Godfather Chronological Epic 1901-1980, The

This is a historic review for a historic edit, albeit in standard definition.

Together with Hal_over_9000's Extended Editions, these were my go-to versions of the Godfather Trilogy for a long while.

Many of us waited for an edit like this for many years...heck, I did a version for myself using VHS tapes of Trilogy, EPIC and SAGA. Many claimed they were working on attempts at such an edit out there, which despite bragging about, actually never appeared or were not made available. Modernknife stepped up to the plate and delivered this gem 11 years ago, beating the non-existant telegraphed versions that
we all craved.

This brought together all the available material from DVD and Laserdisc (which contains two scenes STILL not available in HD today), together in one place for the then longest possible version....IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER....HURRAH!

There is no question that the evolution of Vito and Michael folds out in a more cohesive and satisfying manner IMHO and this is a superb edit. There are many laudable fixes and additions throughout; relocating the original opening of Part 3 for instance (albeit from a poor source) and the 'in memoriam' sequence were masterful in my view...This was the first time that Michael and his son bedtime scene was correctly located (as Modernknife noted was originally scripted) and shot that way (as I was able to prove with alternate versions of the scene) however, there are also many issues that could have been avoided too at the time.

The use of the title cards was not a bad idea but does flag the episodic nature of the movies this was made from. Sourcing from the Laserdisc also meant that some scenes contained TV Version censored dialogue, which is a real shame. The musical interludes are a nice idea though they do halt the flow of things which I found a tad jarring. The extra material from 4:3 shots used were cropped to 16:9 but actually did respect the 16:9 ratio since these 4:3 scenes were open mattes. The downside is that the quality suffers in a few places but the narrative remained gloriously intact.

All things said, and I won't repeat what others already have commented on, this edit is of historical importance and a milestone in the history of Fanedits and should not EVER be ignored.

It was and remains an inspiration to all Godfather fans and faneditors alike.

joevincent mar 14 2011

Okay, took some time to watch this. Thank you VERY much for the time spent. I’ve always been a fan of the various ‘Epic’ versions of these films put together over the years, and knowing that this will not be done officially with the newly restored material, your work is greatly appreciated.

THE GOOD:
This is about as good as an edit like this will get. I took the time to check out the places where deleted scenes would be added, and as expected there was the inherent drop in quality of the original sources. Nothing could be done to make these scenes look as good as the newly restored material. However, you did a great job with the cuts and fades and the added black sidebars so as not to disrupt the perspective flow. You did a great job in selecting logical breakpoints to switch DVD’s, and your segues between films were topnotch.
Your editorial choice to add the scene with Michael Corleone negotiating with the Archbishop of the vatican bank before the party was compelling. It changes the perspective of the party scene for the better, and enhances the third film on the whole which was always the inferior of the three.

THE NOT SO GOOD, BUT NOT NECESSARILY BAD:
This one comes as a gripe by someone who is a long-time fan of these films in all their variations including past ‘epic’ editions. Unfortunately, on the laser disc version of the original Epic trilogy, Frank Pentageli’s introduction scene was lifted from the TV version. That unfortunate edit results in dubbed language (“Fredo, you old son of a gun” rather than the original “son of a bitch”, and “canapes my eye” rather than “canapes my ass”.) This is a personal gripe that comes with long term familiarity, and previous disappointment over having seen this done on the laserdisc, as well.
However, I say this with full realization that the extended intro scene doesn’t exist in any other form. I just “wish” it could have been different….perhaps at switching over as the scene cuts to Pentageli drinking from the hose? Either way, this doesn’t detract from your work. If I may be pardoned a pun, it’s purely personal…not business.

The only thing you did which I does feel detracts from the overall product was your placement for the ending montage. I think Godfather III needs to end with Michael alone in the aftermath of what has been left before. By adding the montage prior to Michael’s death scene, and inserting the montage of his dancing with the three women in his life over what was intentionally a slow and lonely death, you took away quite a bit of power from the ending. I also feel that ‘Cavalleria Rusticana’ was the more approrpiate music for the scene. All told, I would rather have seen the film end as it should have, and your otherwise very good montage added before the credits.

But overall, I think your work was great…and it’s truly appreciated.