The Best Film in the Series

Rating: 10/10 (17 September 2004)

"The Godfather, Part III" is clearly the best film in the trilogy, as well as a great and beautiful film on its own. It is brilliant both as a crime drama and a love story. It surpasses the first two films in both acting and directing, with a more interesting and touching story that finally endears Michael Corleone to the audience as a human being haunted by the sins of the past.
Al Pacino is haunting, indeed, as he delivers the best and most Oscar worthy performance of his career since "Scarface." This performance is far greater than anything accomplished by Brando and DeNiro, who both acted well, but failed to reach the audience emotionally. Pacino's portrayal of Michael as a regretful old man conveys so much more depth compared to the young wooden killer that no one could relate to in the first two films. Here, we literally feel his pain and guilt, as well as his desire to reconnect with those whom he loved and lost. (Possible Spoilers Follow).
In the opening, we see a reflective young Michael sitting at the old family residence, as Coppola left him at the end of the second film. We also hear an excerpt of Michael's voice, as an older man, explaining that he did what he felt necessary to protect his family. "What could I do? ... And now I'm losing you. I've lost you anyway. You're gone ... and it was all for nothing. You must understand that I had a completely different destiny planned." When Michael finally delivers these lines to Kay in Sicily so many years later, near the end of the film, we are brought to tears. The scene where Michael makes confession to the Cardinal in the garden is equally powerful and filmed beautifully. The audience comes to love this character in a special way, despite his evil doings in the past and this film had to be made to paint a complete picture of him.
Dianne Keaton, as an older Kay, has more chemistry with Pacino than in the previous films. Robert Duvale is missed, but his absence does not subtract from the story centered around Michael and his children. The side plot involving the Pope is historically significant and interesting in this context, probably explaining why some die hard Catholic fans were not very pleased when the film was released in those days.
Andy Garcia also delivers his career best performance as Vincent and exudes more charisma than Sonny (James Caan)and all the other prominent male characters in the trilogy. Vincent is so unique, as he embodies the most interesting traits of his relatives, including Sonny's temper and playboy appeal, Fredo's warmth and charm, and the calculating intelligence of both Vito and Michael. It is intriguing the way in which Vincent ascends from a hot tempered hood to a wise, calculating man after Michael intructs him to keep his mouth shut and his eyes open. A different epic film could be based on this character alone, with the handsome Garcia playing the role he was born to play.
With a genuine Italian look, Sophia Coppola graces the screen as Michael's daughter, Mary, and the romantic relationship between her and Garcia is moving. Casting a mega-star as Mary would have ruined this film and it is a shame that Sophia, who came across naturally, decided not to take on other acting roles.
Finally, the climax at the opera house in the last half hour stands out as the most suspenseful and brilliantly filmed sequence ever made. This film is literally beautiful from the first frame to the last and deserves the highest praise it was denied when first released, under the shadow of the other two films so many years prior. However, a modern classic in its own right that makes films like "Goodfellas" and "Casino" look like cheap, ridiculous B pictures, "The Godfather, Part III" provides fulfilling closure to the trilogy while it leaves you wanting more. Its lone broadcast on AMC is vindication that its place has been reevaluated over time and that the first two films were made to precede this amazing final entry, in which Al Pacino and Francis Coppola are at their absolute best.