By contrast, The Godfather Part III is a more controversial film. Separated by both time and space from the original two, the third part continues the family history of the Corleones in all its gory details. Relative to its predecessors, critics widely regard Part III as somewhat of a disappointment. 

The Godfather Part III, The Story

The story begins with an older and wiser Michael Corleone, still played by Al Pacino. He now has diabetes and has spent the five years since the end of the last film trying to coax his family out of their life of crime. He sees a future in legitimate business, away from all the violence and immorality of the past. He’s tired of it.

Michael, however, is in a precarious familial predicament. On the one hand, he feels nothing but love for his daughter Mary, played by Sofia Coppola, and wants her to inherit his vast fortune when he dies. And on the other, he has to deal with Sonny’s son Vincent played by Andy Garcia, who appears hellbent on dealing death to all his enemies.

Michael wants to leave the past behind. He wants to move on from the violence and destruction. But the tentacle-like fingers of history are long, and Vincent is a thorn in his side. It presents a conundrum. Will he choose the future represented by his naive and innocent daughter, or will he return to his old ways? Is redemption possible?

Things come to a head when Vincent decides that he is going to marry Mary, and Michael’s planning starts to go wrong. Suddenly, he is in deep, and the future of his daughter is on the line.

Running parallel to this family problem is the story of Michael and the woman he loves, Kay Corleone, played by Diane Keaton. Kay probably does love Michael, but she also knows him too well. While he might be the man of her dreams, he’s also a person who stalks her nightmares too. Her skepticism is a warning for the audience. A leopard doesn’t change its spots.

The Godfather Part III is Different From Part I & II

The Godfather Part III is a very different film from the other two in a  philosophical sense. The story, concocted by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo, is a departure from the traditional gangster setup. Here you have a central figure in the Corleone family questioning whether or not a life of crime is right. Is family worth the suffering and death of so many people? Michael isn’t so sure.

Over time, the evitable force of history catches up with Michael. The old entangled webs of relationships begin to unfurl, and you get the sense that the Corleones are being pushed, inexorably, towards their fate. Once an Italian mafioso, always an Italian mafioso.

Ford Coppolla and Puzo deftly weave the real-life Vatican scandal of the late 1970s into the story, including the untimely death of Pope John Paul I and the money laundering at the Vatican bank. The purpose of these historical interludes isn’t so much to highlight real-world wrongdoing, but point out that even the holiest of people can fall. It is an apt allegory for the life of the fictional Corleones. They might shoot for virtue, but everything in the universe eventually reverts to type.

The Godfather Part III, The Bottom Line

When you stand back and watch Godfather Part III in isolation, a lot of it doesn’t make sense. It appears somewhat disjointed from time to time, thanks to numerous rewritten sections and extensive editing. It is more of a smorgasbord of discrete American gangster movie scenes than a seamless piece of cinematography.

Inevitably, therefore, it relies heavily on the previous two films to fill in the gaps and give it credence. “Anyone watching Godfather Part III for the first time will struggle to make sense of what’s going on. It very much depends on the first two for tying up all the loose ends and character relationships.”

The film, however, remains seductive. For many film buffs, it was a walk down memory lane when released in 1990. The early parts of the film are optimistic. But then, like a giant sucking vortex, the mafia lifestyle returns, draining the morality from the characters. Michael is sad that people have to die. But perhaps not disappointed. 

MOVIE REVIEWS

The Godfather Part II holds an unusual place in the famous trilogy inspired by the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. Indeed, Part II acts as a sequel to the original and allows us to follow the complex path of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino). But the film wouldn’t have gained its iconic status by just being a great sequel. The Godfather Part II also introduces a prequel to the original story and presents a young Vito Corleone (Robert DeNiro), whose choice and path in life serve as a parallel to those of his son, Michael.

The parallelism throughout Part II through the rise and fall of Michael Corleone gives The Godfather Part II its iconic status. It makes no doubt that the Sicilian New York mafia triptych painted by Francis Ford Coppola in the Godfather Part I, Part II, and Part III would have been diminished if it hadn’t explored the story of Vito Corleone, the first Don of the family. 

The Godfather Part II, a Historical Epic

The Godfather Part II takes us through Vito’s rise in 1917, who started the family crime business. A subtle and nuanced Robert DeNiro already reveals parts of Vito’s temperament that we have discovered in the original Godfather, as Marlon Brandon plays an old Vito who is at peace with himself and the gangster world.

At the same time, the screenplay from Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo manages a tour de force in using our knowledge of Vito against his son, Michael. The present time is 1958 and depicts the struggle of Michael Corleone in his role as the new Don. Coppola’s masterful narrative captures the emotional, psychological, and moral fall of Michael as a fantastic Al Pacino gives depth to the challenges that tear him apart.

The Godfather Part II, an Award-Winning Masterpiece

As such, it’s easy to understand why a crime film that paints such a violent gangster decor has won no less than 6 Oscars, including the best supporting actor for Robert DeNiro, best director for Francis Ford Coppola, and best screenplay for Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo. Let’s not forget as well that Al Pacino won the BAFTA award for best actor Michael Corleone. In short, the Godfather Part II is not only an iconic piece of cinematography. It is also one of the most influential gangster films of all time, and one that deserves its spot in the hall of best films. 

Francis Ford Coppola’s Most Brilliant Screenplay

The success of the original Godfather allows Francis Ford Coppola more freedom in the screenplay for the Godfather Part II, which helps to let the story of Michael Corleone unfolds in a narrative that exposes the ties and lives of each character. The once young hero we discovered in the original film, Michael, slowly loses his moral compass as he struggles to fill Vito’s shoes as the new Don. The story unfolds, showing how the young man who tried to stand apart from his family is losing the last shreds of his morality. Michael turns into a ruthless, insecure, paranoid, and feared Don Corleone, which is nothing like the role that Vito played in the family business. 

The Godfather Part II is a Mafia Family’s Emotional Journey

The Godfather Part II takes us through the journey of Michael Corleone and how he becomes an empty shell, using Nino Rota’s musical score to punctuate the emotional masterpiece. At its core, the film puts emotions along with guns, depicting on the one side the family gangster business, and on the other the challenges of one man who can’t follow in the steps of his father.

Rota’s score carefully sways the viewers’ feelings, stirring mournful emotions that we already know we shouldn’t experience for violent gangsters. But the combination of masterful shots, nostalgic scores, and brilliant actors transforms the life of a mafia gang into a family drama that evokes familiar sensations. We understand the difficult task that Michael Corleone has taken. His journey is the journey of every son who attempts to fill in the shoes of their father. It’s a fall into pain, paranoia, and loneliness.

A Paranoid Michael Corleone

We are not surprised when Michael suspects his closest confidant, consigliere Tom Hagen, played by the charismatic Robert Duvall, whose gentle presence acts as a soothing pillar throughout the original and Godfather Part II. A paranoid Michael feels betrayed by his business, his family, and his friends, and the circle around him becomes thinner as the story revolves around him. From the attack on his son’s first communion to his wife Kay (Diane Keaton) leaving him, we follow the once war hero losing his way and himself. 

A Story of a Father and Son

Acting as a parallel, Vito’s violent rise shows a Don who has learned to become sympathetic and wise, while his son is the lonely villain in the family. As the story progresses, we see the light in Michael’s eyes disappear as he fills with self-pity and paranoia. Godfather Part II is a sad film that echoes the child in each one of us; underneath the Mafia code, there’s a little boy still trying to outdo his father. A perfect emotional masterpiece to watch and rewatch endlessly. 

The Godfather Is One Of A Kind

Most film critics would point towards The Godfather as one of the most important films ever made. It was met by global acclaim after its release and is still one of the best-loved movies of any genre to this day. While Coppola has worked on many noteworthy films, such as The Rain People (1969r), Patton (1970, co-writer), The Great Gatsby (1974), and Captain EO (1986), it is the Godfather trilogy – and, in particular, part I – that defies Coppola’s career and shaped the gangster genre on the big screen for decades to come. The film’s cultural significance cannot be emphasized enough.

A Critical, Commercial, and Cultural Phenomenon

Upon its release, The Godfather was an instant classic, winning a plethora of accolades and scooping a then-record five Golden Globes as well as three Academy Awards and one Grammy. Commercially, the film’s box office returns were over 40x the budget spent on making the movie. In addition to widespread applause for direction, storytelling, and cinematography, the film provided some of the biggest roles for huge stars like Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and James Caan.

The film’s immediate appeal has been followed by sustained adulation. A Rotten Tomatoes score of 98% based on over 730,000 user ratings tells a story of its own while a Metascore of 100% landed it a ‘must-see’ badge. The Godfather’s list of accolades and positive reviews is supported further still by the fact that the film has been adapted into video games (decades after its initial release) while the music score, famous quotes, and characters have been emulated, parodied, and celebrated time and time again.

A Story of the Most Famous Fictional Gangster Family

The Godfather, which is adapted from the novel, centers around the fictional Corleone family and is set in the post-WWII New York. While several subplots occur, Vito Corleone (played by Marlon Brando) is stepping down as the mob boss and wants to hand the reins over to son Michael (Al Pacino). 

The performances of the genre’s most famous actors bring Coppola’s vision to life, while the Corleone name is synonymous with the gangster film genre. While the cinematography and editing are ahead of their time, it’s the storytelling that focuses on the themes of family and loyalty as well as crime and violence that truly makes it one of the greatest films of all time.

An Insight into The Godfather

A fascinating story starts, as is the case with many subsequent films in the genre, around a family wedding. Internal conflicts between sons and father threaten to tear the Corleone family apart as the threat of mob war looms large due to underworld activities. The struggle between power and family values is another central theme that, albeit in the same violent context, is something most people can relate to. The humanization and audience empathy is very much a key feature of the movie’s widespread and lasting appeal.

The Godfather: The Bottom Line

Ultimately, there’s not a lot to say about The Godfather that hasn’t already been said. It is a film of epic cultural significance and you’ve almost certainly encountered references to it in pop culture, even if you didn’t realize where they come from. The story of the New York underworld in a post-war era might be fictional, but the gripping narrative and believable characters provide an insight into a world that is fascinating and frightening in equal measures.

The film’s many levels have made it a multigenerational classic that can be rewatched time and time again. Besides, if you ever watch crime and gangster films made in subsequent years, The Godfather’s influence will be noticeable. “Many have tried to emulate The Godfather’s ability to capture an audience, but no other film has surpassed it.”

So, there you go; our insight into the70s classic that is The Godfather. It is truly one of the best things you can do with 177 minutes of your life – although you should be prepared for the fact you’ll probably want to watch The Godfather Part II and Godfather Part III immediately after.

Cocaine Cowboys is Arguably Billy Corben and Rakontur’s Greatest Documentary

Rakontur, the Miami Beach-based media studio, founded by Alfred Spellman and Billy Corben, released Cocaine Cowboys in 2006. “Rakontur” is a French word for one who is skilled in relating stories. The name is appropriate as Rakontur has an impressive body of work.

Corben made his directorial debut in 2001 with the release of Raw Deal: A Question of Consent. Since then, he directed Cocaine Cowboys 2 in 2008, 30 for 30 in 2009, Square Grouper and Limelight in 2011, Broke in 2012, Cocaine Cowboys: Reloaded in 2014, Dawg Fight in 2015, Screwball in 2018, and Magic City Hustle in 2019. In 2020, plans have been announced to release Savage and Cocaine Cowboys: Los Muchachos.

The Reviews Were Good

Cocaine Cowboys went on to be Showtime’s highest-rated documentary. For better or worse, it has become a part of Miami’s history. The film documentary had such a profound effect on pop culture that the term “cocaine cowboys” become synonymous with the Miami drug trade.

Honestly, I was confused by the good (but not great reviews). It seemed that a film documentary that did such a great job of chronicling an important sphere of pop culture could have been received better. The most popular movie review site, IMDB, collected 12,000 user reviews on Cocaine Cowboys resulting in a 7.8 / 10 score.

It didn’t seem right until I checked the reviews of the 1983 film, Scarface, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Al Pacino. It then started to make sense. Scarface, arguably one of the greatest crime dramas ever created, scored 8.3 out of 10 based on close to 700,000 reviews. So it seems Cocaine Cowboys is in good company and scored correctly.

A First-Person Account

Cocaine Cowboys gives us a first-person account of how the drug trade really went down in Miami. We learned how cocaine quickly overtook marijuana as the drug import of choice in the 70s and 80s. We heard how cocaine swept through Miami and the effect it had on the banking and real estate sectors. And we didn’t hear it from actors or through the twisted angle of a biased producer. We watched Jon Roberts, Mickey Munday, Jorge “Rivi” Ayala, and Al Singleton tell their stories. They were hitmen and narco-traffickers that turned government informants on Colombia’s most famous drug kingpins: Pablo Escobar and Griselda Blanco. It was the real thing.

Cocaine Cowboys: The Bottom Line

A film documentary serves its own purpose in cinema and society at large. It is meant to educate, inform and maintain a historical record. Generally, it is not able to compete with traditional movies that celebrate reality and are designed solely for the purpose of entertainment and profit. Once you watch it, you will begin to achieve a greater cinema experience when watching future crime/drama films. You will encourage greater brain connectivity. You will develop a theory of mind that will allow you to attribute mental states to the characters and situations.

The simple fact that Cocaine Cowboys has achieved such popularity or notoriety (take your pick) is a testament to its prominence and place in cinema and documentary film making. I highly recommend Cocaine Cowboys. See it. You won’t regret it.