Post by artraveler on Dec 21, 2020 10:43:09 GMT -8
Godfather Three,
Coda, The Death of Michael Corleone
This is the third time, at least, of the last movie in the Godfather saga. The first two movies are, in my opinion, some of the best to ever come out of Hollywood. They feature complex characters in a time when movies were mostly surf and turf, June and swoon. This movie released in 1990 reflects a different movie climate.
The story begins with an aging Michael Corleone has almost succeed in extracting his business from all illegal activities. He is attempting to purchase controlling interest in a European company with close ties to the Vatican Bank. He is seeking a form of repentance by going legitimate and giving money to charity.
This is not taken well among some of the criminals his family has done business with for years. And one of these families murders the “commission” as Michael is about to pay them off and go completely legitimate. Michael escapes but suffers a stroke as he says, “Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in”. Michael nephew, Vincent from his brother Sonny, played by Andy Garcia, and his sister, Connie (Talia Shire) conspire to murder the author of the commission massacre, Joey Zasa (Joe Montegna). This is the first sign that Michael is slowly losing control of his criminal empire.
One of the major substories is the return of Kay (Diane Keaton). She has remarried but like many ex-wives still has contacts with Michael and the children, Anthony and Mary. Anthony has decided to become an opera singer, over Michael’s objection, and is to have his debut in Sicily.
Michael decides to take Vincent under his wing and the action moves from New York to Sicily. Additionally, the Pope is ill and the deal for International Imobilearle is on hold until he either recovers or dies. The other shareholders are not pleased with the Caerleon buy out. The primely opposition is from old line Mafiosi who have made, seemingly, the transition to legitimate. Michael explains, “I thought to escape this, but the higher I go the worse it gets”.
Over the rest of the movie the corruption of supposedly legitimate elites in business, government and the church are exposed. Michael strikes back in the only manner he knows which results in him turning the operation to Vincent, who proves to be a Corleone, much like the old Don, to the core.
The movie ends with a shootout at the opera house and Michaels’s daughter Mary dead. Vincent as the new head of the family has already planned and taken out the opposition and Michael retires to his estate in Sicily. Where he dies, lonely and neglected.
The theater releaser of this movie in 1990 took a direction that paints Michael as a master criminal killing at will with few repercussions, that element is still there in this cut, but more time is spent with Michael’s goals for his children and thoughts of his, soon to come, death. One of the important scans is a meeting with a Cardinal who will be elected Pope John Paul 1st. He confesses that he ordered the murder of Fredo his brother and many other crimes. This version spends more time with the relationship between the Cardinal and Michael and brings out the inner anguish Michael suffers for his sins. The soon to be Pope grants Michael absolution, “for the sins you can be absolved” and after election as Pope approves Michaels deal. This is an important element left out of the original and explains why the Pope is targeted by the Mafia.
Of the three movies this is the weakest, and the original release did not receive good reviews. This cut makes the movie better, develops characters better and explains motives. Does it come up the quality of the first two? No, there are plot lines that could be strengthened but that would involve reshooting the entire movie. What Coppola has done is remake the movie as it should have been in 1990. It is still an anti-climax but it is much more watchable.
