Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6021 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-10-08
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Box set, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, German, Italian, Latin, Spanish
• Number of discs: 5
• Running time: 521 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Despite making many other distinguished films in his long, wandering career, Francis Ford Coppola will always be known as the man who directed The Godfather trilogy, a series that has dominated and defined their creator in a way perhaps no other director can understand. Coppola has never been able to leave them alone, whether returning after 15 years to make a trilogy of the diptych, or re-editing the first two films into chronological order for a separate video release as The Godfather Saga. The films are an Italian-American Shakespearian cycle: they tell a tale of a vicious mobster and his extended personal and professional families (once the stuff of righteous moral comeuppance), and they dared to present themselves with an epic sweep and an unapologetically tragic tone. Murder, it turned out, was a serious business.

The first film remains a towering achievement, brilliantly cast and conceived. The entry of Michael Corleone into the family business, the transition of power from his father, the ruthless dispatch of his enemies--all this is told with an assurance that is breathtaking to behold. And it turned out to be merely prologue; two years later The Godfather, Part II balanced Michael's ever-greater acquisition of power and influence during the fall of Cuba with the story of his father's own youthful rise from immigrant slums. The stakes were higher, the story's construction more elaborate and the isolated despair at the end wholly earned. (Has there ever been a cinematic performance greater than Al Pacino's Michael, so smart and ambitious, marching through the years into what he knows is his own doom with eyes open and hungry?) The Godfather, Part III was mostly written off as an attempted cash-in but it is a wholly worthy conclusion, less slow than autumnally patient and almost merciless in the way it brings Michael's past sins crashing down around him even as he tries to redeem himself. --Bruce Reid, Amazon.com

On the DVD: Contained in a tasteful slipcase, the three movies come individually packaged, with the second instalment spread across two discs. The anamorphic transfers are acceptable without being spectacular, with Part 3 looking best of all. Francis Ford Coppola--obviously a DVD fan--provides an exhaustive and enthusiastic commentary for all three movies, although awkwardly these have to be accessed from the Set Up menu. The fifth bonus disc is a real goldmine: the major feature is a 70-minute documentary covering all three productions, which includes fascinating early screen-test footage. There's also a 1971 making-of featurette about the first instalment, plus several shorter pieces with Coppola, Mario Puzo and others talking about specific aspects of the series, including a treasurable recording of composer Nino Rota performing the famous theme. Another section contains all the Oscar-acceptance speeches and Coppola's introduction to the TV edit, plus a whole raft of additional scenes that were inserted in the 1977 re-edited version. Text pieces include a chronology, a Corleone family tree and biographies of cast and crew. Overall, this is a handsome and valuable package that does justice to these wonderful movies. --Mark Walker

DVD Description
DVD Special Features:

• Five-disc Box Set
  
• Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola
  
• Theatrical trailer(s)
  
• "The Godfather Family: A Look Inside" Making Of (73 min.) plus original 1971 featurette
  
• Deleted Footage, including the additional scenes originally contained in the re-edited 1977 "The Godfather Saga"
  
• "Francis Coppola's Notebook"
  
• Production Stills and storyboards
  
• Segments on Gordon Willis' cinematography, Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola's music, Francis Ford Coppola, Locations and Mario Puzo's screenplays
  
• Rehearsal footage
  
• Corleone family tree
  
• "Godfather" timeline
  
• Academy Award acceptance speeches

DVD Technical Information:

• Widescreen anamorphic format
  
• Dolby
  
• Languages: English only
  
• Sub-titles: English, English for the hearing impaired, Danish, Dutch, = Finnish,  Norwegian, Swedish

Video Description
DVD Special Features:

Five-disc Box Set
Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola
Theatrical trailer(s)
"The Godfather Family: A Look Inside" Making Of (73 min.) plus original 1971 featurette
Deleted Footage, including the additional scenes originally contained in the re-edited 1977 "The Godfather Saga"
"Francis Coppola's Notebook"
Production Stills and storyboards
Segments on Gordon Willis' cinematography, Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola's music, Francis Ford Coppola, Locations and Mario Puzo's screenplays
Rehearsal footage
Corleone family tree
"Godfather" timeline
Academy Award acceptance speeches
Widescreen anamorphic format
Dolby

Customer Reviews

the godfather trilogy
I first saw these films when they were aired on channel 5 a while ago but only saw about half of the first film, all of the second and none of the the third one. So the incentive was there to buy them, after what i had seen of them i thought it would make a great addition to my dvds. I wasnt wrong either. Though to be honest i couldnt see some of my friends either watching them or buying them, as these films aren't mindless action and explosion fests. They take time to watch, literally and mentally. If you really want to get the best from them, set aside a night where you can watch them in peace to soak up the class of them directing, script, acting and story.They are completely different to the more modern gangster/mafia films. The time is taken for you to get to know the characters, and it is held together by great performances. (Take your pick!) Im not sure as to whether 1 or 2 is my favourite, part 3 is a good film to as it shows Michael Corleone trying to legit, but things get in the way. Only Sofia Coppola's acting was the poor part in the film, but with Andy Garcia taking up his part well as a young Sonny (Who was actually his dad). Like I said not a film for everyone, but film fans alike should watch them and take in what great and iconic films are all about.

Good but not the one
The Godfather parts one and two are two of the best movies ever. Dont really see the point in part three my self but hey what do i no. The point aint the films, at least thats not why im doing the review, its to let the fans no about the TV virsion that was done and then released as the anniversary edition. This was done at the end of the video period and is the only format that this comes in. It contains all the deleted scenes in there right place and has parts one and two cut into one long film wich you have to beleave me is the only way to watch this marterpeice. In part tow when Vito goes back to the villa where his mum was shot and kills don Ciccio it continues and we see him kill the rest of the men that forced his departure to America and we get a real sences of the rise of the don. I cant belive that this is not avalibe on DVD. I have the DVD as a colector and lover of the movies but trust me the only way to watch it is with the first to cut together.

the greatest films of all time, and theres so many reasons why
the first godfather stars marlon brando as an experienced don and his old ways clashing with the new ideas of rising gangsters and dealers, it becomes evident that his power must soon pass on to his reluctant but brilliantly talented world war veteran son, michael. However, this plot is only part of the appeal, the acting, score, dialogue even lighting is so precise and accurate and the real story is the underlying theme of michaels new world, all starting with lies and murder, michael was a good man, but he has now sealed his own fate. Marlon brando as vito is on the cover, but it is al pacino who embodies the real story.

part two is my personal favourite, it centers on michael as the don of the family at a peak of its powers, ofcourse the family is strong,but michael is weakening, his life revolves around lies, murder, betrayal and the fact his family who he loves dearly is slipping away, his father's empire was built on respect, michael's is built on fear.
Like the first one, the acting is incredibly good, there are so many great scenes like the argument between fredo and michael, michael and kaye, and tom hagens talk with frankie pentangeli. The final twenty or so minutes is really breathtaking.
How al pacino didnt win an oscar for his portrayal of michael i'll never know, i have never seen a greater performance.
part two also sees the appearance of another new brilliant actor, robert de niro as a young vito corleone begining to build the greatest crime family in america, in fact the world. this part of the film could be considered uneccessary to michaels story, but the way these stories interwieve shows the comparisons of michaels world and how it differs from the seemingly happier life of his fathers. De niro is nothing short of amazing as vito, he has this silent power and confidence and it works so well

part three as you will most likely know has many mixed opinions, it is true it does not compare to the other two, but it's story is important to the trilogy, coppola wants it to be clear that now an aged michael is trying to repent, that doesn't mean he should not still suffer. the main reasons of dislike for this film is sofia coppola's acting, its not great but she was very young and she doesn't have a lot of screen time anyway.
Also, michael is not how you will remember him for the first two, if you are expecting the man of stone you will be perhaps unpleasently surprised.
aswell as some uneccessary characters the only thing that fails is the love story of mary and the rising corleone don, vincent, it never really takes off and very little of it is shown, so the love theme of the film does not really get the relevance it deserves, i tend to associate it with michael and kaye.
basically i feel you wil enjoy this film more if you want to see michael suffer for his crimes, i personally like michael, i shouldnt but i do, so the third film didnt appeal to me as much as it should.

overall these films are incredibly layered, every time you watch them you will learn something new and you will always be more amazed, these films actually do get better and better the more you watch them, if you finish them thinking it is just about a crime family you need to watch it again, and maybe take notes