot of people didn't like it but I think it was just misunderstood.
DonJorginho
Banned
When did they make a third one? /s
/s
Super Mario
Banned
See, I completely disagree. His character difference isn't because of "guilt." It seems Pacino literally forgot how to play Michael. Examples:
-How he's laughing and making jokes with guests during the opening party scene. This is Al Pacino, not "Michael Corleone."
-How he responds to Connie's stupid callback line "Now they will fear you." ... again Al Pacino.
-How he calls a meeting with all of those Dons to figure out who could be behind the hit or whatever it was. When one guy just blurts out the answer seconds after the meeting begins Pacino throws his hands up as if to say "What brilliance, I could have never figured this out."
In the first two movies Michael is the smartest person in every room. He's cold, calculating and ruthless. Here he comes across as a chump. Yes he is feeling guilty but instead of coming across like Michael Corleone, full of remorse, he comes across like a mildly bummed Al Pacino.
Then you have the fact that part 3 is basically a mirrored version of the first part in a lot of ways, the fact that Connie is now some dark mafiosa out of nowhere, ordering hits on people for crying out loud, when in the first movie she's screaming about "read the papers, that's who your husband is" to Kay. Michael being a different person. The fact they make Sonny's recently shown up love child the head of the Corleone family (
Interesting take, but I disagree. I think we all have a grandpa or at least know an older person whos career we can no longer associate with them. When you're done, you're done.
Michael has nothing left to prove. He is old, his health is declining, he has immense wealth, he is respected by many. There is no reason to be the aggressive overlord. He buys everyone out, he wants to enjoy what is left of his live, he wants to be with his family more, he wants redemption. Priorities change as you age. Who can honestly say what they want in their 20s 50s and 80s are all the same?
I'm in the minority here with the following opinions. I don't really agree with the hate this movie gets. I'm super glad it told this final chapter. In fact, I wouldn't have minded if it told a 4th chapter with Vincent. I'm not the type that would let a bad sequel ruin the other films for me if I didn't like it.. Aside from the awesome flashbacks in the 2nd and the Fredo story, I think the 2nd is overrated. The 1st is absolute gold in its story, cast, Italian culture, etc.
I believe the 3rd ended on a good note. His scream was one of the most powerful moments of the entire trilogy. However, you can bet I will watch this. I hope it blows me away.
MacReady13
Member
I somehow only heard about this yesterday! I'm a big fan of all 3 films. I am extremely excited to see this film. Will be making the Blu Ray purchase instantly upon release.
Cosmic Smash
Member
Bolivar687
Banned
Don't watch this.
GeorgioCostanzaX
Member
Does it change Sofia Coppola's acting?
Basically the entire ending and its meaning changes.
He doesn't die.
jufonuk
not tag worthy
When she died. I started laughing. Her character didn't get any sympathy from me.
Coppola releasing a special edition for Disney to buy the godfather franchise.
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‘The Godfather, Coda’ Does a Better Job of Hammering Home the Themes of the Previous Two Movies
Matt Goldberg explains how the new beginning and ending of The Godfather, Coda to a better job of wrapping up the themes of the first two movies.
collider.com
Good write up about how different this version is. It fixes the movie.
Bolivar687
Banned
TL;DR - It's really not a director's cut or reimagining. It's basically a "For TV Edit" where they cut content to reduce the runtime. I guess it kind of makes the whole thing tighter and move faster. Unfortunately, they also cut some content that worked in the original and it takes away a lot of the impact of the story along with it. But it's essentially still 95% the same exact film, only a few minutes shorter. So if you didn't like the original, you'll have less to suffer through this time. If you are a fan who wanted to see a flawed masterpiece restored to its original vision, you will be woefully disappointed. I keep noticing in all the reviews praising this that the writer only saw the film once a while ago and maybe recently, so I think they're just rediscovering the things about the movie that already worked while buying into the way Coppola is selling this, with their mind doing the rest of the work on its own to convince them "they fixed it."
They didn't.
The only real substantive change is that Michael's meeting with the Archbishop is moved to the beginning. It's kind of nice in that it recalls the opening of 1, except obviously without the magic of the extended one-shot take of Bonasera's "I Believe in America" monologue. The movie then begins as originally sequenced starting at the post-ceremony reception. They cut the cathedral ceremony where Michael is knighted, and it takes away the dramatic thrust of a film that originally opened in a cathedral and ended at an opera. They also cut the opening flashback to Fredo's murder, which I personally believe is the entire premise of the third film. Mario Puzo was originally mortified at Coppola's desire to have Michael kill Fredo, believing as a storyteller that it would make Michael unredeemable in the eyes of the audience. That behind-the-scenes lore is what gives Godfather Part III some sense of artistic legitimacy, despite being a film Coppola really just made to lift himself out of bankruptcy. In this new cut, that link is now severed.
Taking away the cathedral ceremony and the new, faster pace of the reception in Michael's penthouse makes the party feel much smaller and claustrophobic than it did in the original, as if it's a small family gathering that strangely includes the press. It does not recapture the intimate grandeur of the wedding in 1, or contrast to the empty gaudy Americanism of the lakefront party in 2. This reordering also makes the buildup to the Immobilarie takeover less sensical. In the original, Michael gets on the Archbishop's radar through his award and surprises him with a substantial check for Sicily. The Archbishop thinks he can soak Michael for more money and invites him to help pay down the Vatican's debt, but it turns out Michael was playing him and proposes a quid pro quo. In reverse order, it now makes Michael's contribution to Sicily feel like the first installment in a shady deal. Although Michael's quest for redemption certainly has ethical issues, this recharacterization does not fit with much of the rest of the movie, such as his alliance with Lamberto or his penitential prayer.
After this reordering, the rest of the movie is really just cuts. Some of it is small stuff, like the dude in the helicopter attack who curses Joey Zasa through the blood pouring out of his mouth. There are two scenes where they basically cut the first half of the sequence. The first is Michael's rooftop lunch with Mary, where she asks him if all this charitable work has any ulterior purpose. They took away her recounting how Anthony told her that their father is using her. This mitigates the pain and distance between Michael and the rest of his immediate family. Instead the scene begins with Michael defending what he's doing as legitimate. The other substantial cut is the first half of the funeral parlor scene, removing Michael's introspection and conversation with Don Tomasino's corpse. It just begins with Michael's prayer for a chance at redemption, vowing to sin no more. Again, it makes the movie less self-indulgent in exchange for a tighter pace, but in my view that only hurts a movie that largely remains fundamentally very self-indulgent.
As far as the new ending:
This product is a reminder that people in Hollywood are full of shit. It's hard not to feel like Coppola just hosed diehard Godfather fans for more money. When I go back to watch this story, I'm watching the original.
They didn't.
The only real substantive change is that Michael's meeting with the Archbishop is moved to the beginning. It's kind of nice in that it recalls the opening of 1, except obviously without the magic of the extended one-shot take of Bonasera's "I Believe in America" monologue. The movie then begins as originally sequenced starting at the post-ceremony reception. They cut the cathedral ceremony where Michael is knighted, and it takes away the dramatic thrust of a film that originally opened in a cathedral and ended at an opera. They also cut the opening flashback to Fredo's murder, which I personally believe is the entire premise of the third film. Mario Puzo was originally mortified at Coppola's desire to have Michael kill Fredo, believing as a storyteller that it would make Michael unredeemable in the eyes of the audience. That behind-the-scenes lore is what gives Godfather Part III some sense of artistic legitimacy, despite being a film Coppola really just made to lift himself out of bankruptcy. In this new cut, that link is now severed.
Taking away the cathedral ceremony and the new, faster pace of the reception in Michael's penthouse makes the party feel much smaller and claustrophobic than it did in the original, as if it's a small family gathering that strangely includes the press. It does not recapture the intimate grandeur of the wedding in 1, or contrast to the empty gaudy Americanism of the lakefront party in 2. This reordering also makes the buildup to the Immobilarie takeover less sensical. In the original, Michael gets on the Archbishop's radar through his award and surprises him with a substantial check for Sicily. The Archbishop thinks he can soak Michael for more money and invites him to help pay down the Vatican's debt, but it turns out Michael was playing him and proposes a quid pro quo. In reverse order, it now makes Michael's contribution to Sicily feel like the first installment in a shady deal. Although Michael's quest for redemption certainly has ethical issues, this recharacterization does not fit with much of the rest of the movie, such as his alliance with Lamberto or his penitential prayer.
After this reordering, the rest of the movie is really just cuts. Some of it is small stuff, like the dude in the helicopter attack who curses Joey Zasa through the blood pouring out of his mouth. There are two scenes where they basically cut the first half of the sequence. The first is Michael's rooftop lunch with Mary, where she asks him if all this charitable work has any ulterior purpose. They took away her recounting how Anthony told her that their father is using her. This mitigates the pain and distance between Michael and the rest of his immediate family. Instead the scene begins with Michael defending what he's doing as legitimate. The other substantial cut is the first half of the funeral parlor scene, removing Michael's introspection and conversation with Don Tomasino's corpse. It just begins with Michael's prayer for a chance at redemption, vowing to sin no more. Again, it makes the movie less self-indulgent in exchange for a tighter pace, but in my view that only hurts a movie that largely remains fundamentally very self-indulgent.
As far as the new ending:
It's really not new at all. Like the rest of this version, it's really just cut down. Instead of showing him dancing with Apollonia, then Kay, then Mary, it only shows him dancing with Mary. Instead of showing an aged Michael fall out of his chair dead, the screen cuts to black while he puts on his sunglasses. Yes, the alternate cut that renames the film to "The Death of Michael Corleone" removes the footage depicting the actual death of Michael Corleone. There is then a title card that says 'When the Sicilians wish you 'Cent'anni', it means 'for long life'…and a Sicilian never forgets.'" It is completely nonsensical and does not elucidate in any way the meaning of "Coda: the Death of Michael Corleone," as Coppola insists it will in his introductory featurette. I suppose it means that all the people who wished Michael "Cent'anni" in 2 and at parties throughout his life were ironically wishing him the prolongation of his damnation. But suffering is not death and this no more depicts Michael Corleone's fate than the ending shot of Part II already did. It also reduces the impact of Michael progressively losing all the most important people in his life, down to him just suffering this latest blow. It's the original sequence that ironically better fulfills Coppola's hope that the new version will cast perspective on the previous two films. With only the dance with Mary, the new version only recaps itself.
This product is a reminder that people in Hollywood are full of shit. It's hard not to feel like Coppola just hosed diehard Godfather fans for more money. When I go back to watch this story, I'm watching the original.
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DKehoe
Member
Bolivar687
thats pretty disappointing to hear there's not much of a difference. I suppose I didn't really expect it to be significantly different but I still kinda got my hopes up.
dr_octagon
Banned
my favourite scene
thefool
Member
You don't fix perfection.
T
The New Guy
Unconfirmed Member
I was really disappointed by The Godfather III like most people, not sure how much these edits will help it but it's a nice idea to have a more polished version. I feel like there's only so much you can do though without actually having re-shoots.
I feel like Al Pacino was really diferent in this one. I definitely think he was over-acting a little bit and trying to imitate Michael Corleone rather than owning the role like in Godfather II. It just didn't feel right. If you watch movies back-to-back you notice the way Pacino moves from to a total natural to his performance in the third is jarring. Fantastic actor either way, though.
My favourite scene from that film is probably this:
I feel like Al Pacino was really diferent in this one. I definitely think he was over-acting a little bit and trying to imitate Michael Corleone rather than owning the role like in Godfather II. It just didn't feel right. If you watch movies back-to-back you notice the way Pacino moves from to a total natural to his performance in the third is jarring. Fantastic actor either way, though.
My favourite scene from that film is probably this:
