THE GODFATHER PART III
(Spoilers for I & II)
A film review by Jim Pellmann
Copyright 1991 Jim Pellmann
SUMMARY: A grand-slam finale to the Michael Corleone saga. Not for all tastes, and requires some homework, but those who expend the effort will be well rewarded. The best of the trilogy, easily one of the year's best films, and with some actors' best-ever performances.
With all the hoopla surround the Christmas release of G3, I took advantage of HBO's two-night back-to-back showings on G1 and G2 in December. (Not surprisingly, all video stores have been out of both for the last several weeks.)
Having never seen either, I was looking forward to catching up on two Best Picture Oscar winners. Perhaps it was because I'm not big on gangster/Mafia movies (I absolutely hated GOODFELLAS) or perhaps they lose something when viewed on TV, but my opinion of G1 and G2 was that they were good, but not great. So I was not terribly excited about another two hours and forty minutes more of G3. But I was greatly surprised and concurred with the Chronicle:
"If GODFATHER III were simply a worthy sequel, that would have been enough. But this lushly photographed, brilliantly acted and wonderfully entertaining movie has its own claims to uniqueness. It's the most thoughtful of the three films, and its climax brings the entire series into sharper focus."
For maximum enjoyment, I recommend:
- Go rent G1 and G2 before seeing G3: One of my friends who saw it with me had not seen G1 or G2 since they were released in '72 and '74 and was terribly lost keeping track of who was doing what to whom. G2 has many passing references to characters and events from G1 and G2 (see below for a brief summary).
- Don't expect an action-packed, shoot-out type movie: Coppola deliberately develops the story at a slower pace, as we study each character's motivations. It gradually builds to an edge-of-the-seat climax.
- Find a theater showing G3 in 70mm with surround sound. I can't recall any other movie where the improved sound system enhanced the movie as much. The movie's climax, which takes place at an opera house, is especially effective because of it.
Synopses --------
(WARNING: If you plan on renting G1 and G2 and don't want the plots spoiled for you, don't read any further!)
Part 1: During the mid-1940s, we meet Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) and his four children: Sonny (James Caan), Fredo (John Cazale), Michael (Al Pacino), and Connie (Talia Shire). Attorney Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) protects the family's legal interests.
When another Mafia boss makes an attempt on Vito's life,
Michael kills the other boss and a corrupt police chief, and
flees to Sicily, leaving his girlfriend Kay (Diane Keaton)
behind. While in Sicily, Michael falls in love with a
villager and marries her. Eventually, the other family
catches up with him and Michael's wife is killed in a
booby-trapped car meant for Michael.
Michael returns to New York and convinces Kay to marry him.
Sonny is killed in an ambush by another family. When Vito
dies, Michael takes over as Don Corleone.
Part 2: Although he promises Kay that he is going to move the family
into legitimate business, Michael gets further and further
involved in gambling and drugs during the '50s. He must
resort to violence more and more often, just to stay alive.
Eventually Kay can take no more and leaves Michael, taking
their two children with her.
Michael tries to control Connie's numerous romances, and
eventually learns that his brother Fredo is trying to have him
killed. In a decision that will haunt Michael for the rest of
his life, he arranges Fredo's murder.
Michael's story is intercut with scenes from his father Vito's
early life in Sicily and New York. Young Vito (played by
Robert De Niro) murders the reigning Mafia don to take control
of the city.
Part 3: It is now 1979, and as Michael approaches retirement, he wants nothing more than to make the family completely legitimate. He divests his gambling business to other families and donates millions of dollars to Catholic charities.
The church has controlling interest in an European
conglomerate called Immobilare. Striking a deal with a
Archbishop who has lost much of the church's money through bad
investments, Michael offers to donate $600 million to cover
the losses, in exchange for the church's approval to Michael's
buying controlling interest in Immobilare. The other
stockholders balk at having a known hoodlum as a major
stockholder, but the Archbishop promises to get the required
approval of the Pope for the deal to go through.
Meanwhile, Vincent (Andy Garcia), the illegitimate son of his
brother Sonny, warns Michael that another family boss, Joey
Zasa, is bad-mouthing Michael behind his back. Guided by
Michael's scheming sister Connie (Talia Shire), Vincent has
ambitions to take over the Corleone family business. Vincent
quickly becomes Michael's right-hand man, and despite
Michael's repeated objections, falls in love with Michael's
daughter Mary (Sophia Coppola).
Meanwhile, Michael's ex-wife Kay (Diane Keaton) asks him to
allow their son Tony to abandon his legal studies to become a
singer. Michael reluctantly agrees.
Michael has as much problem extracting himself from the
gambling business as he does getting the Immobilare deal to go
through, and he eventually suspects the two may be related.
He traces both back to Sicily and it all comes together at the
Italian opera house where his son is making his professional
singing debut. The climax is one of the most skillful blends
of action, music, cinematography, and editing I can recall.
The ending genuinely surprised me.
Performances ------------
Al Pacino (Michael) shines and will undoubtedly be nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. You can feel his frustration when he says, "Just when I think I'm out, they *pull* me back in." He even takes on the gravelly voice of Brando's Vito. There are two particular scenes that are brilliant: one where he confesses his sins for the first time in years and another where he has a diabetic stroke.
Andy Garcia (Vincent) is great--he is the very embodiment of Sonny Corleone, hot-headed temperament and mannerisms. This could well be the turning point in his career. If there should be any future Godfather movies, they will no doubt revolve around his character.
Talia Shire is deliciously evil as the conniving Connie, always counseling Vincent on how to get in Michael's good graces. In the end, she even gets to dispatch one of the family enemies in her own special way.
Sofia Coppola (Francis Coppola's daughter) does just fine as Mary, despite many critics' caustic comments. Not an outstanding performance, but solid and believable.
Eli Wallach almost steals the whole movie as an old friend of the family, Don Altobello, who is always trying to keep the peace. Great fun.
Diane Keaton (Kay) is one of the movie's major disappointments, in my mind. It almost seems as if she is overacting to justify her top billing for what is a pretty small role.
George Hamilton is merely passable, replacing Robert Duvall as the family attorney. Duvall reportedly wanted twice what Paramount offered and wanted a larger role, so his Tom Hagen character was killed off between G2 and G3.
John Savage has a throwaway role as Tom Hagen's son, and has nothing to do with the plot, as far as I could tell.
Likewise Bridget Fonda has a brief scene playing a reporter seduced by Vincent, and is not seen again.
Don Novello (better known as Father Guido Sarducci) plays it straight as the family's PR man, attempting to convince a disbelieving press of the family's respectability.
All in all, a great ensemble. Add in the great cinematography, music, and editing (same team as G1 and G2) and you have one of the most satisfying movies of the year. -- Jim Pellmann .
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