DVD Review: The Godfather – The Coppola Restoration Giftset

Movie Info:
Writer: Mario Puzo
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard S. Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Al Lettieri, Diane Keaton, Abe Vigoda, Gianni Russo, Rudy Bond, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg, Michael V. Gazzo, G.D. Spradlin, Gastone Moschin, Tom Rosqui, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Bridget Fonda, Sofia Coppola, Raf Vallone, Franc D’Ambrosio, Donal Donnelly, Richard Bright
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount Home Video

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $62.99

This is probably one of the hardest reviews that I have ever had to write. What does one say about The Godfather that hasn’t already been said in the past? This is one of the best movies of all time and is certainly the best movie series of all time. The story is addicting, the acting is engaging, and the direction is flawless. I shy away from calling any movie perfect, but I fail to see how these movies could have been any better than they are.

Marlon Brando was just one of the men considered for the part of Don Vito Corleone. Francis Ford Coppola wanted him or Laurence Olivier, who could not do the role, from the beginning. However, the studios looked at several other options including Ernest Borgnine, Edward G. Robinson, Orson Welles, Carlo Ponti, and George C. Scott. Burt Lancaster was never considered, but he did lobby for the role.

And then there was old blue eyes. Frank Sinatra was against both the novel, as a whole, and the idea of a movie being made, but at one point after he had talks with Coppola, he offered himself for the role. Coppola was adamant about Brando though and it’s obvious how that turned out. The studio paid him a paltry sum for the film, but that would not be something that changed the course of the film for the viewers.

You could easily call this movie series a Coppola family affair. Coppola included many of his relatives in this film. Most notably, Talia Shire, his sister, played Connie Corleone. Many relatives had small parts as extras including his mother (Italia Coppola), his sons (Gian-Carlo and Roman Coppola), and even his daughter, Sofia Coppola, who was just three weeks old at the time of her big screen debut.

Without Coppola, this could have been a very different movie. Paramount didn’t realize the type of film that they had on their hands. Originally, The Godfather was going to be a small, low budget picture about the mob, written in present day. Coppola rejected that version, going for the period piece that you see today. Consequently, the film had so much buzz and was so well favored prior to the release that a sequel was being worked out. That sequel would be one of the only movies that would be better received than the original film in a series.

It is so surreal watching these films and seeing how young some of these actors are. Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, and James Caan appear so young. You know who they are, but its interesting seeing them compared to how you see them today. Aging is a fact of life, of course, but these actors have had the benefit to have a movie like this to show their beauty and talent in such a young state. In the case of most of the actors, this series boosted their careers into superstardom. Al Pacino was relatively unknown and this would seal his fate as an A-list actor. Likewise, when Robert DeNiro starred in the sequel, the same would be said for him.

There are many words that can be used to describe these movies. Intense, dramatic, violent, emotional, powerful, engaging, and engrossing are just a few words that come to mind. I am sure some might say these movies were disrespectful, but I don’t necessarily see it that way. Others might say that these films immortalized the Mafia, and while The Godfather was certainly the best at making the oldest organization seem sexy and alluring, it would not be the last movie to attempt to capture this level of strength about this subject.

This set is absolutely a necessity for any movie collector. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Even if you own the previously released films, you still need to purchase this set. The quality is near flawless, unlike the first two releases, and there are new bonuses to appease the loyal fans and make up for past mistakes. This is definitely the set to own so if you have the others you might want to head over to an auction site or to Amazon and get rid of them for this one.

The The Godfather – The Coppola Restoration Giftset Plot
The Godfather can most easily be described as an Italian/American tragedy. This tragedy occurs in three parts that have been separated into three movies in order to ensure that each portion is given ample opportunity to tell the story in a way that it should be told. Prior to these films being made, The Godfather was a novel that received a high measure of success. When the original film came out in 1972, it was anticipated, but for many, including Paramount there was a baited sense of anticipation thanks to a relatively young, unknown cast and an unknown director. However, the film and the subsequent films that would come later could not have turned out any better than they did.

Each film is able to stand on its own, though they are amazing as a trilogy. It’s crazy how fast the time seems to fly by as you watch each film. The films are so smooth that by the time each one ends you cannot fathom that you spent over two hours watching the lives of the Corleone family. The film is filled with symbolism including the presence of religion (many of the biggest hits occur during a religious ceremony) and simpler symbols such as oranges (Corleone gets shot buying oranges and later dies while eating one) and fish (Luca Brasa’s strangulation occurs behind a stained glass window with a fish imprint and later Fredo is murdered while fishing).

The year is set in 1946 and the film opens at a wedding. Michael’s (Al Pacino) sister Connie (Talia Shire) is getting married. The war has recently ended and Michael has come home from the Marines as a decorated war veteran. Unlike his other brothers, Sonny (James Caan) and Fredo (John Cazale), Michael did not want to be a part of his father’s empire. He had other things he wanted to accomplish and he wanted to do it on his own. As the movies progress it is easy to see that Michael, with all of his passionate beliefs and deadly reservations, is the most like Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando).

Soon after the wedding, an attempt to take Don Vito’s life fails when he takes five shots on the street and lives. While in the hospital Sonny takes control of the family and being the hotheaded machine he is, he creates a war that eventually costs him his life. During this war, Michael picks sides, aligning with his father and sealing his fate in the family. His actions during this war lead him to Sicily where he must hide out. He is forced to leave Kay (Diane Keaton), the woman that would eventually bear his children, but while there, he marries his first bride, Apollonia (Simonetta Stefanelli) who teaches him, first hand, the major downside of his work. By the end of the film, Michael has married Kay and takes full responsibility for the family, thankfully, as he is the only child of Don Vito’s that was truly fit to handle the responsibility.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
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Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.