Film Review: The Godfather Part III (1990)
Sequel that nobody wanted or sequel that ruined it for everybody are situations that could happen even to a film series that, until that point, consisted of undisputed classics. In 1972, Francis Ford Coppola rewrote film history with his popular, Oscar-winning, and immensely influential gangster epic The Godfather. Two years later, he repeated the same triumph with The Godfather Part II. The audience had to wait sixteen years for the next film in the series, and when it finally came, it predictably fell short of great expectations and the high standards set by its two predecessors.
The plot begins in 1979, roughly two decades after the events depicted in the previous film. Al Pacino returns in the role of New York mafia boss Michael Corleone. Although he managed to maintain immense power and wealth, advanced age and health problems make him aware of the price paid for it. He is estranged from part of his family that can't forgive and tolerate his murderous actions. Wife Kay (played by Diane Keaton) left him, while son Anthony (played by Franc D'Ambrosio) defied him by choosing a career as an opera singer instead of law. His sister Connie (played by Talia Shire) is loyal, just like his daughter Maria (played by Sophia Coppola). She, however, starts a romantic relationship with Michael's nephew Vincent Mancini (played by Andy Garcia), a young, ambitious, and hot-tempered man who has developed a feud with Joey Zasa (played by Joe Mantegna), Michael's former underboss who has taken over street operations in New York. This happens just as Michael wants to achieve his lifelong dream of abandoning his criminal past and turning to legitimate business to become part of respectable society. In order to do so, he engages in philanthropic activities that bring him the Order of St. Sebastian from the Catholic Church. Michael wants to buy shares and take control of Internazionale Immobiliare, an old and respected European real estate firm partially owned by the recently troubled Vatican bank. This plan creates enmity among other Mafia leaders, as well as European aristocrats, Italian politicians, and top Vatican clergy who fear that Corleone could bring unwanted attention to their illegal activities. Michael becomes the target of assassins, and during a visit to Sicily, he must devise a plan to trick his enemies and save his own life and the lives of his family.
The Godfather Part III was, by ordinary criteria, a successful film. It had more than decent results at the box office and earned seven "Oscar" nominations. Reviews, however, were mixed, leading to the reputation of a disappointing failure that remains to this day. This could be attributed to the underwhelming impression, which was quite understandable due to the inevitable comparisons with the two previous films, but also to the circumstances of production. Although Coppola wanted to make a third film for a long time, the actual decision to start the project was partially motivated by the desire to restore old glory after a series of flops and disappointments in the 1980s. Returning to his best-known and most popular work looked quite natural. However, the film was rushed into production, resulting in some less than fortunate creative choices.
Coppola still shows the skills worthy of one of the greatest directors of his generation. The Godfather Part III is superbly directed, with Coppola using his old associates like cinematographer Gordon Willis and production designer Dean Tavoularis, who work very hard to ensure that the third Godfather has the exact same look as the previous two. This impression is helped by Coppola's father, Carmine, whose musical score effectively accompanies themes originally written by Nino Rota. The script Coppola co-wrote with Mario Puzo, on the other hand, shows that both men exhausted their creativity. The plot and structure of the film are at times too reminiscent of the previous two films. Part III begins with a long scene of celebration and ends with an elaborate scene of multiple assassinations. Characters that didn't exist in the first two films are brought in and retconned into major figures of the Corleone saga. Some new characters are introduced only to mysteriously disappear, like the reporter played by Bridget Fonda, or brought in without any serious purpose, like the priest played by John Savage, who happens to be the son of Tom Hagen, a character from the first two films written out of the third because Robert Duvall refused to take part. The dialogue, especially in the first part of the film, is often underwhelming.
Puzo and Coppola, on the other hand, try something different by building their plot on the basis of some real-life events, scandals, and conspiracy theories associated with the Vatican in the 1970s and 1980s, including the mysterious death of Pope John Paul I, whose fictionalized version appears as a character played by veteran Italian actor Raf Vallone. In many ways, Part III tries to show the tragic futility of Michael Corleone's attempts to extract himself and his family from the clutches of their criminal past—the "polite" society he strives to belong to is as corrupt, ruthless, and ultimately murderous as the petty thugs on the mean streets of New York City. This includes not only the chaotic and violent world of the Italian First Republic, represented by the character of Don Liccio Luchessi (played by Enzo Robutti and inspired by former prime minister Giulio Andreotti), but also the Church, represented by Archbishop Gilday (played by Donal Donelly and inspired by Archbishop Paul Marcinkus). Coppola and Puzo, unfortunately, bring most of that material in the second part of the film, with the plot being slightly rushed and various intriguing details becoming difficult to spot for anyone not familiar with the history of modern Italy.
The main issue of Part III is conceptual. While the first two films were based on a novel and had a clear narrative structure and fascinating content, much of that is sacrificed for an ending that is deliberately made too operatic. Coppola has built much of the film around the scene that takes place in Teatro Massimo in Palermo and features Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana; the scene is spectacular, but can be properly enjoyed only by fans of the opera, who are likely to be a minority among the audience. By emphasizing melodrama, Coppola at times undermines the characters so carefully built in the previous two films, making them too mellow, too emotional, or too convenient. Michael's son Anthony, for example, is written as an opera singer simply to give an excuse for his father and other characters to gather in the theater for a spectacular finale.
The cast is, as expected, very good. Some of the actors from the previous two films reprised their roles. Al Pacino, although far from his best, is convincing in his portrayal of a powerful man increasingly affected by old age, regret, and conscience. Some of the new actors also show great skill, like Joe Mantegna playing the brash character of a media-friendly mafioso modeled after John Gotti. Andy Garcia is also very good in the role of Michael's protege and successor who, for better and worse, embodies all the traits of his family. Unfortunately, The Godfather Part III is ultimately wrecked by another casting choice. Coppola gave the role of Maria to his daughter Sophia, who simply couldn't act and whose lack of talent became frustratingly apparent in scenes with other more experienced actors. The romantic and potentially controversial subplot around her character's semi-incestuous affair with her cousin is destroyed by a complete lack of chemistry with Garcia. Sofia Coppola was later given two Razzies, and her debacle ultimately became part of Godfather Saga lore, making the film hated by cinephiles and even fans of Coppola's work. Her father spent the next decades defending himself from accusations of nepotism and claiming that she was cast as a last-minute replacement for Winona Ryder, who had left the production due to exhaustion. Sofia Coppola would, to her credit, later make amends by working behind the camera and proving herself as an accomplished director in her own right.
The Godfather Part III is more than watchable and, at times, quite fascinating and entertaining. Yet, it is unmistakably disappointing, and it is quite easy to understand why many fans of the Godfather Saga like to pretend that it doesn't exist.
RATING: 5/10 (+++)
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