The Godfather Saga

• Director: Francis Ford Coppola
• AMG Rating:
• Genre: Crime
• Movie Type: Gangster Film, Ensemble Film
• Themes: Fathers and Sons, Rise To Power
• Main Cast: Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, James Caan, John Cazale
• Release Year: 1977
• Country: US
• Run Time: 386 minutes

Plot

Originally screened as a mini-series on the NBC television network, this epic-length feature combines the entirety of The Godfather and The Godfather Part II with 15 minutes of outtakes from the two films, recutting the material into chronological order (clarifying the complex structure of The Godfather Part II, which jumped back and forth between events that occurred before and after the narrative of the first film). The Godfather 1902-1959: The Complete Epic tells the tale of the Corleone Family, from the arrival of Vito Corleone in the U.S. as a boy and his rise to criminal power as a young man (played by Robert DeNiro) to the decline of his empire decades later. While some of the original material was censored for television broadcast, when The Godfather 1902-1959: The Complete Epic was later released on home video, the altered footage was restored to its original content. However, this proved not to be the final and complete document of the Corleone saga, as Francis Ford Coppola added another chapter to the story nine years later with the release of The Godfather Part III. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Review

In the midst of the troubled Apocalypse Now production, Francis Ford Coppola delivered this extended TV version of his Godfather saga. Edited by Barry Malkin, the "Complete Novel for Television" combined The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974) into one chronological story, with Part II's sequences featuring Robert De Niro as young Vito Corleone preceding Part I, followed by Michael Corleone's Part II downfall. Shown over four nights, The Godfather Saga also contained footage missing from theatrical prints, including Vito's revenge on Don Ciccio's henchmen and further explanation of why movie producer Woltz awakes with a horse's head. Despite the films' popularity, the TV saga did not quite live up to ratings expectations; neither Gordon Willis's expressively murky cinematography nor Part II's subtitles translated well to the small screen. While the exquisite acting and period detail remained intact, along with Coppola's incisive examination of family and the mythic American Dream, Part II's critical sting was diminished by the loss of the counterpoint between Vito's rise and Michael's fall. Even so, The Godfather Saga testified to the original films' achievements and confirmed their vital place in American popular culture. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Al Pacino
• Marlon Brando
• Robert De Niro
• Diane Keaton
• Robert Duvall
• James Caan
• John Cazale

Lee Strasberg; Abe Vigoda; Richard S. Castellano; Troy Donahue; Michael Vincente Gazzo; Sterling Hayden; Bruno Kirby; Al Lettieri; John Marley; Alex Rocco; Talia Shire; Joe Spinell; Harry Dean Stanton; Richard Conte; Roger Corman; G.D. Spradlin

Credit

Francis Ford Coppola - Director, Barry Malkin - Editor

Similar Movies

GoodFellas; Once Upon a Time in America; Scarface; Gotti; Lansky

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the godfather saga