Review: The Godfather, Coda: “The Death of Michael Corleone”

“The Godfather: Part III” was released on 25th December 1990, as the last movie of the “Godfather” saga. Celebrating it’s 30th anniversary, Francis Ford Coppola unfolds a new version of the movie as Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: “The Death of Michael Corleone” which is mentioned as the original version of the movie.

It is obvious that “Coda” is more satisfying than the “Part III” which is also helps in healing the broken hearts of the Godfather fans with the “Part III”.

I love Coda, starting from the first scene. Instead of the flashback of abandoned Corleone house and the clip from “The Godfather: Part II” where Michael’s brother, Fredo getting killed at the lake, Coppola starts the movie straight from the Vatican business with Immobiliare. That technique reminded me of the movie’s famous quote “It’s not personal. It’s only business”. The flashbacks of the previous version emphasized a great fall of the Corleone empire but the Vatican business shows the strength has not left the family.

It is revealed that some scenes of “Coda” remind us the memories from “The Godfather” which I appreciate as a successful use of scenes to denote the end of the saga. The celebration of Michael, receiving the Order of Saint Sebastian honor takes us back to Connie’s wedding, presenting a festive mood to the audience within the first 30 minutes of the movie.

Coppola has removed some scenes such as the church scene and the meeting of Michael and Don Antobello at the hospital. Eventually, he has trimmed some scenes and also added short clips which support to fill the time frame of the movie as well as a decent look to it.

The considerable change of the movie that I noted is trimming the death scene of Michael at Don Tommasino’s villa. Instead of his fall from the chair, Coppola fades Michael into a frame that says

“When Sicilians wish you “Cent’anni” … it means “for long life””.

It is crystal clear that though the movie title says “The Death of Michael Corleone”, it is not about Michael’s physical death but about his emotional death.

Michael did all these businesses for his family. Thus, the things he lost are also his family. Since “The Godfather” to “Coda”, Michael is losing the people whom he considers as the most precious to his life. All the sins he commits, is meant to be greatness in their lives.

Among all the moments, the most excruciating lost in Michael’s life is the death of his daughter. The silent scream of Michael on the steps outside the theater is successful enough to tear your heart out from your chest. It creates this heart-wrenching scene as she dies with a bullet in her chest which had Michael’s name carved on it. According to the new wrap-up of the movie, Michael is going to live a long life, grieving and suffering. He is alone and everyone has either betrayed him, left him or died because of his actions. It is worse than death because he never wanted this type life.

It is interesting that with the restoration of “The Godfather: Part III” as “The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone”, Francis Coppola does a worthy change to conclude the epic “Godfather” saga with a great success.

• GS Kariyapperuma