The Godfather is a trilogy of American crime films directed by Francis Ford Coppola inspired by the 1969 novel of the same name by Italian American author Mario Puzo. The films follow the trials of the fictional Italian American mafia Corleone family whose patriarch, Vito Corleone, rises to be a major figure in American organized crime. His youngest son, Michael Corleone, becomes his successor. The films were distributed by Paramount Pictures and released in 1972, 1974, and 1990. The series achieved success at the box office, with the films earning between $430 and $517 million worldwide.[N 2][N 3] The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are both seen by many as two of the greatest films of all time.[1] The series is heavily awarded, winning 9 out of 28 total Academy Award nominations.
| The Godfather | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Francis Ford Coppola |
| Screenplay by | Mario Puzo Francis Ford Coppola |
| Based on | The Godfather by Mario Puzo |
| Produced by | Albert S. Ruddy (1) Francis Ford Coppola (2–3) |
| Cinematography | Gordon Willis |
| Edited by | Peter Zinner (1–2) Barry Malkin (2–3) William H. Reynolds (1) Richard Marks (2) Lisa Fruchtman (3) Walter Murch (3) |
| Music by | Nino Rota (1–2) Carmine Coppola (3) |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 539 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | English Sicilian |
| Budget | $73–74.2 million[N 1] |
| Box office | $430.9–517.4 million[N 2][N 3] |
Film series
editThe Godfather
editThe Godfather was released on March 15, 1972. The feature-length film was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and was based on Mario Puzo's novel of the same name. The plot begins with Don Vito Corleone declining an offer to join in the narcotics business with notorious drug lord Virgil Sollozzo, which leads to an assassination attempt. Vito's oldest son Sonny subsequently takes over the family business and he conspires with Michael to strike back for the assassination attempt by having him kill Sollozzo and a corrupt police captain, forcing Michael to go to Sicily in hiding. While in Sicily, Michael travels around the country and meets a woman he marries but who is killed in a car bombing. Michael returns to America after the news of his brother Sonny's murder and marries his former girlfriend Kay. Vito then turns over the reins of the family to Michael. Michael plans to move the family business to Las Vegas; but before the move, his father dies, and he plots the killing of the heads of the five families on the day of his nephew's baptism. Other subplots include Vito's daughter's abusive marriage, Johnny Fontane's success in Hollywood and Vito's second son Fredo's role in the family business in Las Vegas.
The Godfather Part II
editThe Godfather Part II was released on December 20, 1974. The feature-length film was again directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Both films, The Godfather I and The Godfather II are based on a single novel written by Mario Puzo, The Godfather. The film is in part both a sequel and a prequel to The Godfather, presenting two parallel dramas. The main storyline, following the first film's events, centers on Michael Corleone, the new Don of the Corleone crime family, trying to hold his business ventures together from 1958 to 1959; the other is a series of flashbacks following his father, Vito Corleone, from his childhood in Sicily in 1901 to his founding of the Corleone family in New York City.
The Godfather Part III
editThe Godfather Part III was released on December 25, 1990. Francis Ford Coppola returned as director for the feature-length film, while also writing the screenplay with the help of the author Mario Puzo. In his audio commentary for Part II, Coppola stated it was his belief in the first two films having told the complete Corleone saga with nothing more to add that led him to decline multiple requests from Paramount to make a third installment for over a decade, until severe financial difficulties caused by the critical and commercial failure of One from the Heart (1982) compelled him to accept the long-standing offer.[2]
The Godfather Part III completes the story of Michael Corleone, who is now trying to legitimize his criminal empire, and shows the rise of Sonny Corleone's illegitimate son Vincent Corleone as Michael's successor. The film also portrays a fictionalized account of real-life events, including the death of Pope John Paul I and the Papal banking scandal of 1981 & '82, linking them together and with the affairs of Michael Corleone. Coppola has stated he intended for Part III to be an epilogue to the first two films.[3] The film co-stars Sofia Coppola as Mary Corleone, whose performance was received negatively by critics. Leonard Maltin, said of the film that the casting of Sofia Coppola was an "almost-fatal flaw".[4]
Recut version
editOn December 4, 2020, a recut version of the film titled The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone was released in a limited number of theatres as well as being released on Blu-ray and streaming platforms.[5][6] Coppola said the film is the version he and Puzo had originally envisioned, and it "vindicates" its status among the trilogy and his daughter Sofia's performance.[7]
Cancelled fourth film
editCoppola stated that he and Puzo had discussed the potential of a fourth installment. The fourth film was intended to be a prequel and a sequel told in a similar narrative to Part II.[8] They had discussed a potential script seeing Vito Corleone and Sonny gaining the families' political power and racketeering empire during the 1930s; and with Vincent Corleone in the 1980s, haunted by Mary's death, running the family business through a ten-year destructive war and eventually losing the families' business interests, respect and power, seeing one final scene with Michael Corleone before his death, completing the 100-year story of the Corleone family's rise and fall.[9]
Many actors were rumoured to be cast in the film: Robert De Niro, Andy García and Talia Shire were suggested to be reprising their roles.[10] Leonardo DiCaprio was discussed as being cast as a young Sonny Corleone.[11][12][13]
In June 1999, The Hollywood Reporter had reported that a fourth film was in the works with García in the lead role. García has since claimed the film's script was nearly produced,[9] but following Puzo's death on July 2, Coppola decided to retire the film series indefinitely.[14] Puzo's contribution to the potential sequel dealt with the Corleone family in the early 1930s, and was eventually expanded into a novel by Ed Falco and released in 2012 as The Family Corleone.[15] The estate of Puzo had sought to keep Paramount Pictures from producing the film based on The Family Corleone.[16] Now resolved, Paramount has gained the rights to make more Godfather films.[17]
Cast
editThis section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in the film series.
- An empty, dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
- A indicates an appearance through archival footage or audio.
- E indicates an appearance not included in the theatrical cut.
- Y indicates a younger version of the character.
Reception
editBox office performance
edit| Film | U.S. release date | Box office gross | Budget | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. and Canada | Other territories | Worldwide | |||
| The Godfather | March 15, 1972 | $134,966,411 | $111,154,563 | $246,120,974–287,258,196[N 2] | $6–7.2 million[N 1] |
| The Godfather Part II | December 20, 1974 | $47,834,595 | $45,435,594 | $93,270,189[N 3] | $13 million[32][33] |
| The Godfather Part III | December 25, 1990 | $66,666,062 | $70,100,000 | $136,766,062[34] | $54 million[34] |
| Total | $249,467,068 | $226,690,157 | $476,157,225–517,294,647 | $73–74.2 million | |
The first two films have grossed an estimated $800 million in theatrical, video, and television revenues.[35]
Critical response
editThe films appear in many "Top" film lists, such as AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies, Time magazine's All-Time 100 Movies, the IMDb Top 250, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association's Top 10 Films, and James Berardinelli's Top 100.[36] The Godfather Trilogy was ranked at No. 5 in Empire magazine's "The 33 Greatest Movie Trilogies" in 2010.[37] The Independent ranked it at No. 6 on its list of "10 greatest movie trilogies of all time".[38] Screen Rant ranked it at No. 4 on its list of "The Best Movie Trilogies Of All Time".[39]
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| The Godfather | 97% (9.4/10 average rating) (151 reviews)[40] | 100 (16 reviews)[41] |
| The Godfather Part II | 96% (9.7/10 average rating) (126 reviews)[42] | 90 (18 reviews)[43] |
| The Godfather Part III | 66% (6.4/10 average rating) (67 reviews)[44] | 60 (19 reviews)[45] |
| The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone |
86% (7.5/10 average rating) (58 reviews)[46] | 76 (14 reviews)[47] |
Accolades
editAcademy Awards
editThe three films together were nominated for a total of 28 Academy Awards, of which they won nine. The Godfather is the first trilogy to have had all three of its films nominated for Best Picture (The Lord of the Rings is the only other series to achieve this); it is the only film series with two Best Picture winners, with The Godfather and The Godfather Part II winning the award in their respective years. The Godfather Part II is the first sequel film to win Best Picture (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the only other film to achieve this). For the Best Supporting Actor award, both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II had three actors nominated for the award, which is a rare feat. The Godfather Part II won the most Academy Awards with six to its credit. The Godfather Part III was nominated for seven Oscars, but won none.
- The Godfather — Nominations: 10, Wins: 3
- The Godfather Part II — Nominations: 11, Wins: 6
- The Godfather Part III — Nominations: 7, Wins: 0
| Award | Awards won | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Godfather | The Godfather Part II | The Godfather Part III | |
| Picture | Won | Won | Nominated |
| Director | Nominated | Won | Nominated |
| Actor | Won | Nominated | |
| Supporting Actor | Nominated[a] | Won[b] | Nominated |
| Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||
| Adapted Screenplay | Won | Won | |
| Art Direction | Won | Nominated | |
| Cinematography | Nominated | ||
| Costume Design | Nominated | Nominated | |
| Film Editing | Nominated | Nominated | |
| Original Dramatic Score | Won | ||
| Original Song | Nominated | ||
| Sound | Nominated | ||
Golden Globe Awards
editThe three films together were nominated for a total of 20 Golden Globe Awards, of which they won five.
- The Godfather — Nominations: 7, Wins: 5
- The Godfather Part II — Nominations: 6, Wins: 0
- The Godfather Part III — Nominations: 7, Wins: 0
| Award | Awards won | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Godfather | The Godfather Part II | The Godfather Part III | |
| Picture – Drama | Won | Nominated | Nominated |
| Director – Motion Picture | Won | Nominated | Nominated |
| Actor – Drama | Won[a] | Nominated | Nominated |
| Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Nominated | Nominated | |
| Screenplay | Won | Nominated | Nominated |
| Original Score | Won | Nominated | Nominated |
| Original Song | Nominated | ||
| Most Promising Newcomer – Male | Nominated | ||
- ^ Received two nominations in this category, winning one.
Home media and television
editCompilations were created by Coppola and editors Barry Malkin and Walter Murch, with two released to home media:
- The Godfather Saga (1977) – 434-minute television miniseries based on the first two films in chronological order and incorporating additional footage that was not included in the theatrical releases (with violence and language toned down for a television audience).
- The Godfather 1902–1959: The Complete Epic (1981) – 386-minute uncensored version of The Godfather Saga that was released directly to video (VHS format).[54] A 423-minute version aired on HBO in 2016 and was released to streaming services.[55]
- The Godfather Trilogy: 1901–1980 (1992) – 583-minute uncensored version of The Godfather Saga released directly to video (VHS and LaserDisc formats) encompassing all three films and incorporating additional footage that the Saga and Epic releases had included.
Other box sets were released in DVD and Blu-ray formats:
- The Godfather DVD Collection (2001) – Includes all three films, commentaries, a documentary entitled The Godfather Family: A Look Inside, additional scenes originally contained in The Godfather Saga, a Corleone family tree, and a Godfather timeline.
- The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration (2008) – Includes all three films, commentaries, and a bonus features disc with new content and extras from Paramount's 2001 DVD release. Also included is an interview with David Chase, the creator of The Sopranos, discussing the cultural significance of the films.
- The Godfather Trilogy: Omerta Edition (2017) – A special 45th anniversary box set edition produced in the "limited" quantity of 45,000 copies, consisting of the Coppola Restoration versions of all three films on Blu-ray, a bonus feature Blu-ray disc, and various jacket-liner materials including quote cards, word-play magnets, and scene notes ("anatomy of a scene").
- The Godfather Trilogy (2022) – A 50th anniversary Blu-ray box set consisting of The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, and The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, along with old and new bonus materials. The Ultra HD Blu-ray version includes remastered and restored versions of all three films in 4K resolution, plus all three cuts of the third film: the original theatrical cut (previously unreleased on home video), the 1991 director's cut, and the 2020 Coda cut.
Games
editVideo games
editA side-scrolling shooter, The Godfather (1991), was the first video game based on the series. The Godfather: The Game (2006) was based on the first film.[56][57] Duvall, Caan, and Brando supplied voiceovers and their likenesses,[58] but Pacino did not.[58] Francis Ford Coppola openly voiced his disapproval of the game.[59] The Godfather II (2009) was based on the second film. A mobile game, The Godfather: Family Dynasty (2017), was released for iOS and Android devices.
Board game
editA board game titled, The Godfather: Corleone's Empire, was released in 2017 by CMON.[60] Ars Technica gave it a positive review, calling it "an exceptionally solid release".[61]
Notes
edit- ^ a b Sources disagree on both the amount of the original budget and the final budget of the first film. The final budget has been named at $6 million,[21][22][23] $6.5 million,[24][25] $7 million,[26] and $7.2 million.[27]
- ^ a b c Sources disagree on the amount grossed by the first film.
- 1974: Newsweek. Vol. 84. 1974. p. 74.
The original Godfather has grossed a mind-boggling $285 million...
- 1991: Von Gunden, Kenneth (1991). Postmodern auteurs: Coppola, Lucas, De Palma, Spielberg, and Scorsese. McFarland & Company. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-89950-618-0.
Since The Godfather had earned over $85 million in U.S.-Canada rentals (the worldwide box-office gross was $285 million), a sequel, according to the usual formula, could be expected to earn approximately two-thirds of the original's box-office take (ultimately Godfather II had rentals of $30 million).
- Releases: "The Godfather (1972)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
Original release: $243,862,778; 1997 re-release: $1,267,490; 2009 re-release: $121,323; 2011 re-release: $818,333; 2014 re-release: $29,349; 2018 re-release: $21,701; Budget: $6,000,000
- 1974: Newsweek. Vol. 84. 1974. p. 74.
- ^ a b c Sources disagree on the amount grossed by the second film. Releases:[28][29] Some sources claim an original release of $88 million.[30][31]
References
edit- ^ "The Godfather, Part II". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on May 12, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
- ^ "DVD commentary featuring Francis Ford Coppola". The Godfather Part II DVD. 2005.
- ^ "'The Godfather: Part III' makes a little more sense in the streaming era". sfchronicle.com. December 26, 2019.
- ^ Maltin, Leonard (2009). Leonard Maltin's 2009 Movie Guide. New York City: Penguin Group. p. 530. ISBN 978-0-452-28978-9.
- ^ "Francis Ford Coppola Recutting 'Godfather: Part III' For 30th Anniversary". hollywoodreporter.com. September 3, 2020. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ Brueggemann, Tom (December 6, 2020). "'Croods' and 'Half-Brothers' Lead Universal-Dominated Box Office Weekend to Less Than $9 Million". IndieWire. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
- ^ Ryan Parker (December 3, 2020). "Francis Ford Coppola Says 'Godfather: Part III' Recut Vindicates Film, Daughter Sofia". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ "Long-Lost 'The Godfather' Prequel Revived". HuffPost. May 5, 2011.
- ^ a b Morris, Andy (March 16, 2011). "The Godfather Part IV". www.gq-magazine.co.uk. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Rosen, Christopher (January 15, 2011). "The Godfather Part IV Isn't Happening, Says Talia Shire".
- ^ "DiCaprio and Garcia set to star in The Godfather part IV". The Guardian. June 22, 1999.
- ^ "17 Facts About 'The Godfather: Part III' You May Not Have Known".
- ^ "Andy Garcia: "'Godfather Part 4' is in Francis' hands" - ShowBizCafe.com". May 1, 2012.
- ^ Morris, Andy (September 24, 2012). "The Godfather Part IV".
- ^ Wilson, Craig (May 6, 2012). "Prequel lays out life before 'The Godfather'". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
- ^ Schulder, Michael (September 4, 2012). "CNN Profiles: Ed Falco's prequel to 'The Godfather'". CNN Radio. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
- ^ Patten, Dominic (December 21, 2012). "Paramount & Puzo Estate Settle 'Godfather' Suit".
- ^ "The Godfather (1972)- Cast & Crew". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved November 20, 2006.
- ^ "The Godfather, Part II (1974)- Cast & Crew". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved November 20, 2006.
- ^ "The Godfather, Part III (1990)- Cast & Crew". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved November 20, 2006.
- ^ Horne, Philip (September 22, 2009). "The Godfather: 'Nobody enjoyed one day of it'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on September 24, 2009. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- ^ Mark Seal (March 2009). "The Godfather Wars". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- ^ Jones, Jenny M. (2007). The Annotated Godfather: The Complete Screenplay. New York, New York: Black Dog & Leventhal. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-57912-739-8. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- ^ "Backstage Story of 'The Godfather'". Lodi News-Sentinel. United Press International. March 14, 1972. p. 9. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- ^ Phillips, Gene D. (2004). Godfather: The Intimate Francis Ford Coppola. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. p. 93. ISBN 978-0-8131-4671-3. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- ^ "The Godfather (1972) – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ Block, Alex Ben; Wilson, Lucy Autrey (2010). George Lucas's Blockbusting: A Decade-by-Decade Survey of Timeless Movies Including Untold Secrets of Their Financial and Cultural Success. New York, New York: HarperCollins. p. 527. ISBN 978-0-06-177889-6. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
Domestic Rentals: $85.6; Foreign Rentals: $42.0; Production Cost: $7.2 (Initial Release – Unadjusted $s in Millions of $s).
- ^ "The Godfather: Part II (1974)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
Original release: $47,643,435; 2010 re-release: $85,768; 2019 re-release: $291,754
- ^ "UIP's $25M-Plus Club". Variety. September 11, 1995. p. 92.
Gross to Date $45,335,000
- ^ Thompson, Anne (December 24, 1990). "Is 'Godfather III' an offer audiences cannot refuse?". Variety. p. 57.
- ^ "'The Godfather Part II' At 45 And Why It Remains The Gold Standard For Sequels". forbes.com. November 9, 2019.
- ^ "The Godfather Part II (1974)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
- ^ "The Godfather: Part II (1974) – Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ^ a b "The Godfather Part III (1990)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
- ^ "Paramount's meal ticket". Detroit Free Press. December 15, 1990. p. 40. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ James Berardinelli. "Berardinelli's All-Time Top 100". Reelviews. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
- ^ "The 33 Greatest Movie Trilogies". Empire. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022.
- ^ "10 greatest movie trilogies of all time". The Independent. May 15, 2021. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022.
- ^ "The Best Movie Trilogies Of All Time". The Independent. June 29, 2016.
- ^ "The Godfather (1972)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
- ^ "The Godfather Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
- ^ "The Godfather: Part II (1974)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "The Godfather: Part II Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
- ^ "The Godfather: Part III (1990)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
- ^ "The Godfather: Part III Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
- ^ "The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
- ^ "Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- ^ "1972 Academy Awards® Winners and History". AMC Filmsite. American Movie Classics Company LLC. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ^ "1974 Academy Awards® Winners and History". AMC Filmsite. American Movie Classics Company LLC. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ^ "1990 Academy Awards® Winners and History". AMC Filmsite. American Movie Classics Company LLC. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ^ "Godfather, The". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
- ^ "Godfather Part II, The". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
- ^ "Godfather Part III, The". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
- ^ Malta, J. Geoff (2006). The Godfather 1902–1959: The Complete Epic.
- ^ DiClaudio, Dennis (January 22, 2016). "A special 7-hour chronological cut of The Godfather is now on HBO Go". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ^ Slagle, Matt (March 31, 2006). "'Godfather' is the offer you can't refuse". The Victoria Advocate. p. 13E. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- ^ Godinez, Victor (March 31, 2006). "Game Reviews". The Victoria Advocate. p. 13E. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- ^ a b Slagle, Matt (May 20, 2005). "Gameplay makes certain titles rock". Gadsden Times. p. C4. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- ^ ""Coppola Angry over Godfather Video Game", April 8, 2005". Archived from the original on April 10, 2006. Retrieved August 22, 2005.
- ^ Miller, Matt (June 30, 2017). "Top Of The Table – The Godfather: Corleone's Empire". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ Theel, Charlie (July 8, 2017). "A board game you can't refuse? The Godfather: Corleone's Empire". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
Further reading
edit- AMC TV (November 25, 2010). "Ten Things You Didn't Know About the Godfather Trilogy". Free Republic.
- Browne, Nick (2000). Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather Trilogy. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-55950-8.
- Messenger, Chris (2012). The Godfather and American Culture: How the Corleones Became "Our Gang". SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-8870-6.
- Santopietro, Tom (2012). The Godfather Effect: Changing Hollywood, America, and Me. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1-4299-5262-0.
- Sciannameo, Franco (2010). Nino Rota's The Godfather Trilogy: A Film Score Guide. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-7711-5.
