Review Detail

Having wanted to see Wraith's Unbreakable Glass Split edits, but not having the sources themselves yet, I decided to opt for Wraith's Godfather edits instead, since the trilogy is in my blu-ray collection (as it should be if you wish to call yourself a fan of cinema), and because the first one is in my top 5 favorite films. It's taken me forever to watch and review this one, because at just over 4 1/2 hours, it's one of the longest things I've ever seen! Finding the right time to watch it in the middle of my busy schedule was a challenge. I had to watch this one over the course of a couple of days, because it was so long. And the next one is even longer at 5 1/2 hours!

But with my annoyances in trying to see this, The Godfather: Don Vito's Opus is a great edit and one that lives up to its name. I still hold the theatrical release in high regard because of its mercifully shorter 3 hour running time, but I can never hate this edit. It's too darn good, and I appreciate the structural changes that have been made. Just be prepared to schedule a big chunk of your day, is my only issue.

The edit is basically all the Don Vito scenes from Part II, followed by an extended version of Part I, making this the most linear and chronological take on the franchise yet. In a nutshell, I like it! Moving Don Vito's early days to the beginning gives this edit a true rise and fall feeling to the Corleone empire, and the extra additions gave me some extra insight I never noticed before. For example, during Michael's escape to Italy, I didn't notice that the Italy we saw in Part I was the same Italy in Part II, and that Michael was hiding at the place of his father's childhood. It's a simple realization, but one that adds yet another new layer of depth to one of the greatest films of all time.

All in all, the constant planning and searching for a good timeframe to watch this edit was worth it! Now to find a good timeframe for Michael's Opus...