It would be incredibly difficult to talk about The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration without mentioning the picture quality. I'm always nervous when older movies are transferred to Blu-ray, and I was particularly uneasy with The Godfather. The quality of the 2001 DVD release was underwhelming, so there was no telling what the Blu-ray would look like. Many of my questions were answered with the extra "Emulsional Rescue," which goes over the extensive restoration process all three films went through. Even if you typically aren't into these sorts of features, the process is amazing.
The only complaint most fans will have about the restoration is that it is a bit bright when compared to the originals. All three are a little more contrasty, which does help make things stand out a little more. However, if you're looking for razor-sharp lines, you won't see them here. An effort has also been made to hold onto the vintage look of the originals. A variety of filters are used to soften the images, while colors are muted and retain more of a sepia tone.
Getting to the actual movies, The Godfather trilogy follows the rise and fall of the Corleone crime family, in particular Michael (Al Pacino). When the saga opens, Michael is just returning to the United States after the war and has rejoined his family, which at the time is led by Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando). Despite his best efforts to stay out of the family business, his brother, Sonny (James Caan) and Vito's lawyer, Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) are able to coax Michael into their war with a rival crime family after an attempt on the Don's life.
Although he wanted no part of it, the reigns to the Corleone Empire are eventually passed to Michael, who begins to investigate dealings into casinos and deals with Cuba. The interesting narrative twist to the second movie is that it also serves as a prequel. Michael's dealings are intercut with the life of a younger Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) and his rise to power. The narrative structure is difficult to follow early on, though once both stories and their respective characters are set, they begin to complement each other nicely.
The final installment, and probably the weakest, finds an aging Don Michael Corleone attempting to legitimize his family's interests and exit the criminal world. Once again, Michael is pulled back in when Joey Zasa (Joe Mantegna), who is now in charge of what is left of the Corleone criminal empire, begins a feud with Vincent Mancini (Andy Garcia), Sonny's illegitimate son. One of the best things about the trilogy is its consistency, not just when it comes to plot elements, but in its overall message. While violence plays a major role throughout the film, it isn't the main point. Instead, violence is the trilogy's ultimate villain, showing that nothing good ever comes from it.
All three movies feature commentary from Francis Ford Coppola. The commentary is incredibly informative and, like many of the collection's other elements, a step above the rest. Coppola has a nice, authoritative tone but it never feels like he's talking down to the viewer. Rather than provide play-by-play, he instead focuses on everything from the trilogy's mythology to stories from the set.
A fourth supplemental disc features at least another movie's worth of extras. Most are ported over from the 2001 release, though there are several new entries as well. "Godfather World" details how the film has influenced American culture while "Riffing on the Riffing" shows a man imitating scenes from the movie. "Cannoli" is Coppola talking about the famous pastry and "Clemenza" is a reading from the book "How to Really Watch The Godfather".
Some of the more informative extras are "The Masterpiece that Almost Wasn't" and "When the Shooting Stopped". The first features interviews with several well-known Hollywood figures like John Turturro, Steven Spielberg, Alec Baldwin and Trey Parker discussing the film's impact. The second looks at the rift that developed between Coppola and the studio.
A few of the extras feature actors talking about the film from the red carpet while another includes speeches from cast and crew who won Academy Awards for their work on the film. As if that isn't enough, you also have the behind-the-scenes "Inside Look" and "Francis Coppola's Notebook". Another focuses on the series' music.
Finally, you can overdose on Godfather lore with "Connie and Carlo's Wedding Album", which is exactly what it sounds like, an interactive "Corleone Family Tree" and a "Crime Organization Chart". Aspiring filmmakers can also explore a series of storyboards from the final two movies or hear Puzo and Coppola's thoughts on writing screenplays.
If you haven't picked up on it already, if any picture was taken, scene was shot or sentence uttered about The Godfather, it is likely included in some way, shape or form - and it is all worth a watch.
In short, Godfather: The Coppola Restoration is the definitive version of the series and deserves a spot in your Blu-ray collection, even if you already own the 2001 DVD release.
