The Godfather (film series)
The Godfather is a film series consisting of three feature-length crime films directed by Francis Ford Coppola based upon the novel of the same name by Italian American author Mario Puzo. The first two films of the series were written, filmed, and released just years apart in the 1970s, while the third installment didn't come out until 1990. They were distributed by Paramount Pictures.
The three films follow the fictional Corleone Mafia family through the course of its history in the United States of America and their homeland Sicily. The early plot line begins with patriarch of the family Vito Corleone's (Marlon Brando) decline and exit from the family business and the passing over of the control to his youngest son Michael (Al Pacino) who then becomes the major focus of the films. After seizing control, Michael uproots the family from New York and moves out to Las Vegas where he gets involved in a business transaction in the unstable Cuba, which he manages to get out of. Years later, Michael has pulled out of the mafia world and attempts to buy a good reputation through various acts of charity.
The series achieved success at the box office, with the films earning over $550 million worldwide. The films were critically acclaimed and the first film, The Godfather, is seen by many as one of the greatest films of all time. The first sequel, The Godfather Part II, is viewed by many as the greatest sequel of all time. The series is heavily awarded, winning 9 out of 29 total Academy Award nominations.
Film series
The Godfather
The Godfather, the first film in the franchise, was released on March 15, 1972. The feature-length film was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based upon 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 on his life. Meanwhile, Vito's oldest son Sonny takes over the family and Michael strikes back by killing Sollozzo and a corrupted police chief, forcing him to go to Sicily in hiding. While in Sicily, Michael travels around the country and meets a young woman whom he marries, but is eventually killed in a car bombing. Michael returns to America after the news of his brother Sonny's killing. After returning, Vito turns over the reigns of the family to Michael. Michael plans to move the family business out to Las Vegas; but before the move, he plots the killing of the heads of the five families on the day of his sister's son's baptism. Other subplots include Vito's daughter's abusive marriage, Johnny Fontaine's success out West, and his second oldest son Fredo's role in the family business.
The Godfather Part II
The Godfather Part II, the second film in the franchise, was released on December 20, 1974. The feature-length film was again directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based upon Mario Puzo's novel of the novel of the same name. 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
The Godfather Part III, the third film in the franchise, was released on December 25, 1990. Francis Ford Coppola reprises his role as director for the feature-length film, while also writing the screenplay with the help of the author Mario Puzo. It completes the story of Michael Corleone, a Mafia kingpin who tries to legitimize his criminal empire. The film also weaves into its plot a fictionalized account of real-life events — the 1978 death of Pope John Paul I and the Papal banking scandal of 1981–1982 — and links them with each other and with the affairs of Michael Corleone.
Compilations for video and television
In addition to the three films that were released to theaters, three compilations were created by Coppola and editors Barry Malkin and Walter Murch:
- The Godfather Saga (1977) – a 7-hour television miniseries based on the first two films, and incorporating additional footage that was not included in the theatrical releases.
- The Godfather 1902–1959: The Complete Epic (1981) – a version of The Godfather Saga that was released to video (VHS format).[1]
- The Godfather Trilogy: 1901–1980 (1992) – a 10-hour compilation released directly to video (VHS and LaserDisc formats) in 1992 and 1997. It encompasses all three films, and again incorporates footage that was not included in the theatrical releases, more additional footage than either the Saga or Epic had previously included.
Cast
Reception
Box office performance
| Film | Release date | Revenue | Rank | Budget | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Foreign | Worldwide | All time domestic | All time worldwide | ||||
| The Godfather | March 15, 1972 | $134,966,411 | $110,100,000 | $245,066,411 | #310 #23(A) |
#398 | $6,500,000 | [5] |
| The Godfather Part II | December 20, 1974 | $57,300,000 | $135,700,000 | $193,000,000 | #1,416 | - | $13,000,000 | [6] |
| The Godfather Part III | December 25, 1990 | $66,666,062 | $70,100,000 | $136,766,062 | #947 | - | $54,000,000 | [7] |
| Total | $258932473 | $315900000 | $574832473 | - | - | $73,500,000 | [8] | |
List indicator(s)
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Public and critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series received a positive 89% average rating from critics - 100%, 98%, and 68% respectively, making it one of the highest-rated film series of all-time, along with the Toy Story trilogy (in which the first two films earned a perfect 100%, and the third earned 99%), The Lord of the Rings trilogy (92%, 96%, and 94%), the Dollars trilogy (98%, 93%, 97%), The Dark Knight trilogy (85%, 94%, 87%), and the original Star Wars trilogy (94%, 97%, and 79%). Metacritic, based on its ratings for each film (100%, 71%, 60%), lists the series as receiving "Generally Favorable Reviews" with its 77% average.
The series appears in many "Top 10" film lists, such as the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association's Top 10 Films, IMDb top 250, Time magazine's All-Time 100 Movies, and James Berardinelli's Top 100.[9]
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| The Godfather | 100% (77 reviews)[10] | 100 (14 reviews)[11] |
| The Godfather Part II | 98% (60 reviews)[12] | 71 (7 reviews)[13] |
| The Godfather Part III | 68% (56 reviews)[14] | 60 (19 reviews)[15] |
| Average ratings | 89% | 77 |
Awards and nominations
The three films together were nominated for a total of 29 Academy Awards, of which they won 9. For the Best Supporting Actor award, both the The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Part III had three actors nominated for the award, which is a rare feat. Both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II won the award for Best Picture in their respective years. The Godfather Part II won the most Academy Awards with six to its credit. The Godfather Part III was nominated for seven Oscars, but failed to win any.
- The Godfather — Nominations: 11, Wins: 4
- 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 | |
| Best Actor | Won (Marlon Brando) |
Nominated (Al Pacino) |
|
| Best Art Direction | Won | Nominated | |
| Best Cinematography | Nominated | ||
| Costume Design | Won | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Nominated | Won | Nominated |
| Best Film Editing | Nominated | Nominated | |
| Music (Best Original Score) | Nominated | Won | |
| Music (Best Original Song) | Nominated ("Promise Me You'll Remember") | ||
| Best Picture | Won | Won | Nominated |
| Best Supporting Actor | Nominated (James Caan, Robert Duvall, Al Pacino) |
Won (Robert De Niro)[N 6] |
Nominated (Andy García) |
| Best Supporting Actress | Nominated (Talia Shire) |
||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Won | Won | |
Video games
Three video games have been released to supplement the film series. The releases include: The Godfather, The Godfather: The Game, and The Godfather II.
Notes
- ↑ The character Vito Corleone appears in The Godfather Part II as a younger version than in The Godfather and played by another actor, Robert De Niro.
- ↑ The character Peter Clemenza appears in The Godfather Part II as a younger version than in The Godfather and played by another actor, Bruno Kirby.
- ↑ The character Salvatore Tessio appears in The Godfather Part II as a younger version than in The Godfather and played by another actor, John Aprea. The original actor Abe Vigoda makes a cameo appearance at the end of The Godfather Part II.
- ↑ The character Fredo Corleone played by John Cazale appears in The Godfather Part III during a brief flashblack. Archive footage from The Godfather Part II is used.
- ↑ The character Carmela Corleone appears in The Godfather Part II as an older version played by Morgana King and a younger version in flashbacks played by Francesca De Sapio.
- ↑ The Godfather Part II had three of its actors nominated for the award of Best Supporting Actor at the 47th Academy Awards including Lee Strasberg, Michael V. Gazzo, and winner Robert De Niro.
References
- ↑ Malta, J. Geoff (2006). The Godfather 1902–1959: The Complete Epic.
- ↑ "The Godfather (1972)- Cast & Crew". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved 20 November 2006.
- ↑ "The Godfather, Part II (1974)- Cast & Crew". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved 20 November 2006.
- ↑ "The Godfather, Part III (1990)- Cast & Crew". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved 20 November 2006.
- ↑ "The Godfather (1972)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ↑ "Box office / business for The Godfather: Part II". IMDB. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
- ↑ "The Godfather Part III (1990)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
- ↑ "The Godfather at the Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ↑ James Berardinelli. "Berardinelli's All-Time Top 100". Reelviews. Retrieved 16 March 2007.
- ↑ "The Godfather". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ↑ "The Godfather". Metacritic. CNET Networks. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ↑ "The Godfather II". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ↑ "The Godfather II". Metacritic. CNET Networks. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ↑ "The Godfather III". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ↑ "The Godfather III". Metacritic. CNET Networks. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ↑ "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.
Further reading
AMC TV (2010-11-25). "Ten Things You Didn't Know About the Godfather Trilogy". Free Republic.
