Mario Puzo's The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone
Paramount
It is becoming a recurring trait of legendary auteur and cinematic pioneer Francis Ford Coppola to tinkle and modify his catalogue of greatest hits. Only a blink and you'll miss it: the moment that the third and proposed "final cut" of Coppola's Apocalypse Now was treated to a revitalised restoration and another trim. Coppola has now treated audiences to a re-edited and aptly re-titled version of his "love it or hate it" final piece in The Godfather trilogy, of which has now been definitively labelled as Mario Puzo's The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone.
On the surface, and to most fans of the trilogy, the changes are undeniably minimal. Aside from a few pieces of footage extended, replaced or just generally moved around, even with much fanfare this does not craft a new or demand for reappraisal. Those who had their daggers out in 1992 are not going to be repenting for their sins almost 30 years later. Yet, for those who met this controversial piece with loving arms are not necessarily going to be purists and demand never to acknowledge its existence. Aside from its somewhat elongated name change, there seem to be minimal amounts of footage to identify it as being anything but "new".
Ultimately, it is what is under the surface that is quite admiral. Considering the history of the feature and rushed production due to financial failure of Coppola's studio and the demands of Paramount to shoot under budget, strict shooting schedule and salary disputes, Coppola has finally been allowed to complete his piece as he sees fit. It's a testament to the filmmaker, in fact, that he hasn't gone back and replaced George Harrison with a CGI Robert Duvall or gone mad with retrospective power. What Coppola has done is fix things. Plain and simple.
The colour-grading, for example, is sharper; the cinematography darker and deeper; the edit trimmed, tight and strict. A.D.R. changes are hit and miss but cleaned for clarity. This is a fixed version of what Coppola saw fit for the time but was held back. It does not feel an exploit as other "edits" often do – but more on that later. The film itself, as aforementioned, plays out precisely as it did in 1990 and ultimately the problems that plagued it then, do so here.
Garcia, while undeniably effective in his role, is not given enough screen time. Michael's reprise into clarity is far too quick and empty to be believable. The lack of Duvall is ever so evident, and the Vatican subplot is just as convoluted. It is a film; however, that has always had a bitter sense of irony within its loins, considering that the master of the gangster film is ultimately trying to copy and project his understudies in the likes of Scorsese, rather than producer is own slow and methodical work.
To be candid, it may be an affection for the material that blinds these next few sentences, but aside from the clear and obvious – and quite out of place – Casino-like assassination sequence in the hotel, everything else feels much in the vein of Coppola and solely from his approach. The film's finale is a clear example of that quintessential evil emotional manipulation of Coppola, and as powerful, brutal and downright haunting.
In fact, the film does change how the final scene is actually presented: not necessarily ending on a defining moment and even giving slight ambiguity to the title namesake. Not in any more profound and colossally distinct notion, but one that again layers the context of death and the characters who are affected by it.
The issues presented in Coppola's feature were and always will be fundamental issues that were present to those on release and will either make or break the experience. The Godfather Part III will be controversial for multiple and extensive reasons. Not an inch of this film is clean and untouchable from criticism and, in a way, it ultimately makes this piece more human and accessible to truly understand it.
If anything, there are two things that are left with the viewer after this feature. The first is, undeniably, how compelling Sofia Coppola is as Mary. A performance that would make those that scrutinised Brie Larson blush with disgust. Once again, understanding the production history gives much more meaning to the performance, and even when the dialogue is slightly ropey, she is marvellous in capturing naivety and lust. Her on-screen relationship with her father makes this film as profoundly emotional and as tragic as is, and the delivery in the final scene is given in utter perfection with a resulting torment that lasts decades.
The second aspect here is the pessimistic viewpoint of why this was made. There is no coincidence this film and Apocalypse Now have had extensive re-releases in the same year that Coppola has announced his intentions to make his passion project Megalopolis. A long-dormant and delayed science-fiction extravaganza in the same vein as Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. The conspiracists out there would not have to go far to consider that not only have these films been released to drum up a fraction of a budget but possibly included in the rights to distribute if anyone comes in and possibly picks this long-doomed project up.
Regardless, at this moment in time Megalopolis is just an idea, but Mario Puzo's The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone is the idea finally coming to fruition and one that ticks all the boxes in reconstructing and much-maligned film to give the director peace of mind. It won't solve world hunger, bring peace to the world or give apologists the edge to win the battle on whether this is even remotely a 'good' Godfather feature. However, it is a film that crafts healthy and diverse debate and, on a second new lease of life, hopefully those who despise this might think twice of seeing it with newfound eyes. As one Corleone once said, "Just when I thought I was out they pull me back in!"
