The Godfather: Part III (1990)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Francis Ford Coppola

Writers (WGA):

Mario Puzo (written by) &
Francis Ford Coppola (written by)

Release Date:

25 December 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

All the power on earth can't change destiny.

Plot:

In the midst of trying to legitimize his business dealings in 1979 New York and Italy, aging mafia don Michael Corleone seeks to vow for his sins while taking a young protégé under his wing.

Plot Keywords:

Corruption | Assault | Sequel To Best Picture Winner | Stabbed In The Neck | Hitman

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 10 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Wed. Oct. 8

1:00 AM

HBO

Cast

Al Pacino	...	Don Michael Corleone
Diane Keaton	...	Kay Adams Michelson
Talia Shire	...	Connie Corleone Rizzi
Andy Garcia	...	Vincent Mancini
Eli Wallach	...	Don Altobello
Joe Mantegna	...	Joey Zasa
George Hamilton	...	B.J. Harrison
Bridget Fonda	...	Grace Hamilton
Sofia Coppola	...	Mary Corleone
Raf Vallone	...	Cardinal Lamberto
Franc D'Ambrosio	...	Anthony Vito Corleone
Donal Donnelly	...	Archbishop Gilday
Richard Bright	...	Al Neri
Helmut Berger	...	Frederick Keinszig
Don Novello	...	Dominic Abbandando

Also Known As:

Mario Puzo's The Godfather: Part III (USA) (complete title)
The Death of Michael Corleone (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

162 min | USA:169 min (video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian | German | Latin

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:16 | Canada:14A | USA:R (certificate #30195) | Brazil:14 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Israel:PG | Japan:PG-12 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Singapore:PG | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Poland:15

Filming Locations:

Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Sofia Coppola (daughter of director Francis Ford Coppola), plays Michael Corleone's daughter, despite playing his nephew [sic] as an infant in The Godfather (1972). Winona Ryder was originally cast, but she withdrew so that she could act in Edward Scissorhands (1990).

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: At the opera house, Vincent is heard yelling while his mouth is not moving.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Michael Corleone: [voiceover] My dear children: It is now better than several years since I moved to New York, and I haven't seen you as much as I would like to. I hope you will come to the ceremony of papal honors given for my charitable work. The only wealth in this world is children; more than all the money, power on earth, you are my treasure.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law: The Dabba Don (#1.6)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

BRUCIA LA TERRA

Focuses more on who we all know is the TRUE main character of the series, and that's why it's my favourite.

Castigate me if you will for saying this, but I believe part 3 to be the best of the series. It's a very close run thing, with each film receiving the same rating from me (8), but it benefits from being a more intense study of ONE character rather than trying to divide its time between several, as the other two did. That character of course is Michael Corleone; and when he's played by an actor of such class as Pacino, the movie can't fail. Michael has always been the most interesting character of the series for me, and is the fulcrum around which the entire series revolves; more so than Marlon Brando, who was nevertheless the first to essay the character of 'the Don'. It's fascinating to watch events unfold now that he is finally a willing head of the 'family', trying to emulate his father.

I did as is recommended and watched all 3 consecutively, so my ultimate preference for this one can't be explained by having forgotten how good the other two were. IMO, this is a superior film on its own merits, which have nothing to do with the 15yr (I think) gap between sequels.

Andy Garcia is a great addition to the cast as the cocksure Vincent, and Sophia Coppola, despite what you may have heard, is fine here too as Mary.

She is also very beautiful.

The entire trilogy is a series which demands to be seen by all those who call themselves film fans, and the third is not a blight on the other two, but rather a quality addition that enriches far more than it detracts.