The Godfather (Part Three)

Yesterday, as Storm Eunice made going out so dangerous, I stayed in and – seeking a film to watch – chanced upon The Godfather Part Three.

It’s reckoned to be the weakest of the trilogy.

Whereas the original Godfather spawned a litany of mafia films and series – notably Goodfellas and the Sopranos – and some fine Italian American actors began replacing beefcake screen idols like Burt Lancaster, Cart Grant, Gregory Peck, I can think of no legacy of Part Three.

It had a strong cast of Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Andy Garcia as Sonny Corleone’s son Vincente, Raf Valone as Cardinal Lombardo and Eli Wallach as Don Altobello, but it proved a fractious production.

Al Pacino was not satisfied with his $5m dollar fee as he wanted $7m and a share of the box office. He had also been in a relationship with Diane Keaton.

Robert Duvall was so dissatisfied with his $1m fee for reprising Tom Hagen that he was written out, though Hagen’s son appeared as a priest.

Winona Ryder was originally cast as the daughter of Sonny Corleone but that role went to Sofia Coppola who went on to achieve better success as a director.

The story is that Michael Corleone – now in his 60s – is seeking to legitimise his business by acquiring Immobiliare, a Vatican business.

His search for a successor in his family is hampered by his murder of his brother Fredo.  It moves at a pedestrian pace with the familiar Godfather set pieces of an extravagant party and extreme violence.