The Godfather Coppola Restoration [Blu-ray] [1972] [Region Free]

A fantastic boxset where the trilogy is presented in an excellent HD transfer and full of extra. Watching it again I must say that the first film looks now, if not better than the second one, usually considered the real masterpiece of the trilogy, at least at the same level. I'm not saying that the 2nd is not still great (with its double storyline set in the past and the other showing how everything "evolved" and changed since De Niro poor origins, and its intense drama and strong political and social statement about the twisted side of American dream) but the first one is maybe even more consistent and compelling. It still looks closer to classic gangster's stories, but Brando's character and performance really make it so special and the directing style looks different, darker, even more shakespearing (and less political) than the sequel. What makes those two films unique is that, maybe for the first time in cinema history, the sequel actually is a prequel and a sequel at the same time, so you jump back in the past to see how it all started and it draws a parallel line with how the saga unfolds and evolves as Pacino replace Brando. The third chapter is still the weakest and, despite some bold and provocative statement about italian politics, it loses that sense of almost sacred tragedy and the characters become more like those of a common crime film, as the story focuses too much on showing Mafia new connections and business, and on dramatic relationships among new characters that look just more common without being either tragic or realistic. Frankly too long and not so interesting or tragic.

Godfather 1 and 2 are rightly judged to be two of the greatest films ever made - period. The positive reviews are entirely justified. If you have never seen these two films then you are in for a treat. I have given a fair few 5 stars before but the first two godfather films deserve a new classification of 10 stars - such is the sheer class of Coppola and when you watch the behind the scenes films your awe and wonder hit the stratosphere. Amazing Mr Coppola! The commentary is also excellent - the story about recreating the lost shirt in Godfather 2 during the Havana scene when cutting the cake is a personal favourite. The trilogy is a must buy but to be honest Part Three was a let down and fails on many levels - choice of actors for certain parts,forced dialogue searching for grandeur but sounding pretentious,a strange storyline which I felt took Michael's character and other characters in the wrong direction - Andy Garcia is good, Pacino is always awesome but we miss Tom Hagan - shame Duvall dropped out forcing Coppola tgo rewrite, I think that action pretty much ruined the whole film. Part 3 is an ok 3 star film when compared with other mainstream cinematic efforts but compared to the original two films falls woefully short. Nevr mind, the bonus extras and first two films and excellent effort put into this dvd package make this trilogy set a must buy...until they release the next set...and then the next set...and the next set...

A wonderful restoration of this classic film trilogy, overseen by their director, Francis Ford Coppola. I bought this DVD set for my Dad, who loves these movies. In fact, I got my love for them from him. The Godfather is the original classic from 1972, based on Mario Puzo's novel. It tells the story of a New York Mafia family and their personal and gangland dramas over a number of years in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The film is utterly absorbing, a great story made and acted to perfection. The Godfather Part II (1974) is the first sequel, and continues the story of the family while deploying flashbacks to their origins in Sicily and then turn-of-the-century New York (these sequences based on parts of Puzo's novel as well). It's long, complex and gripping - a wonderful sequel. The Godfather Part III came out later, in 1990, and is often considered a weak film in comparison with the other two. Of course it would be difficult to recapture the previous greatness, but Part III is a very good conclusion to the story and has plenty of qualities in its own right. It's touching and tragic and, like the others, beautiful filmmaking.

These (the first two, at least) are some of the greatest films ever made. If you're buying this set, I expect you will have seen them already, and are looking for something to add to your collection. So no need to review the films themselves, Coppola's brilliance is well known. More interesting is how excellent they look on Blu-Ray. There's a definite step up in quality from DVD to Blu-Ray, even when the DVD's are upscaled. The films have supposedly been restored from original negatives, and this is clear to see. Some scenes look like they were shot 4 years ago, rather than 40. However, it's only some scenes. The quality, particularly in the first film, does vary a fair bit between shots, presumably as the condition of the negatives used varied between shots. However, even the slightly iffy scenes are no eyesore, and are reasonably few and far between. The all-new Dolby TrueHD soundtrack is excellent too, and really gives a great sense of atmosphere, despite not being one of those all-singing all-dancing soundtracks. It's all really nicely presented, the box is very sturdy if not exceptionally special. There are also a great number of extras, although I haven't had the chance to go through them yet. A must-have for anyone who has a Blu-Ray player or a fondness for the films.

My son loves these classic gangster films great value for money excellent service

If you don't already own 'The Godfather' box-set on DVD, this Blu-ray edition (which features all three films in individual cases along with a disc of bonus material, housed in a lovely embossed box) is the one to go for. If you do, it is NOT worth parting with your hard earned cash as the improvement in sound and picture quality over standard definition is miniscule. The original 'Godfather' is the most disappointing, with sound that is merely OK and picture quality that varies from passable to poor (The scene where Michael meets Enzo the baker at the hospital has more grain than a corn silo). How Paramount could allow this masterpiece of a film (a strong contender for greatest movie ever) to fall into such a state of disrepair is baffling. Parts II and III look and sound slightly better, but ultimately are about the same as an upscaled DVD. The only real advantage this blu-ray box set has is that the bum-numbingly long 'Godfather Part II' now fits comfortably on one disc as opposed to the 2 dvd's of old, saving you the hassle of having to get up and change discs midway through the film. Whether this alone is enough to warrant purchasing these movies again is questionable. The problems with the negative for the original 'Godfather' are well documented and unless some revolutionary new technology allows for a pristine restoration in the future, this is sadly as good as it's going to get.

`I am in blood stepp'd in so far' Perhaps Michael Corleone might have quoted, `I am in blood stepp'd in so far' (Shakespeare: `Macbeth' 3,iv,135) as he contemplates his fate in the Godfather trilogy as it approaches its full circle. I can never decide whether Part 1 or Part 2 is the greatest crime film ever. Certainly the whole trilogy is so rich it deserves several viewings. Here are some suggestions of things to consider. Is the trilogy a study of how power corrupts or how fear corrodes an individual? To the end Michael insists he did everything to PROTECT his family, but did he? The films display a maelstrom which sucks VIRTUALLY everyone into the world of violent crime - Kay Corleone nee Adams is an exception. Their world becomes a mausoleum imprisoning them from normality. Michael Corleone first appears as an outsider looking in on this world (G1) but by G3 he is a prisoner desperately looking out. In this world ethics and values become distorted: so for Tessio (G1) treachery is just `business'; the murder of mafia boss Don Cicci is a matter of `honour'; individuals are valued for their role in the family and not for their qualities. Most of the characters exist within a bubble of frustration - see the outbursts of Fredo in G2 and of Michael himself in G3. In sum, the trilogy is a study of FAILURE. In all three films the Corleone family is challenged by rival gangsters - Sollozzo (G1), Ola (G2) and Zasa (G3). However, far more dangerous are the hidden manipulators from the outside who threaten to destroy the Corleone family - Barzini (G1), Roth (G2) and Altobello (G3). These use weaker individuals within the Corleone structure to set up the collapse - for example, Carlo and Tessio (G1), Pentangeli and Fredo (G2). Of course, there is also loyalty (unto death!) such as Luca Brasi (G1), Tom Hagen (G1 & G2), Don Tomasino (G2 & G3). Within this world of violence the Corleone family SEEM to go far - contrast Vito's gift of an orange to his wife (G2) with Michael's gift of $500m. to the Catholic Church (G3): but not in all things - contrast the enthusiastic intrusion of a Sicilian folk-song into a party in G1 and Pentangeli's pitiful attempt in G2. The main female characters tend to be overlooked but they are, without exception, tough and resilient. From Vito Andolini's mother who sacrifices her life to save him (G2) to Kay Adams who forces husband, Michael Corleone, to recognise their son is going to be a musician and not a gangster(G3). Vito's wife remains resilient whatever life can throw at her, whereas his sister, Connie, overcomes tearful protests in the first two films to be prepared to wreak havoc on the family enemies in G3. Even Michael's daughter, Mary, summons up enough courage to defy her father over her relationship with her cousin, Vincent. Examine the characters closely. Is Vito Andolini aged 9 really slow-witted as his mother insists (G2) because he grows to be the shrewd Vito (played by de Niro) and the master strategist (played by Brando)? Is Michael the arch-schemer in G1 or the cold-blooded gangster of G2 or the guilt-ridden creature desperate to escape back into `legit' as in G3? Or is he all three - and masterly played by Pacino? Is Fredo really the `runt' of the family, doubting his own legitimacy, scorned by his wife and hating being cocooned by the shadow of a younger brother? Yes he is and John Cazale should be noted for his performance. Note the contrasting gene of uncontrolled violence which passes from Vito Andolini's murdered brother (G2) to Sonny Corleone (G1) and Sonny's bastard child, Vincent Mancini. Consider how the bloody hands of violent interlace with the worlds of politics and religion, feeding off each other and producing rivals in hypocrisy. Contrast the idyll of Sicily in G2 and the murkier undertones revealed in G1, G2 and G3 - and then compare all that with the glitz of Las Vegas and the vitality of Havana with their equally squalid undertones. The films are very violent - and that's ignoring the infamous horse's-head sequence - but for me there is a clear difference. The 1970's productions have a number of close-up, shocking moments - the murder of Brasi is the worst for me - whereas the `highlight' of G3, the machine-gunning of the mobsters' conference, left me quite cold. The masterpiece of this violence is surely the montageof a series of killings with the Michael's promises as godfather to `renounce the works of Satan', Even so, for me, the most telling murder is that of Fredo, in a boat saying his prayers to help with catching fish. In contrast there are several quieter moments, such as the death of Vito Corleone amidst the beans (G1), or happier scenes, such as the wedding opening G1. So what are the weaknesses? The latter two films stray into the arena of REAL events - Cuba in 1959 and the Vatican in 1978 - and get muddled as a result. Some of the plot of G3 is somewhat confusing, especially with the intricacies of Vatican finance. Not all performances are strong - Sofia Coppola (Mary Corleone in G3) has become a particular target, but then her character is very `flat'. And, of course, much of the `shortcomings' will arise from taste - e.g. when does violence become unacceptable? In conclusion, I would recommend you see the films IN ORDER (else you will get lost!) and, preferably with a small gap in between, in order to absorb the undercurrents of the films. I can assure you you'll be in for a treat.

Everyone seems to have reviewed the Steelbook Amazon Exclusive version of this. I actually prefer this version and it is the one I bought. For one thing I feel that cramming all the discs into one small case means that it gets lost on the shelf. A substatntial box means that it has more of a presence up there, and also it's not AS big as the original 2001 release due to the slimline individual cases, which I prefer than having all discs in one case because each story gets its own front image and synopsis on the back. The combination of shiny black outer-box with blood splattering gives a very stylish finish to the collection. My only complaint would be that the box itself is probably the least durable out of the three (ie. this one, the 2001 release and the steelbook), but not if you take good care of it. This is probably my number one film saga. Beautiful, dark, stylish. And not only that but compared to the 2001 release you are provided with the ultimate picture & sound quality and colour giving you the ultimate film-viewing experience. Truly the films could not have been more restored than they are here, and the Supplements Disc goes into detail on how this was achieved. Also Part II is on only one disc, which avoids the need to get up half-way through to switch discs, although it's worth noting that even though it's on one disc the word 'Intermission' appears for a brief moment in between where the the two dics would have to have been swapped. Presumably that's how it was shown in the cinema. People always slate Part III but I think that when taking the three films as an entity it serves it purpose superbly. I love all three, and take them as one story - so trying to single one out is like saying I prefer the beginning or the middle or the end of the story. Parts I and II form the bulk of the Godfather story, and Part III serves as the epilogue. Part I begins with the introductions and then chronicles the end of Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) and the rise of Michael (Al Pacino) as the new Godfather, as well as his transformation from someone who wants nothing to do with his father's business, to being far more ruthless than his father ever was. Part II serves as prequel and sequel showing the beginnings of Vito (Robert De Niro) and how he arrived at the beginning of Part I, as well as Michael at the height of his powers, his continued descent deeper into corruption as he takes the path he began in Part I to its inevitable end. Part III then is all about the guilt, regret and pain Michael feels because of his past sins and the man he became. The 9-hour long epic that is "The Godfather" then culminates in one of the most powerful film endings ever. The ultimate film trilogy and restoration, with 4 hours of special features, provide the ultimate DVD collection.