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UHD Review The Godfather Trilogy – UHD Blu ray Review (1 Viewer)

t1g3r5fan

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Today, The Godfather Trilogy.
In 1970, Francis Ford Coppola was just fresh off of directing The Rain People (1969) and had co-penned the script for Franklin J. Schaffner’s Patton – for which he was soon to be anointed with an Oscar – when the opportunity of a lifetime was offered to him. Paramount Pictures was in the process of adapting a Mario Puzo novel that had hit the bestseller lists the year prior and was a hot property for the studio, which was reeling from the expensive box office misfires in Paint Your Wagon (1969), Darling Lili (1970), Waterloo (also 1970) and the studio’s previous attempt at a gangster film, Martin Ritt’s The Brotherhood (1968); however, Sergio Leone, Peter Bogdanovich, Costa-Gavras, Elia Kazan, Otto Preminger, Richard Brooks, Arthur Penn and Peter Yates all passed on the project. When the studio announced Coppola as the director in September of 1970, the saga of The Godfather and its subsequent sequels was set in motion. Paramount has revisited all...

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Noel Aguirre

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Thanks for the review but I wish there were a little more exposition on the visual ratings as in your film plot descriptions of each i.e. how the first 2 compare to the last blu-ray release which included Robert Harris’s restorations and how Coda compares to the blu-ray released last year or so especially as there has been controversy and discussions both here and all over the net.
 
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Kyle_D

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Thanks for the review but I wish there were a little more exposition on the visual ratings as in your film plot descriptions of each i.e. how the first 2 compare to the last blu-ray release which included Robert Harris’s restorations and how Coda compares to the blu-ray released last year or so especially as there has been controversy and discussion both here and all over the net.
Agreed, not sure how this review can say "All three films exhibit a faithful representation to the visual intent that both Gordon Willis and Francis Ford Coppola had envisioned for each film" when there's a 30+ page thread on this forum detailing how the new release deviates from the original intent of Mr. Willis.
 

t1g3r5fan

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Okay, I've just amended my review to include a brief note on the visual quality in the video grade section about the debate between this release and the previous DVD and Blu-ray releases based upon the 2007 restoration. What I was trying to say was that I believe that Paramount was trying to thread a needle between taking maximum advantage of the HDR range and respecting the original visual intent that Gordon Willis and Francis Ford Coppola had intended, and the end result is something of a compromise between the two. It's still good, but obviously I should have made that clear and I didn't, so my bad on that one.

I hope this clears the air a bit, but you're more than welcome to debate on which version is better. No pressure.
 

Robert Harris

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Okay, I've just amended my review to include a brief note on the visual quality in the video grade section about the debate between this release and the previous DVD and Blu-ray releases based upon the 2007 restoration. What I was trying to say was that I believe that Paramount was trying to thread a needle between taking maximum advantage of the HDR range and respecting the original visual intent that Gordon Willis and Francis Ford Coppola had intended, and the end result is something of a compromise between the two. It's still good, but obviously I should have made that clear and I didn't, so my bad on that one.

I hope this clears the air a bit, but you're more than welcome to debate on which version is better. No pressure.
Nice review as to history and background.

Just as a point of purely technical information - facts, not opinions - once Paramount removed the organic grain structure of the film, added digital anomalies, modified Mr. Willis’ color, densities, black (and white) levels, and then made content changes, there was really no compromise In the archival world.

The final result is purely re-visualization, with only a single restorative positive - superbly performed digital clean-up.

That is not to say (again) that there is anything wrong with viewers liking the ‘22 release - which I still believe was not fully the intended end-game.

Also, HDR has very little to do with the final result. All damage done came before HDR.
 
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t1g3r5fan

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I've amended my review again, and rather than make any more awkward statements on my feelings on the transfer and risk continuously putting my foot in my mouth, I'll just keep it shut.
 

Robert Crawford

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I've amended my review again, and rather than make any more awkward statements on my feelings on the transfer and risk continuously putting my foot in my mouth, I'll just keep it shut.
That's alright, you're not the only person that thinks these 4K discs look fantastic on their display.:thumbsup:
 

Robert Harris

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I've amended my review again, and rather than make any more awkward statements on my feelings on the transfer and risk continuously putting my foot in my mouth, I'll just keep it shut.
No need to either amend or keep silent. It’s an honest discussion, and your original feelings - I’ve not read your new draft - are in sync with the majority of viewers.

I’m here solely discussing tech attributes, and your opinions should stand on their own. Please don’t make changes on my account.

And certainly, please don’t be silent.
 

PMF

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If one is seeking the aroma and potencies of a true cup of espresso, best to visit Little Italy.

Likewise, if its only a quick fix of caffeine that your after, best to go to Dunkin’ Donuts.

IMHO, this 4K/UHD of The Godfather Trilogy was akin to a new-age coffee shop deftly trying to be a hybrid of the two brews cited.

Many are raving, I know.

Nonetheless, it still comes down to our own sets of tastes and - regretfully - this edition was not my cup of tea.
 
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Robert Crawford

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If one is seeking the aroma and potencies of a true cup of espresso, best to visit Little Italy.

Likewise, if its only a quick fix that your after, best to go to Dunkin’ Donuts.

IMHO, this 4K/UHD of The Godfather Trilogy was akin to a new-age coffee shop deftly trying to be hybrid of the two.

Many are raving, I know.

Nonetheless, it still comes down to our own sets of tastes and - regretfully - this edition was not my cup of tea.
I guess you can't make everybody happy.
 
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Noel Aguirre

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A re-visualization sounds awkwardly familiar to some famous director’s recent re-imagination of a certain classic and I’ll leave it at that.
I’ll be watching the previous blu-ray as my reference I think rather than this going forward. But glad I have both?
 

Robert Harris

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A re-visualization sounds awkwardly familiar to some famous director’s re-imagination of a certain classic and I’ll leave it at that.
I’ll be watching the previous blu-ray as my reference I think rather than this going forward. But glad I have both?
AFAIK, that’s not the case.
 

Robert Harris

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I agree with you, Robert. Still, I can’t help but wonder what the true verdict would be, as we have yet to see or compare as to how a 4K/UHD of the Gordon Willis would play out.
I can tell you.

It would faithfully represent the film, but many people with no background in the film’s history, would complain about the color being wrong.
 

trevanian

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I've just finished interviewing a bunch of folks who made THE OFFER (making of GODFATHER series), and every single one of them brought up Willis' work even before I got round to asking. Most of them actually recounted how the work changed the way they thought about movies, in terms of potential and daring. That's not just camera folk, I mean the colorist and the director too.

It was pretty important in terms of this series, because there are times when you are looking in on a setup from the film where they felt the need to match carefully, even though the acquisition and lighting situations are miles apart when you're shooting on the Sony Venice instead of 35mm film camera. If this thing has gone so far afield of the original, I have a feeling there are going to be a ton of disgruntled industry folks as well as us movie snobs.

By the way, the series is going to rock, big-time. I saw three eps worth of screeners and found it to be very fun and fast-moving while also delivering some genuine suspense at times. Matthew Goode should already write his speech, because his Robert Evans is going to win an Emmy, no question. In terms of reality-based entertainment, the 30% of the series viewed thus far makes me think BARBARIANS AT THE GATE, plus. As in really really good.
 

Robert Harris

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I've just finished interviewing a bunch of folks who made THE OFFER (making of GODFATHER series), and every single one of them brought up Willis' work even before I got round to asking. Most of them actually recounted how the work changed the way they thought about movies, in terms of potential and daring. That's not just camera folk, I mean the colorist and the director too.

It was pretty important in terms of this series, because there are times when you are looking in on a setup from the film where they felt the need to match carefully, even though the acquisition and lighting situations are miles apart when you're shooting on the Sony Venice instead of 35mm film camera. If this thing has gone so far afield of the original, I have a feeling there are going to be a ton of disgruntled industry folks as well as us movie snobs.

By the way, the series is going to rock, big-time. I saw three eps worth of screeners and found it to be very fun and fast-moving while also delivering some genuine suspense at times. Matthew Goode should already write his speech, because his Robert Evans is going to win an Emmy, no question. In terms of reality-based entertainment, the 30% of the series viewed thus far makes me think BARBARIANS AT THE GATE, plus. As in really really good.
I’ve been looking forward to the series. Thank you!
 

Todd Erwin

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A former classmate of mine, David Trachtenberg (A.C.E.) was the editor on The Offer, so I am looking forward to seeing it, too.
 

Sam Favate

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I finally watched the first film last night in 4k. While I can see the changes in color, I have to say this presentation was excellent. I've been watching this movie for more than 35 years and it never looked as clear or crisp to me. The scene outside the hospital - long one that suffered from being too dark, with many images lost to the inky black - was easily discernible. The Christmas lights were like beacons. I felt like I could finally see that scene. (As opposed to, say, the end of The Deer Hunter, which I watched recently in 4k, when much of the return to Vietnam was lost to the disc being way too dark.)

I did have a problem - which was likely my player - at 2:01:00 in the movie, when it skipped the very end of Vito's conversation with Tom and went right into the undertaker scene. Less than a minute was skipped. I tried going back a few times but it didn't work. (I had updated the player's firmware just prior to playing the disc. Indeed, the disc would not play until I did.)

I'm still glad to have the blu-ray of these films ("The Coppola Restoration") and I will keep both side-by-side. I kind of think of it like the remastered episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series with the new special effects. The original versions of the episodes are there too, also in HD, but the new ones are also there for me to choose when I want them.
 

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