The Godfather Films

Last month I watched the three Godfather movies. I recorded The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, unsure of what it was (Godfather III reedited on its 30th anniversary.) I saw part of the original, then watched Coda, then the rest of the original, and finally Godfather II. Wish I had watched them in sequence. At least  I'll write about them in sequence.

The Godfather

It's currently Number Two on the American Film Institute's (AFI) list of the greatest American films of all time. It's an excellent movie, though it's never been one of my favorites. Rewatching made me appreciate the film more: it's really well structured. The opening scenes show how the undertaker feels betrayed by the American justice system despite his allegiance to American ideals. The juxtaposition between the wedding celebration and the requests to the Don is excellent. The set up is copied in the later films, but they lack the tradition that no Sicilian can ever refuse a request on his daughter's wedding day. The setting also gives a good introduction to all the characters. 

Juxtaposition is also important to the scenes of the baptism of Connie and Carlo's baby cut with acts of the Corleone family's revenge. 

The final shot of the film is beautiful as Michael's wife Kay is shut out of his life as the new Godfather.

The Godfather Part Two

I enjoyed how the focus changed from the internal workings of the family in the first film to the family's relations with exterior entities in the sequel, especially the US and Cuban governments. In comparison to the first film, which reinforces the cohesion of the family, this film shows the disintegration.

The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone

This movie is unfairly maligned. Yes, it's weaker than the first two films. Michael's involvement with the Vatican is an interesting angle, especially as he finds corruption in the Vatican. Remember in The Godfather he implied that Kay was naive when she said Presidents and Senators don't have men killed. 

The weakness in this film can be attributed to two characters: B.J. Harrison and Mary Corleone. B.J., played by George Hamilton, is Michael's lawyer.  He doesn't make much of an impression; he's just there. Apparently the studio wouldn't meet Robert Duvall's salary demands, and he was written out of the script. Duvall's Tom Hagen is sorely missed. He is not just another lawyer; he's a part of the Corleone family.

Moving on to Sofia Coppola and Mary Corleone, I have an unpopular opinion. The problem isn't the actress, it's the character. She serves no purpose in the film other than to create conflict between her father Michael and her cousin Vincent. She awkwardly flirts with Vincent, then--poof-- they're suddenly in love. I could buy she has a crush on her older cousin, but what does he see in her? At one point, Michael tells Mary she has a big heart. We never see that on the screen. It's also unbelievable that she is so nonchalant about a romance with her first cousin. I'm glad she died in case they do a Godfather IV.