TFTS Episode XII – The Godfather, Part III

For the fiftieth anniversary of The Godfather, I’m gonna defend what some would call the indefensible: Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Part III, and The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone.

Both movies have their flaws, but I’ll argue how those flaws are hidden assets and that the movies have earned a place alongside their (still superior) predecessors.

YouTube Version

Audio Only Version

Creator Notes

I’ve defended The Godfather, Part III ever since the movie came out in 1990. My argument always hinged on, “Yeah, it’s not as good as the other two Godfather movies, but it’s better than your average movie!”

I finally sat down to break down that argument.

Whether you like the movie or not, I hope I’ve convinced you of its high quality.

I also took the opportunity to plug Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi, which I think suffers from some of the same issues as The Godfather, Part III. Namely, creator intent versus audience expectations.

I hope to swing back to discuss that topic in future episodes.

Wanna give a shoutout to audio commentaries. Writer/ director Francis Ford Coppola’s thoughts on the film were invaluable in shaping my understanding of what happened with Part III.

Also a shoutout to director’s cuts. Often the director does know best, and their vision should be heard.

I mean, I have no intention of watching Zack Snyder’s version of Justice League, but there’s nowhere to go but up in regards to improving that POS.

I mentioned making your creative work say something, to push a theme like the effects of corruption or evil upon society.

You can learn more about that in my episode in “How to be a New Jack writer.” You’ll also get a lot of love for the movie (you guessed it) New Jack City.

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