The Godfather: Part III

In the midst of trying to legitimize his business dealings in 1979 New York and Italy, aging mafia don Michael Corleone seeks to vow for his sins while taking a young protégé under his wing.

• Director: Francis Ford Coppola
• Genre:Action / Drama / Thriller
• Runtime:170 minutes

Cast

Al Pacino : Don Michael Corleone
Diane Keaton : Kay Adams Michelson
Talia Shire : Connie Corleone Rizzi
Andy Garcia : Vincent Mancini
Eli Wallach : Don Altobello

The film opens with Michael Corleone sitting alone on a bench (which was the same way and where Part II ended as the last scene), thinking back to his past of people such as Fredo Corleone, Sonny Corleone, Kay Adams, Vito Corleone, with flashback scenes from both Part I, and Part II, in order, as well as showing scenes from the house that the family originally lived in in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. This is also narrated by Corleone, giving an update of what has happened since. Sometimes, the flashback scenes are not shown and therefore edited out on some televised airings of the movie.

The film then flash forwards on February 23, 1979. Michael Corleone is nearing 60 and feeling tremendous guilt for his ruthless rise to power, especially for ordering the murder of his brother Fredo two decades before. By now, he has mostly retired from the Mafia, selling the Las Vegas casinos and leaving the Corleone family’s criminal interests in the hands of former enforcer Joey Zasa. His adopted brother Tom Hagen is now dead and the Corleone compound at Lake Tahoe has been abandoned. Michael and Kay have been divorced since 1959, and Michael gave her custody of their children, Anthony and Mary. He has since returned to New York City, where he is using his tremendous wealth and power to restore his reputation via numerous acts of charity. In an attempt to break with the past, Michael creates a charity, the Vito Corleone Foundation, in memory of his father, which he has endowed with $100,000,000 to use for the betterment of Sicily.

At a ceremony in St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, presided over by Archbishop Gilday, Michael is named a Commander of the Order of St. Sebastian. At a lavish party following the ceremony, Michael and Kay have an uneasy reunion. Anthony tells his father that he is going to drop out of law school to pursue a career as an opera singer. Kay supports his choice, but Michael disagrees, wishing that his son would either finish law school or join the family business. Anthony steadfastly refuses, stating that while he loves his father, he will never be part of the family business. Michael eventually, though somewhat reluctantly, acquiesces to Anthony’s wishes. Read more

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