Initially intriguing, ultimately disappointing...

Rating: 6/10 (21 May 2003)

I was unsure of what to expect of Godfather III. For me, the last great movie Coppola made was Apocalypse Now. His subsequent works, while as technically flawless as any living director's work today, have lacked importance and impact.
I long ago realized the essentially mythological nature of the Godfather movies, but the first two were at least entertaining and featured great "Coppola" look. (If you want to see something authentic, watch Goodfellas or Casino, or even the Sopranos.) But the Michael Corleone of Godfather III seemed like a different character. He was a lot more like Tony Montana from Scarface than the Michael from Godfather I and II. He had lost his refined, understated manner and gotten gruffer and craggy. Some of this might be attributed to the aging process, but not to this degree.
The idea of a Mafia don occupying a position analogous to royalty or a statesman is ludicrous, but it can make for an entertaining movie. Unfortunately, this does not carry through the entirety of the film. Up until the time Michael and his family travel to Sicily it kept my interest, but during the final, overly long opera scene I simply wished it would end.
There were other problems too, particularly with the film's timing. If we are to believe that this takes place in the time it was actually made, 1990, Michael would have to be about 70 years old (look at the cars, which are all of that time frame). I arrive at this by estimating his age in the Godfather I, which took place around 1945, as 25, meaning he was born around 1920. When he dies, he looks a LOT older than 70, or even 80, yet the movie does not indicate that 10 or 20 years have passed.
Perhaps I'm being a bit too picky, and with most any other director I'd agree. But this is Francis Ford Coppola, one of the best directors living today, so I find it not unreasonable to put his work under the microscope.
We are left with the clear impression that Andy Garcia was being set up as the next don, and I'm sure that there will eventually be a Godfather IV. I can only hope that it's not as disappointing as this I found the third installment to be. As far as Coppola goes, I once had the occasion to communicate with a close associate of his. He claimed that Coppola had been very deeply affected by the death of his son, which would explain a lot. Let us hope that he can find a way to overcome his grief and give us a movie truly representative of his immense talents.....