The Godfather Trilogy 4k Ultra HD

“For the first time in one collection, this is the essential, definitive saga of the Corleone family, overseen by director Francis Ford Coppola and based on the best-selling novel by Mario Puzo. A global cultural touchstone captivating fans across generations, the enduring cinematic legacy of The Godfather has immeasurably influenced popular culture, and rightfully earned its legacy as one of the greatest in the history of motion pictures. Remastered and restored in 4k UHD with HDR-10 and Dolby Vision, this collection includes Academy Award winners for Best Picture The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, alongside the acclaimed conclusion Mario Puzo’s The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. Bonus discs include both the Theatrical and 1991 Cuts of The Godfather Part III, as well as a special features Blu-ray featuring new and legacy content.”

The 50^th anniversary of The Godfather is celebrated by this incredible set from Paramount in stunning 4k, with two different choices, the 5-Disc Trilogy Set, or the Limited Collector’s Edition. You can’t go wrong with either one, and we’ll get into the specifics of the set and the technical specs of the sets below!

The Godfather

Often regarded as one of the best American films of all time, The Godfather was a throwback to the Hollywood of the past, certainly something that could not be attained in today’s climate. Mafia films and television shows have always been popular, and it has always been interesting to me as to why. These aren’t good people you root for. They plot and murder for the benefit of their family, but deep down it’s something we can either all agree on, or perhaps something we want to attain in our own lives: the importance of family above all else.

The Godfather is masterfully crafted in every single aspect. The direction by Francis Ford Coppola, the writing collaboration between himself and Mario Puzo, and the superb theme that may be one of the most iconic themes in film history. Countless people much more qualified than myself have written volumes on the film, its successes, and its failures, so you don’t need me to convince you of how good it is.

Video

The Godfather is presented in 2160p 4k Ultra High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1 featuring HDR-10 and Dolby Vision. While the utterly spectacular look of the film will speak for itself when seen, rest assured, this film has gone through a painstaking process to ensure the best possible outcome for this new set. Paramount lists on their press release the following relating to the restoration process:

• Over 300 cartons of film were scrutinized to find the best possible resolution for every frame of all three films.
• Over 4,000 hours were spent repairing film stains, tears, and other anomalies in the negatives.
• Over 1,000 hours were spent on rigorous color correction to ensure the high dynamic range tools were respectful of the original vision of Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis.
• All work was overseen by Coppola.

In short, this film looks probably the best it ever has. One problem that can arise from the upscale conversion process to 4k is the overutilization of DNR to reduce film grain, causing more issues than it solves. Film grain is preserved here, will be more noticeable in the darker sequences, most notably when Michael is guarding his father at the hospital. The daylight sequences in particular are stunningly clear, detailed, filled with the most vibrant colors possible.

Audio

The audio is presented in both a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD lossless track, as well as a restored Mono track. Paramount has this to say about the audio in their press release:

• In addition to the 5.1 audio approved by Walter Murch in 2007, the original mono tracks on The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II have been restored.

For purists wanting to experience the film in its original way, this is a great addition by Paramount to give that option. The 5.1 track is identical to the Blu-ray release, so there isn’t anything new here. It’s a very good track, very robust in certain sequences, namely anything with gunfire. Dialogue is clear and concise from the center channel, and the score is given ample room to swell with the scene.

The Godfather: Part II

The sequel, often considered one of the best sequels ever made, continues the story of the Corleone family and follows two generations: Michael as he navigates a treacherous world of danger and double-crosses, and the origin story of his father, Vito Corleone, as he immigrates to America and builds an empire, in one of the best casting choices possible with Robert De Niro playing a young Marlon Brando.

Although you see Michael’s transformation into the leader the family needs him to be, in this film, he begins a path down a much darker road, a road that he never recovers from. That theme of family is still ever prevalent, but gets somewhat blinded by greed and power, with everyone around Michael suffering because of it. The longest of the three films, if you look at the trilogy as a three-act structure, this definitely has the meat of the story behind it, with everything that irrevocably changes Michael and the Corleone family.

Video

The Godfather: Part II is presented in 2160p 4k Ultra High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1 featuring HDR-10 and Dolby Vision. There isn’t much more to say about this film than there was from the first. The same painstakingly long process was undertaken to ensure the film looked the best it ever has. Film grain is consistent throughout, with stunningly bright and detailed sequences, and rich, vibrant colors.

Audio

Again, as with the first film, the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless track from the Blu-ray release is included, as well as the restored Mono track. However you would like to listen to this film, you won’t be disappointed.

The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone

This new re-cut version of the film was released a few short months ago on Blu-ray. For those not familiar with it, I’m posting my complete review for that film below to know what to expect, and to help choose which version of the third film you want to watch, as there are three of them.

“Celebrating the 30^th Anniversary of The Godfather: Part III, director/screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola brings a definitive new edit and restoration of the final film in his epic Godfather trilogy – Mario Puzzo’s The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone.

Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), now in his 60s, seeks to free his family from crime and find a suitable successor to his empire. That successor could be fiery Vincent (Andy Garcia)…but he may also be the spark that turns Michael’s hope of business legitimacy into an inferno of mob violence. The film’s meticulously restored picture and sound, under the supervision of American Zoetrope and Paramount Pictures, includes a new beginning and ending, as well as changes to scenes, shots, and music cues. The resulting project reflects author Mario Puzo and Coppola’s original intentions of The Godfather: Part III, and delivers, in the words of Coppola, “a more appropriate conclusion to The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II.””

When I heard about this re-release from Francis Ford Coppola, I couldn’t help but think back to Apocalypse Now Redux. In his attempt to re-edit the film, Coppola added an entirely new subplot, around 50 minutes of additional scenes, severely altering the pacing of the film, essentially slowing it to a halt. He’s since released a ‘Final Cut’ that has fixed these issues, but I couldn’t help but be wary of further editing may do. I always found the harsh criticism of The Godfather: Part III to be a bit unfair. The story was a bit hard to follow at times, but the overall themes of the film: regret, loss, etc, still was able to shine through even in the film’s darkest moments. Although it is by far the weakest of the three, I admit that I was curious to see what changes were made, which gave me renewed interest in going back and revisiting the final film to his epic trilogy.

The new title of the film, The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, was always intended to be the original title according to Coppola. This wasn’t intended to be the finale of the story by any means, but an addition to it, as the Coda in the title suggests. The most notable changes are going to come from the beginning and ending of the film. It had been a while since I’ve seen the original cut, but will never forget the final moments and the significance of the oranges throughout the film.

One of the biggest problems with the original edit of the third film was the hard to follow plot line of the Catholic Church and the Immobiliare company that Michael was seeking to gain control of. The new beginning of the film paints this a bit clearer, as a scene that was originally midway through the film is now repositioned as the opener: a plea for help by the Church to Corleone, mirroring the other films. The price of that help? Controlling interest in the company, which would set out to legitimize Michael’s business and make him one of the richest men in the world. This puts this part of the story at the forefront and more clear to be the ultimate objective of everything the film revolves around, something the original cut had trouble doing. Other scenes have been shifted around, certain ones cut for faster pacing, overall adding quite a lot to the film tonally. We see Michael’s arc much more clearly than before, his desire to legitimize his family business, getting pulled back in reluctantly, admitting to past horrors, an almost reconciliation with Kay, all leading up to the tragic conclusion. As much as I enjoy Sofia Coppola as a filmmaker, her uneven performance as Mary Corleone and her relationship with Vincent was a bit distracting in the original, this has been trimmed quite a bit as well, enhancing the story further.

It’s very rare that filmmakers have the opportunity to go back and change something for the better, and even rarer that the audience will get behind those changes. The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone is a marked improvement over the original, with the best part being that it’s only subtle changes you may not even notice if you haven’t seen the film recently. This is definitely worth checking out to see the differences for yourself, and perhaps give it another chance if you didn’t enjoy it the first go-around.

Video

The video is presented in 2160p 4k Ultra High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1 featuring HDR-10 and Dolby Vision. This new transfer looks great. The picture is very clear and detailed. Grain is kept at a good level, with some of the colors of Sicily coming through nicely. It’s clear, just as the first two films, a lot of work went in to making this look as good as possible.

Audio

The audio is presented in a new Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track. The levels on this track sound excellent, and you’ll hear some very robust sound coming from sequences such as the Opera scene, or many of the Church scenes in which hymns can be heard echoing throughout the surrounds. Dialogue is clear and concise, heard naturally through the center channel. The soundtrack sounds just as good, with that Godfather score that is instantly recognizable from the other two.

Bonus Discs and Special Features

With the lower end set of the two, The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II, and The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone all come in separate digipack cases, which are cardboard openers with a plastic disc holder inside. The fourth sleeve contains the Bonus Discs, which is a 4k Disc containing the Theatrical and 1991 Cut of The Godfather: Part III. This in itself is great news, including every cut that has been released, giving the viewers the choice to watch which one they prefer. This sleeve also contains a Blu-ray disc full of new and legacy extras, of which I’ll list below:

New Bonus Content:

• Introduction to The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola
• Full Circle: Preserving The Godfather – Paramount Pictures archivists detail the incredible restoration process with archival footage showing the evolution of the film through various home entertainment incarnations as picture and audio technologies make quantum leaps over the decades.
• Capturing the Corleones: Through the Lens of Photographer Steve Schapiro – In this reflective and frank discussion, special photographer Steve Schapiro shares his unique perspective and cherished memories as a witness to the making of this seminal film. Commentary on curated archival images makes for a fascinating, never-before-seen addition to the production’s history.
• The Godfather: Home Movies – An assortment of 8mm home movie footage shot in 1971 offers a candid glimpse into the production of The Godfather. Shot on location at the Norton family estate on Staten Island’s Emerson Hill, this is the first time it’s been made available to the public.
• Restoration Comparisons – Before and after highlights showcase extensive picture quality improvements to The Godfather.

Legacy Bonus Content:

• The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t
• Godfather World
• Emulsional Rescue – Revealing The Godfather
• …When the Shooting Stopped
• The Godfather on the Red Carpet
• Four Short Films on The Godfather
  • The Godfather The Godfather: Part II
  • Cannoli
  • Riffing on the Riffing
  • Clemenza
• The Family Tree
• Crime Organization Chart
• Connie and Carlo’s Wedding Album
• 2008 Credits
• Behind the Scenes
  • A Look Inside
  • On Location
  • Francis Ford Coppola’s Notebook
  • Music of The Godfather
    • Nino Rota
    • Carmine Coppola
  • Coppola & Puzo on Screenwriting
  • Gordon Willis on Cinematography
  • Storyboards – The Godfather: Part II
  • Storyboards – The Godfather: Part III
  • The Godfather Behind the Scenes 1971
  • Additional Scenes
  • Galleries
  • Trailers
  • Acclaim & Response
  • Additional Material
  • The Filmmakers

With a wealth of extras, both new and old, as well as digital codes for all films, this can certainly be considered the most complete and definitive editions of The Godfather Trilogy. Since there is no question that fans should pick this set up, you just need to decide whether to get this collection, or the Limited Edition, which comes in deluxe packaging that includes a hardcover coffee table book as well as portrait art prints. This set comes out March 22^nd, and is worth every penny!