Film & TV The Godfather Chronological Saga

[Casey]

Just downloaded this. It's gonna be EPIC. 4 discs, 9 and a half hours long.

Basically, it's all three Godfather movies, but edited chronologically plot-wise, and with an hour of previously unused scenes.

So, it starts with the young Vito Andolini in Sicily seeing his father killed, moving to New York and becoming Don Vito Corleone (which, in the theatrical releases was half of "The Godfather Part II"), then transitioning into the plotline of the first movie, starting at Connie Corleone's wedding to Carlo Rizzo, where Amerigo Bonasera asks Vito to help him get revenge against the guys that attacked his daughter.

Then of course, Vito gets shot, Luca Brasi gets killed, and Michael kills Sollozzo and the the police officer and going into hiding in Sicily. Then it transitions to the storyline from "Godfather Part II" with Michael in Sicily, marrying Apollonia, her getting killed, etc. It transitions back and forth between what's happening in Sicily, and what's happening at the same time in New York - ie, Sonny getting killed, the meeting of the Five Families where they call a truce in order for Michael to be able to return to New York. (which is originally in the first movie). Then Michael comes back, takes over the family and begins the move into Vegas, and you get the scene from the end of the first movie where he takes out all of the enemies and traitors. Anyway, you get the picture.

Obviously, this version is only for the hardest of the hardcore fans like myself, but I can't wait to find some time where I can sit down and watch it all.

As someone who read the book first, I always found the sequencing of the movies a little unnerving. Obviously, they're still among my favorite movies, but with prior knowledge of the entire chronological sequence of events, it felt strange to me, they way the movies told the story in a non-chronological order. The book isn't in chronological order either, but it is more so than the way the original theatrical edits are.

 

[Kobe]

I've watched the trilogy, liked the first one. I think I'll read the book first before I venture into this 9hr edition.

 

[Preach]

sounds like something i might check out some time lol. i like the idea of watching it but i too have trouble finding time ;(

 

[Shadows]

I never knew the movies weren't in chronological order.

Someone told me only one and two are good. the 3rd one sux. and a lot of people confirmed it on facebook, so i didn't even bother watching any of them.

 

[Casey]

The third is a great movie. It only sucks in comparison to the first two, because they set such a high bar.

 

[Pittsey]

- Enters Thread

- Reads that some people have never seen the godfather

- Exits thread in disgust

 

[Ristol]

- Enters Thread

- Reads that some people have never seen the godfather

- Exits thread in disgust

Fuckin' A.

 

[Pittsey]

I think 1 and 2 were already re-edited in chronological order, and with some extra footage back in the 70s. I think I may even have seen it when I was a teenager.

 

[Casey]

I think 1 and 2 were already re-edited in chronological order, and with some extra footage back in the 70s. I think I may even have seen it when I was a teenager.

Yep. That's the basis for this version. Basically Francis Ford Coppolla did it that way as a TV series, in order to raise money for Apocalypse Now. However, while this version had extra scenes, there was also some things that were removed. And of course, all this preceded the third movie.

So this is basically the ultimate version, chronologically edited, additional scenes, nothing removed, and inclusive of all three movies.

INTENTION:
To re-create The Godfather Chronological Saga using all available footage with the Widescreen Restoration Versions + Deleted Scenes + LaserDisc.

EDITING DETAILS:
Clocking in at 9 hrs and 43 minutes, The Chronological Edit of Francis Ford Coppola’s classic films has finally been restored in Widescreen 16×9 DVD’s.

In 1977, while trying to secure funds for APOCALYPSE NOW, Francis Ford Coppola convinced the NBC TV Network to run a new version of THE GODFATHER and THE GODFATHER PART II edited together into a chronological order called THE GODFATHER SAGA – A NOVEL FOR TELEVISION (434 minutes). To expand the length over four nights, Coppola added over 75 minutes of new scenes into the film, including several outtakes used for additional opening/ending title sequences. Due to television restrictions at the time, many scenes of violence and language were censored.

A shorter version of THE GODFATHER SAGA (386 minutes) was released on VHS tape in 1982. After the release of THE GODFATHER PART III, Coppola and editors Barry Malkin and Walter Murch constructed a new chronological edit called THE GODFATHER TRILOGY 1901-1980 (583 minutes). This version was released to VHS and LaserDisc in 1992 and is out-of-print. While many new scenes appeared in this version, several from the TV SAGA were still not included.

This Chronological Epic remains a “fanedit” due to the addition of Deleted Scenes not in the 1992 LaserDisc cut, new title cards and date title cards between the films, the inclusion of the Alternate Opening for Godfather Part III and a new Alternate Ending Montage.

This is intended to be longest and most complete chronological version of the Saga.

CUTLIST:

–Added new title card at beginning: “The Godfather Part I”
–Added new Date Title Cards as the story progress through the years.
–Added Kay praying and lighting the candles and at end of Part I
and dissolved to Michael having his hand kissed in Part II.
–Created new musical interludes between each film.
–Added new Title Card: “The Godfather Part II”
–Used the Alternate Opening for Godfather Part III
–All Deleted Scenes from the DVD Collection were used.
–Several shots from the LaserDisc version were used.
–Added new memory montage at the end that shows each Corleone family
member with their name + birth/death date and scored using “Coda” from The Godfather Part III soundtrack (replacing “Cavalleria Rusticana”)
–Added title card at end: “MICHAEL CORLEONE 1920-1997?
–Added new title card at end: The Godfather The Chronological Epic 1901-1980
–Added a mixture of End Titles from all three films.

Additional Comments:
–A BIG THANKS to FanFiltration and the remarkable 5 DVD LaserDisc rip with Deleted Scenes added. After watching that version, I decided to tackle a Widescreen Restored Version, since the quality of the recent DVD set is superior to the LaserDisc versions.

–Since all Deleted Scenes are presented in FULL FRAME 1.33, they have been sized to match the Widescreen 1.85 aspect ratio, adding black bars to the sides of the picture.

–To keep from abruptly cutting from Part I to Part II to Part III, a musical interlude against a black screen was added between each film, with a Title Card presenting each new chapter.

–In the TV SAGA version, Coppola incorporated deleted scenes shot for THE GODFATHER of Kay praying for Michael and lighting candles in church. However, instead of placing the scene after the evens of the first film (as in the novel, where the scene takes place), Coppola instead placed the scene at the end of PART II, running the end credits over the scene. Some Godfather fans had issues with Kay praying for Michael after the events in PART II, with the footage clearly of a younger Kay. In order to maintain the chronological edit of events, this scene has be re-placed at the end of PART I, after a short music interlude over black screen.

–Since this edit is intended to be a chronological edit, the Alternate Opening Sequence for Godfather Part III was used. Coppola had intended to open the film on the business deal with Michael and the Archbishop (notice the same zoom out shot used from Part I), but later was convinced by editor Walter Murch to open the film on family instead of business. The scene was moved to 30 minutes later in the film. By moving the scene back to the beginning, the scenes that follow with the Archbishop giving Michael the award and the behavior at the party celebrations play very differently.

–Since the quality of the Alternate Opening for Godfather Part III is in a rough workprint quality, only the first part of the Alternate Opening shot was used, then it cuts directly to the rest of the restored scene and plays as normal.

–In Godfather Part III, a dissolve was added on the flashback to Michael watching Fredo’s death back to Michael receiving the award.

–About the new Alternate Ending Montage: At the end of Part III, we see a flashback montage of Michael dancing with the 3 women in his life, set to the music of “Cavalleria Rusticana” (also famous from “Raging Bull”). For Part III as a stand-alone film, this was fine, but it also seemed like a choice made out of not wanting to pay actors to re-use their images in Part III (Brando, DeNiro, Duvall, Caan). When viewing the entire Saga, at the end, it seemed appropriate to include images from members of the family who had died. A new Michael Memory Montage was created at the end that shows images of each Corleone family member (Vito, Sonny, Tom, Fredo) with their name + birth/death date and scored using “Coda” from The Godfather Part III soundtrack (replacing “Cavalleria Rusticana”). When the montage dissolves to old Michael sitting in the chair, the images of him dancing with Mary, Appolonia and Kay are seen. Then as Michael dies alone, a final title card is presented “MICHAEL CORLEONE 1920-1997? to inform the audience when Michael died and keeping with the visual theme of showing the dates the events took place.

 

[DarkPhantom13]

I've been waiting for this version of the movie to come out on DVD or Bluray for soooo long it's not even funny. I own the vhs version of thise set but shit i want it on bluray or at least dvd. I enjoy how they added the extra scenes that were originally deleted like the scene that was deleted in Godfather 2 where the mob boss gets attacked by the kids and they stab him and Robert DeNiro just watches from a distance giving him the idea that if these kids dont have to be afraid of this "mob boss" then he doesn't either. Great scene which i dont understand why it was deleted to begin with. Maybe one day they soon they will release this in at least dvd format but until then all i can do is watch my crappy vhs copies...

 

[ArtsyGirl]

I liked all 3 movies. The book was great.

 

[Cooper]

I liked all 3 movies. The book was great.

This

I think an old VHS version had them chronological but without all the cool extra stuff.

....

Ok just read what Casey posted.

 

[roaches]

anyone ever read the sicilian? as long as hollywood's being unoriginal, they should shoot a flick based off of that..

 

[Ristol]

I don't know if I'm alone in this, but the movies were much, much better than the book. Mario Puzo is a dogshit writer. I mean this from the bottom of my heart.

 

[ArtsyGirl]

I disagree. It was an easy read. And I love books because you get so much more information from them than movies.

 

[S O F I]

I read an excerpt from The Godfather for a political science class. I forget what the relation was.

Yeah, that's all I have to add in this thread.

 

[Casey]

anyone ever read the sicilian? as long as hollywood's being unoriginal, they should shoot a flick based off of that..

Yes, and I love it. And they already did, starring Christopher Lambert. But, it wasn't anything amazing. Although I do like it. And they had to cut out the bits with Michael cos a different studio owned the rights. Hopefully they'll make another version soon.

 

[Casey]

I don't know if I'm alone in this, but the movies were much, much better than the book. Mario Puzo is a dogshit writer. I mean this from the bottom of my heart.

You are alone. The book is amazing and Puzo is a literary genius. Not just for that, but for The Sicilan, The Last Don, Omerta, Fools Die.... all incredible books.

 

[Ristol]

Not quite alone, if the author's opinion counts.

Mario Puzo thought he was slumming when he wrote "The Godfather." He was broke, an aspiring literary novelist with some respectful reviews but not many sales, and he hoped that a thriller about the mob might make a quick buck. The immediate and enduring success of the novel, which came out in 1969, amazed but also embarrassed him a little. He told Larry King years later, "I always wish I'd written it better." -NYT

All I'm saying is I enjoy the Godfather movies because they don't make me suffer through Puzo's prose. He was a pop fiction writer, not any kind of literary master.

 

[Casey]

Everybody fucking says that. Nobody can be objective about their own work. Especially early stuff. I'm pretty sure I saw Nas say he thought he could do Illmatic better. Prince would definitely say he could have done "Dirty Mind" better. MJ would say he could do "Off The Wall" better and a LOT of cats prefer that album to "Thriller" where he really went full force trying to make a perfect pop album (which was reflected in it being the biggest selling album of all time).

"The Godfather" is one of the greatest written books of all time. One of the few I could literally read over and over and over again. I'll take it over the vast majority of Shakespeare, "War and Peace", or most of the bullshit that people consider to be literary genius.