![]() In fact, the scene fades to black before there’s even a hint of death. In the new version, we part on the same scene but we are not privy to his death. While fitting for someone whose immense rise to power came with such a cost, it affords Michael the comfort of death. Meant to mirror, if not directly comment on Vito Corleone’s fate, Michael falls from his chair with nothing left but a little rat dog sniffing around his corpse. In 1990, Coppolla chose an almost darkly comedic ending for Michael, dying alone holding an orange at Don Tommasino’s villa in Sicily. ![]() My ultimate surprise is how the film ends and how it supports the name change of the film. Whether it’s Michael’s “knighting ceremony” (which was supposed to mirror the baptism scene from the first film) or Michael dealing with Don Altobello and the memories from his past life, these are scenes that add texture but are ultimately superfluous to the experience. But these cuts are nothing that would significantly alter the plot or the general through-line of the film. There are some other minor scenes from the original that were cut - totaling about 5 minutes. Unlike the first go round, instead of seeing Michael trying to buy his way out of the mortal sin of killing his brother, we see a man trying to legitimately make his business more above board for the sake of his children and their children’s children. Switching the start of the film allows the characters to breath, informs the rest of the movie of what the ultimate goal is, and how the decision to go “legitimate” motivates Michael while his nefarious past keeps sucking him back into it’s orbit. Instead of building to this plot riddled moment and bogging down the film half way through, which is what this scene does in the original iteration, we meet the significant players and are fully aware of the plot the instant the movie starts. There’s no wishy washy beginning, no reintroduction to the characters, no wasted time. Instead of opening up on the abandoned house in Nevada (which was a specific tie to The Godfather II), we jump right into business with the Archbishop asking Michael to give money to the church because of a shortfall of cash from the Archbishop’s trust in the wrong people. ![]() There is no denying those are significant alterations to the overall flow and efficiency of the story. In fact you could probably make an argument that the biggest change between the films is the title itself because not much else changes.Ĭoppolla does re-edit the beginning and the ending of the film. ![]() By the way, neither is (deep breath in) Mario Puzo’s The Godfather Coda: The Death Of Michael Corleone. I’ve always enjoyed the final chapter, but my enjoyment is certainly separate from my rational understanding that the Godfather III is not a great film. So you could imagine that when The Godfather: Part III was released in ’90, my two sisters, my mom, my dad, and my seven year old self all piled into our Jeep Wagoneer and journeyed to see the conclusion of the Corleone saga.īecause of this family trip (which was a sequel to the first experience I ever had at a theater: going to see Goodfellas the same year) I have an odd affinity for The Godfather: Part III. ![]() My sisters and I were raised knowing all the sayings, and actually repurposed them in real life - in particular, “never hang your dirty laundry in public.” That was a big one. Is it vastly different from the original version that was released into theaters in 1990? Well, that’s a more complicated question.Įither way, the new edit is a superior iteration than it’s original counterpart and after years of being out on The Godfather: Part III, I am in on (deep breath in) Mario Puzo’s The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone – wow, that’s a mouthful.Ī little back story on my experience with The Godfather trilogy before we get into the full review of Coda – I am currently 37 and I grew up in a household where my father loved and constantly revisited The Godfather films. Is this reimagined version of the final Godfather chapter worth your time? Yes. “Just when I thought I was out they pull me back in.” It’s arguably (and astonishingly) the most famous line from the entire Godfather story and it is uniquely apropos for Francis Ford Coppolla’s re-edit of The Godfather: Part III. UNLOCK BONUS EPISODES, PREMIUM PODCASTS & MORE Join The #NerdClan ![]()
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