Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone

[MrsEvanFreed]

Watched this last night.

Basically an unnecessary Director's Cut of Godfather III

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by MrsEvanFreed

[Bren10]

It is a much maligned film and Coppola's trying to make amends.  You can tell it always bothered him.  Many have said it is in fact an improvement, though.

[Detective_Crockett]

Don't like the idea of Michael surviving. Part 3 may have it's problems.. but the ending of the original was truly perfect and now this is just rubbish. 

[Jack Gretsky]

I am one of those who very much likes the original Godfather III from 1990, so I watched Coda with a bit of apprehension wondering if it would fiddle too much with the version from 30 years ago. No, it works well - 

This is what I posted when I first saw Coda in December:

"I'm not going to chuck away the 1990 cut. I miss the flashbacks in the new "Coda" - especially John Cazale's Fredo. Michael Corleone's feelings of guilt about ordering that hit are muted here, but it was more of a driving force for him in the '90 version. 

The flash-forward of elderly Michael has been curtailed (leaving his fate ambiguous), but why leave it in at all? The tragedy that happens on the opera house steps is where the film should end - that is the true (symbolic) "Death of Michael Corleone."

The only other new edit that stood out was Sofia Coppola's Mary stating "No," when her father asks her to stop seeing her cousin Vincent, and we then suddenly jump to her and Vincent in a room together acting all cow-eyed with each other to the dulcet strains of Elvis Costello. To somebody seeing Godfather III for the first time with this version will probably find this a natural cut, but the abruptness is jarring to someone like me familiar with the '90 cut. 

Otherwise, GIII remains a fine, compelling follow-up to the 1970s classics with a Greek tragedy structure. The much-criticized performance by Sofia has always worked fine for me - her coltish warmth with both her father and Vincent comes across sincerely, as does her heartbreak at feeling betrayed by both men later on. Her "dull surprise" moment at the climax - laughable to some - strikes me as what would really occur in such a moment, rather than the histrionics a seasoned actor going for a Oscar-baiting big moment would do. 

The intercutting of scenes from the opera being watched - Cavalleria Rusticana - which have frustrated some viewers who just want to get on with the main story - work beautifully in juxtaposing what's happening on stage (what a beautifully designed production as well, by the way) with the fatal machinations going on that same night. The melodrama of this "verismo" also prepares us for the melodramatics of what happens on those steps..."