A Few Words About A few words about…™ The Godfather CODA: The Death of Michael Corleone – in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Reed Grele]

The Coda ending now rhymes with GII, instead of original GIII ending that rhymed with Vito's death in G1. Makes sense, definitely more tragic. Wonder why it couldn't have been done the first time around:

I'm wondering why Coppola decided that Michael is only supposed to

Spoiler

"die" emotionally at the new ending of Coda? For those of us who saw the original ending so many times, it's like: Yeah, I get it. Now he lives on, but he's emotionally ruined (been there, done that at the end of Part II). And no matter how many times I rewatch this new version, I'll never be able to unsee him falling off the chair, dead.

 

[PMF]

Thanks....I have many photos from the shoot. My profile photo on HTF is with Diane Keaton while we were filming Godfather II.

Wow, Diane Keaton, too.

Up until today’s reveal, I always thought your avatar was a picture of you and your gal at an event.

And what an event it was. Priceless.

 

[Tom Logan]

I'm wondering why Coppola decided that Michael is only supposed to

Spoiler

"die" emotionally at the new ending of Coda? For those of us who saw the original ending so many times, it's like: Yeah, I get it. Now he lives on, but he's emotionally ruined (been there, done that at the end of Part II). And no matter how many times I rewatch this new version, I'll never be able to unsee him falling off the chair, dead.

I think it's a question of emphasis:

Spoiler

In the original GIII, seeing Michael actually die can distract from the fact that he's OLD, and therefore has been living a long time with the guilt of Mary's death; it's also a bit too much like Vito's death scene, which I've always read as a "happy" death (quick, in the sun, having passed on his life's work, playing with his grandson). In Coda, removing Michael's death puts the focus back on his "cent'anni" of suffering, which, as the intertitle now hammers home, is the point of the scene. No happy death here to save you from your suffering.

 

[PMF]

Another night without Coda.

Just picture Pacino’s silent scream.

Meanwhile, Amazon did alert me of another BD arriving from the UK; except, here’s the thing, it was already delivered to me last week.

It’s all good, though, and all a part of the fun in collecting.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Up until today’s reveal, I always thought your avatar was a picture of you and your gal at an event.

Who says they weren't together?

 

[Museum Pieces]

“Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment.” - Michael Corleone, Godfather III.

I had occasion to review the new release, “The Godfather: Coda ‘The Death of Michael Corleone.’ Coppola says it’s the cut he originally wanted. I’ll say that I will probably never watch the original Godfather Part III again. His new cut is superior in every way. For starters, it’s shorter. Scenes have been switched around, creating a “new” beginning and a “new” ending. The changes give greater focus to what Michael wants. And in the end, what he gets. His through line is stronger, which makes the movie better. It puts Sofia Coppola’s performance in a slightly better light by truncating a few of her lines.

Was it a cash grab? Certainly for Paramount. Coppola agreed to do it without compensation for the cut he always wanted. Is it worth buying? For me it was. The changed beginning and ending powerfully transform the meaning of the title. I might regularly watch the third part now instead of only the first two films.

If I was disappointed by anything, the guy still shouts “My lucky coat!” too many times during the helicopter attack.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

If I was disappointed by anything, the guy still shouts “My lucky coat!” too many times during the helicopter attack.

But it's his lucky coat! He's happy to just stand there waiting to get shot to save his now unlucky coat.

 

[Museum Pieces]

But it's his lucky coat! He's happy to just stand there waiting to get shot to save his now unlucky coat.

Why doesn't he pull it off the freaking rack and run? He doesn't even try to pull it off the rack...dude.

I also think the shot when one of Michael's bodyguards believes his colleague nabbed the assassin holds too long when he gets close. There's a couple of seconds when it's clear no one is moving. I thought that could have been tightened to make it more believable.

 

[haineshisway]

“Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment.” - Michael Corleone, Godfather III.

I had occasion to review the new release, “The Godfather: Coda ‘The Death of Michael Corleone.’ Coppola says it’s the cut he originally wanted. I’ll say that I will probably never watch the original Godfather Part III again. His new cut is superior in every way. For starters, it’s shorter. Scenes have been switched around, creating a “new” beginning and a “new” ending. The changes give greater focus to what Michael wants. And in the end, what he gets. His through line is stronger, which makes the movie better. It puts Sofia Coppola’s performance in a slightly better light by truncating a few of her lines.

Was it a cash grab? Certainly for Paramount. Coppola agreed to do it without compensation for the cut he always wanted. Is it worth buying? For me it was. The changed beginning and ending powerfully transform the meaning of the title. I might regularly watch the third part now instead of only the first two films.

If I was disappointed by anything, the guy still shouts “My lucky coat!” too many times during the helicopter attack.

Who stopped him from doing the cut he wanted back when he first cut it? He had total control and did the cut he wanted - all the rest is revisionism, as always. He says that NOW, but either he liked his cut back then or, if he didn't, why didn't he fix it then?

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

The DVD bonus feature of the "original opening" said Coppola felt the movie should open with the family and not business. I guess he changed his mind.

 

[Museum Pieces]

Who stopped him from doing the cut he wanted back when he first cut it? He had total control and did the cut he wanted - all the rest is revisionism, as always. He says that NOW, but either he liked his cut back then or, if he didn't, why didn't he fix it then?

My understanding is, without giving anything away, that the studio paid him a million to do it but insisted we see Michael's death as it is shown in the original, not in the new cut. As for the rest, my own opinion is that Coppola realized audiences were disappointed expecting to see Michael take revenge, not seek redemption, so the thrust of this cut is focusing immediately on redemption. It's almost like the film was being "tested" all these years, and the through line of Michael being tightened and focused in this cut is the fix. As to whether Coppola always wanted the "new" ending, who knows? But for me it's 10 times more powerful, and it gives the film a legitimacy that in my opinion the original Part III never achieved.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

I realized there was another change I noticed.

Spoiler

The stabbing of Don Lucchesi has gone to a much bloodier shot. I recall reading this was changed in 1990 to avoid an NC-17

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I think it's a question of emphasis:

Spoiler

In the original GIII, seeing Michael actually die can distract from the fact that he's OLD, and therefore has been living a long time with the guilt of Mary's death; it's also a bit too much like Vito's death scene, which I've always read as a "happy" death (quick, in the sun, having passed on his life's work, playing with his grandson). In Coda, removing Michael's death puts the focus back on his "cent'anni" of suffering, which, as the intertitle now hammers home, is the point of the scene. No happy death here to save you from your suffering.

Oh boy, do I disagree with this view.

Spoiler

You think Michael had a "happy death" in the original?

It's clear the Michael of "G3" is a broken old man who's lived a long, miserable life after Mary's death.

He dies alone and pathetic.

The text at the end of "Coda" implies he'll continue to suffer for years, but the ending of "G3" already strongly implied he HAD lived a long, unhappy life of grief.

"G3" gives Michael an unhappy, undignified death after many years of misery.

The notion "G3" was a "happy" death completely befuddles me...

 

[Lord Dalek]

But what I’m saying is, as far as I know we don’t have the original version of part 3 on any home video format. The VHS, DVD and BD are all Coppola’s “director’s cut” which is different from what showed in theaters. Perhaps I’m misremembering the exact detail you’re mentioning.

You're misremembering things. The Final Cut also has the Tahoe stuff shot for Complete Novel For Television.

 

[TonyD]

I haven’t watched 3 in a long time but I remember the end and remember thinking what a sad way for a man to die.
Alone and with nothing.

Felt it was the appropriate way for him to die for all he had done.

 

[Museum Pieces]

Without spoiling anything here's why I think the new cut is brilliant. Because it plays on the reversal of the original pattern the saga was built on to start with. Most stories go from slavery to freedom. The rebels are enslaved, they defeat the evil galactic empire, and are free. Joe Blow is enslaved by his prejudices, overcomes them, and is free. However you want to cast it. But the Godfather flips it. The structure goes from freedom to slavery. Michael is free with Kate in the beginning, then through trying to save his family, becomes enslaved by a system that ultimately costs him everything. That's the genius of Coppola. In that light, the "new" ending resonates far more, in my opinion, because it's congruent with the same recurring patterns already present in all three films.

 

[Tom Logan]

Oh boy, do I disagree with this view.

Spoiler

You think Michael had a "happy death" in the original?

It's clear the Michael of "G3" is a broken old man who's lived a long, miserable life after Mary's death.

He dies alone and pathetic.

The text at the end of "Coda" implies he'll continue to suffer for years, but the ending of "G3" already strongly implied he HAD lived a long, unhappy life of grief.

"G3" gives Michael an unhappy, undignified death after many years of misery.

The notion "G3" was a "happy" death completely befuddles me...

Sorry if I wasn't clear: Vito's death in G1 was the "happy death," not Michael's in original GIII. Original GIII ending with Michael's death echoing Vito's muddied original GIII's ending, which Coppola clearly meant to be tragic for Michael. The Coda version now un-muddies the tragic-ness by removing the echo of the "happy death." YMMV.

 

[B-ROLL]

Wow, Diane Keaton, too.

Up until today’s reveal, I always thought your avatar was a picture of you and your gal at an event.

And what an event it was. Priceless.

I just hope she used anti-antiperspirant ...

 

[LeeBob]

Pre-ordered mine from Amazon on my account that currently does NOT have Prime. It is telling me I can expect it by December 22nd, so it appears from others comments - poor service for Prime members; exceptionally poor service for non-Prime members. Perhaps the interest in this new Version of GFIII was greatly underestimated which might explain why there were not sufficient copies available for Amazon to ship in time for release day.

 

[JPCinema]

We shot the Tahoe scenes in Godfather II --- October 1973. It was sooo cold everyone was wearing long underwear and we all had to suck on ice cubes before every shot and spit them out before "Action". That segment was supposed to take place during the summer.