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Godfather Novel - redheaded stepchild? (1 Viewer)

Anthony_J

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I watched "The Godfather - A Novel for television" this weekend on AMC (they had a marathon where they showed the entire thing (about 8 hours) back to back to back). It's the program that breaks the first and second movies into pieces and shows them in chronological order.
I've noticed on previous threads discussing the upcoming DVD release that people are hoping that this version of the movies will be on DVD soon.
My question - does anyone out there think that the chronological movie is a sufficient substitute for Godfather I and II? Or is it the redheaded stepchild of the Godfather clan (besides III, that is), done to get some TV cash into the studio's and Coppola's pockets.
What are the redeeming qualities of the chronological movie besides making the second movie's plot a little easier to follow? Were deleted scenes, etc, added for television?
Just a random post because I was bored.
"...and may their first child be a masculine child." - Luca Brasi, long-time sleeper with the fishes.
 

Ken Seeber

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In my opinion, the whole point of the non-chronological structure of "The Godfather Part II" was to show the parallel paths that Vito's and Michael's lives took. Rearranging their stories to make the movie more easily digestible for the masses drained the film of a lot of its power.
 

Tim Gerdes

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What are the redeeming qualities of the chronological movie besides making the second movie's plot a little easier to follow? Were deleted scenes, etc, added for television?
There were a number of scenes added to the Godfather Parts I & II when they were re-edited and aired chronologically. There were also a few sequences of graphic violence and a sequence involving brief nudity that were deleted from the extended cut of the film.
I agree with Ken that the power of the second film was largely destroyed when chopped up and shown in chronological fashion.
I believe that all of the sequences that were added to the films will be available on the DVD set as supplemental material.
From the descriptions of the deleted scenes in the press release for this title, it sounds like we will get some additional material that was not present in any of the previous cuts of the films.
 

Ken_McAlinden

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I enjoy both versions, give deference to the theatrical releases, but would love to see a high quality version of the "saga" available as well. The parallels between Vito & Michael are still there without the intercutting spoon-feeding them to you. You consider Vito and Michael's paths as overlapping arcs more like an epic novel which is a different effect than the separate films produce.
All in all, its something gained and something lost, but I think the saga is an interesting alternative, and some of the added scenes are quite good. Their deletion in the context of already long theatrical features is understandable, but they work nicely in a more sprawling epic approach that would be impractical for theaters. I hardly think the saga constitutes making it more easily digestible since it asks the viewer to consider the events and their relationships to each other over the course of several years of time and hours of drama.
To answer the first poster's question, it is not a "sufficient substitute", but it is an interesting separate work of and by itself.
Regards,
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Ken McAlinden
Livonia, MI USA
[Edited last by Ken_McAlinden on August 14, 2001 at 04:34 PM]
 

tommy_esq

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i liked the added scenes and didn't mind seeing it in chronoligical order as opposed to how the films normally are...probably because i've seen these films so many times it was nice to see a fresh take on things.
 

Matt_Stevens

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I really truly love many of the added scenes, especially the scene in II where Michael takes revenge on the man who bombed his car, killing his wife (Apolonia or whatever her name is). Why that was cut out of the theatrical film, I will never understand.
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Greg_Y

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Damn, I thought this thread was going to be the "Bash Puzo's Original GF Novel" thread. The fact that they turned THAT novel into THOSE 2 films is truly incredible. I've never read Valley of the Dolls but I can't imagine it being more tawdry than Puzo's original Godfather novel.
Ahem ... anyway. I'll second what some of the other people are saying. My first choice is a set of the 3 films as originally presented (I, II and the Director's Cut of III.) My second choice would be the Saga recut in chronological order. Since it works well in the recut, and it's director approved, it's interesting, at the least. But I'm glad the first release is the set of 3 films.
I really truly love many of the added scenes, especially the scene in II where Michael takes revenge on the man who bombed his car, killing his wife (Apolonia or whatever her name is). Why that was cut out of the theatrical film, I will never understand.
The killing of Fabrizio, which, if I remember correctly, is inserted when Michael and the family are at the lake in the beginning of II. I suppose it was cut because many audience members would have missed the connection in the theatrical release of II. It shows how ruthless Michael has become but there are plenty of other plot devices in the film which demonstrate this. But an undoubtably cool scene nonetheless, and I think it was in the original novel (which sucks, by the way.)
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TonyD

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i love this version of the godfather. i have been waiting for years for it to show up somewere.

the only recent version available was a very expensive laserdisc set from japan a few years ago and years before that a vhs set that also has been long out of print.it runs a couple minutes over seven hours. and was re-edited for tv by coppola himself for nbc tv,and was renamed the godfather saga - a novel for television.

i think usa may have aired it about 2 yrs ago.

amc just showed it 3 times in a row for a little ovewr 21 hrs and i watched almost all of it.

godfather is one of those movies that if i flip thru the channels and it is on i have to watch it even if its on for 21 straight hrs.

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tommy_esq

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greg- i liked the novel. only complaint was that it spent too much time on lucy mancini's character.
 

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