Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12264 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-09-27
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 163 minutes

Synopsis
In the third film of Francis Ford Coppola's Corleone family saga, 20 years have passed and Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) is in failing health and haunted by remorse over his brother Fredo's murder. As part of his plan for legitimising the family business, Michael contributes a large donation to the church and accepts an honour from the pope. His nephew, Vincent (Andy Garcia), becomes his protege with the help of Connie (Talia Shire) while his own children, Anthony (Franc D'Ambrosio) and Mary (Sofia Coppola), remain free from a life of crime. After selling his casinos and laundering his money through the Vatican, Michael attempts to take over a European-owned company, International Immobiliare. However, former mob colleagues Don Altobello (Eli Wallach) and Joey Zasa (Joe Mantegna) force his return to the underworld, and Vincent's brash temper almost starts a mob war. In Sicily, Michael instructs Vincent to form an alliance with his enemy, Don Altobello. Many of the same cast from Coppola's first two films are back in this powerful sequel. New to the series is George Hamilton, surprisingly effective as Michael's financial advisor, B. J. Harrison. An intense, gripping and epic finale to a universally acclaimed classic series of movies.

Customer Reviews

Remarkable conclusion to the Trilogy
I enjoyed this film even more than the acclaimed Godfather II and it provides a seamless and accomplished finale to the Godfather series. There is another awesome performance from Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, supported superbly by Diane Keaton,Talia Shire , Andy Garcia and Sofia Coppola who plays Michael's beloved daughter Mary. Godfather III is set in 1979 and deals with the declining years of Michael Corleone and his desire to distance himself from his gangster past and to achieve the respectabilty and legitimacy he craves for. This leads him into financial dealings with the Vatican and involves him in a brilliant, but controversial sub-plot concerning a web of corruption and murder within the Roman Catholic hierarchy. However it is family, tradition, revenge , love and power which are the main themes of the film. Michael's desire to mend fences with ex wife Kay and his relationship with his two children are superbly explored, yet his repemtance and paternal love remain always shadowed by a murderous criminal past that he cannot shake off. The climax of this film is superb, one of the best endings to any film I have seen, full of tension ,suspense and brilliantly directed by Coppola. The poignant final scene is a perfect conclusion to the whole trilogy.

The Fall of the House of Corleone
I confess it! "Godfather III" is one of my favorite movies. All right, it has less-than-perfect moments, but it also has memorable ones, such as the touching confessional scene between Michael (Al Pacino) and the Cardinal (Raf Vallone) in the cloister, and the reconciliation of Michael and Kay (Diane Keaton) in Don Tommasino's dining room.

I especially enjoy the Italian locations, and since I spent the `80s in Italy, amidst rumors about what was commonly regarded as the suspicious death of John Paul I; the scandals of the Vatican Banco Ambrosiano (with the banker Calvi hanging from the London bridge); the P-2 scandals in the highest posts of the government, not to mention numerous assassinations of judges in Sicily, the background of the story--the last half of which takes place in Sicily--rang true for me. Furthermore--and more importantly--Coppola's brilliant use of recurrent visual and thematic imagery renders the film outstanding not only on its own merits but also in respect to the first two films. Besides the well-discussed use of oranges whenever a catastrophe is imminent, Coppola constantly juxtaposes themes of religion and death, replicating the events of the story--the biting of the ear; the religious procession, the veiling of the head--with those of Mascagni's magnificent opera about death, revenge, and religion in Sicily: "Cavalleria Rusticana." Coppola intersperses scenes of the opera with scenes of actual vendetta, as the plans of Vincenzo--the new godfather--are carried to their violent conclusion. The part I love the best, though, is when Coppola transfers the tragedy taking place onstage in the opera, outside onto the steps of the opera house--life imitating art. That final choreographed scene, staged to the heart-rending music of Mascagni, gets me every time (Please pass some more Kleenex tissue!).

Al Pacino's silent scream on the steps of the opera house embodies the mask of Greek tragedy. And tragic irony renders "Godfather III" particularly powerful, when the film is viewed in the context of the whole. For instance, the preservation of the family is the device that moves the plot of the entire trilogy. The crimes committed first by Vito Corleone and then by Michael are committed in order to keep the family safe, even though the meaning of 'family' becomes distorted from its original significance during the course of the trilogy. In "Godfather III," however, the aging Michael, who is trying to become a pillar of society in order to preserve his immediate family, accomplishes the very opposite of what he intended. The final scenes of "Godfather I" and "Godfather III"--both set in gardens--emphasize the tragedy. Whereas Vito Corleone dies in the garden, alone except for the youngest member of the family--his toddler grandson--at his feet, Michael Corleone dies in the garden, alone--except for a dog at his feet. Perfect examples of tragic irony!

I wish that Coppola would reprise his "Godfather Saga" which he made for television in the seventies. He reshuffled the scenes so that the narrative ran in chronological order from the funeral of Vito's father in Sicily at the beginning of "Godfather I" to the shooting of Fredo at end of "Godfather II." In combination with this particular format, "Godfather III" would make an especially effective tragic finish to the trilogy. The entire saga would then recall the Greek dramatist Aeschylus's trilogy. The original saga of family and its disintegration through revenge and murder, "The Oresteia" depicts the fall of the House of Atreus, just as the Godfather trilogy depicts the fall of the House of Corleone.

When I once made this observation to my daughter, she gave me a sarcastic look and said: "Mom, you're over-educated!"

Mea Culpa!

Pleasantly Surprised
Having recently watched Part III for only the second time (the first being when it came out), I have completely changed my mind about this film. I was, perhaps, too influenced by the critics initialy and had dismissed it as being not worthy to bear the "Godfather" name. But I was wrong.

No, it isn't as good as the first two, but as these are as near to being the perfect film as you'll find that was always asking too much. It does, however, stand up to being an accomplished ending to the saga. Indeed, I was left thinking that the three films taken as a whole are the nearest thing to a Greek tragedy as one is likely to find in modern times.

And Sophia Copolla isn't nearly as bad as she was made out to be.