The Godfather: Part III (1990)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Francis Ford Coppola

Writers (WGA):

Mario Puzo (written by) &
Francis Ford Coppola (written by)

Release Date:

25 December 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

All the power on earth can't change destiny.

Plot:

In the midst of trying to legitimize his business dealings in 1979 New York and Italy, aging mafia don Michael Corleone seeks to vow for his sins while taking a young protégé under his wing.

Plot Keywords:

Mafia | Mafia Don | Gangster | Vatican | Epic

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Al Pacino	...	Don Michael Corleone
Diane Keaton	...	Kay Adams Michelson
Talia Shire	...	Connie Corleone Rizzi
Andy Garcia	...	Vincent Mancini
Eli Wallach	...	Don Altobello
Joe Mantegna	...	Joey Zasa
George Hamilton	...	B.J. Harrison
Bridget Fonda	...	Grace Hamilton
Sofia Coppola	...	Mary Corleone
Raf Vallone	...	Cardinal Lamberto
Franc D'Ambrosio	...	Anthony Vito Corleone
Donal Donnelly	...	Archbishop Gilday
Richard Bright	...	Al Neri
Helmut Berger	...	Frederick Keinszig
Don Novello	...	Dominic Abbandando

Also Known As:

Mario Puzo's The Godfather: Part III (USA) (complete title)
The Death of Michael Corleone (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

162 min | USA:169 min (video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian | German | Latin

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:16 | Canada:14A | USA:R (certificate #30195) | Brazil:14 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Portugal:M/12 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Israel:PG | Japan:PG-12 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Singapore:PG | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Poland:15

Filming Locations:

Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The first of only two trilogies to have all three films nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.

Goofs:

Factual errors: There are numerous errors in the use of Latin by priests in the film. In the scene in St Patrick's where Michael Corleone is honored by the Church, the presiding clergyman pronounces the Latin word et ("and") as "ay", rhyming with "day", as if it were French. It is in fact pronounced like it's spelled, to rhyme with "wet" and "pet." Later when Cardinal Lamberto (later Pope John Paul) absolves Michael Corleone, he ends with the standard "in the name of the Father," etc., in Latin. But he wraps it up saying "et Spiritus Sanctus." The correct Latin is "et Spiritus Sancti." But Spiritus is not a nominative, it's the genitive (possessive) singular of a fourth declension noun, and the correct form of the adjective is Sancti. Of course these very mistakes won't be noticed by many viewers, but they will be noticed by anybody who took first year Latin and/or had any training in the Church.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Michael Corleone: [voiceover] My dear children: It is now better than several years since I moved to New York, and I haven't seen you as much as I would like to. I hope you will come to the ceremony of papal honors given for my charitable work. The only wealth in this world is children; more than all the money, power on earth, you are my treasure.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: The Best of Adam Sandler (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

SANTA ROSALIA

Underrated

Godfather III is generally underrated because because it is more intellectual, subtle, and psychological than the first two. There's lots more Italian language, operatic venues, references to subtleties like the P2 masonic lodge, and there is the inner revelation of Michael Corleone's soul. Pacino should have won an Oscar for his performance. The movie would be a good staging point for a Godfather IV, with "Vincenzo Corleone" and Connie Corleone running things, while developing further the relationship between Michael, and his wife and son.