Marlon BrandoThe Godfather Trilogy (5 Disc Box Set) [DVD]

Before you even think about buying Goodfellas or Casino, you must buy the Godfather. Mafia films such as these are brilliant, but do not match up to the beauty of the Godfather. Directed by Frances Ford-Coppola and based on the book by Mario Puzo, the Godfather is one of the best trilogys ever alongside Lord of the Rings and the original Star Wars. Set in three parts, each its own story, not a continuation, the Godfather is not just about the Mafia; the Mafia are the sub plot - family love and trust is the story.Godfather Part I (1972) - Starring Marlon Brando as the old Mafia Don, Vito Corleone, the first of the three films, set in the late 40s to the mid 50s, is a study of the Cosa Nostra and how far family go for each other. This made Al Pacino who plays the reserved youngest son of the Don, Michael. Other co-starring actors are James Caan as the fiery oldest son, Robert Duvall as the adopted son, John Cazale as the innocent, warm hearted son, Taila Shire (Coppola's sister) as the whiny, annoying daughter, Diane Keaton as Michael's anxious and detached girlfriend and Richard Castellano as the fat, loyal henchman. This is the film that made crime a genre.Godfather Part II (1974) - Following Part 1, the second artistic masterpiece of the Godfather trilogy illustrates how power can corrupt even the most innocent. Like the first part, it's sentimental and beautiful. It runs from the mid 50s to the 60s but there is an added bonus; a young Robert De Niro stars alongside Al Pacino as a young Vito Corleone who journeyed from the Mafia infested island of Sicily, his family murdered. It shows his rise to power (the epic scene of the rooftop stalk is a must see) and his return to Sicily for revenge.Godfather Part III (1990) - An underrated film, the finale of the Godfathers shows the fall of Michael Corleone. Set in the late 70s, Michael Corleone is already an old man and has no son to pass his title onto until he stumbles across a lost nephew, played by a young Andy Garcia. Michael returns to Sicily where he wants to die. The film features Diane Keaton and Tailia Shire, as well as Eli Wallach but also Bridget Monoghan, Joe Montagna and Sofia Ford-Coppolla. The films climax is moving and abrupt. Although inferior to the other two, Part III is different yet maintains the same beauty as the rest of the trilogy.The Godfather Trilogy gets better every time you watch it. The trilogy is not a gun-toting film like films such as Scarface, but the power is in the words and imagery. The music, composed by the late Nino Rota, is beautiful, featuring the infamous Godfather Waltz. The acting is superb and the film leaves the famous scenes in your head; the horse's head. The film is far superior to the book because it is less of a documentary. Watch the films before you read the book.These are some of the best films ever made that you should definately see before you die. Films packed with power, emotion, brutality, love and sentimentality.

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The Godfather films are a truly brilliant trilogy. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and wonderfully cast they tell the story of the Corleone crime family. Throughout the collection we get to see how they achieved their rise to prominence and how Michaels vow to one day become legitimate never seems to materialise.Parts I through III tell how a young Italian immigrant to New York found his way into the dirty and corrupt world of mob life eventually prospering and gaining the respect and fear of both distinguish and ordinary people. We see how in the changing of the guard the death of the 'Don' brings his young war hero son Micheal into the family business. This new role is something that will change him forever.Although not based on actual events you get the impression that the films do provide an accurate, in-depth, insight into the activities of a leading mob family.Indeed the first thing you realise is that for the Corleones, family is the most important thing, yet at the same time it is the people you love and trust who are most likely to stab you in the back.Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are hugely convincing and superbly supported throughout and help bring to life this amazing set of films. Some have said that Part III was not of the same standard of the other two and was used more to cash in on the Godfather name. However I feel that it is both a high quality film and a very fitting end to the story charting Michaels later years and repentance on his quest for redemption.I would certainly recommend this set I think it is quite a bargain.

I love that these landmark movies got a squeaky clean restoration, added special features, and that Godfather II is on one disc instead of two. As a Godfather fan, of course I've ordered this new set, BUT I can't wait for a definitive chronological edit to hit DVD someday (soon?).Previous chronlogical edits include: (1) "Godfather 1902-1959: The Complete Epic" which is a VHS-only 402 min. chronological edit of Parts I & II not available on DVD or laserdisc. Doesn't include Part III (171 min.) which would take it to 573 min. total; (2) "Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980" which is a Laserdisc chronological 583 min. edit of Parts I, II, & III (std 171 min. for Part III); and (3) "Godfather Saga" (aka Mario Puzo's The Godfather Saga: The Complete Novel for Television) which is a chronological 605 min. edit of Parts I, II, & III with added footage (434 min. for Parts I & II plus std 171 min. for Part III) done for TV broadcast only. This version was never issued commercially in any format. Some lucky people like me were able to record it off TV.ALL of these chronological versions are slightly different and all contain at least some footage not contained on the other versions! Come on Francis, give the fans a super complete chronologiocal edit sooner rather than later!