For Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather is not a trilogy
The director definitively closes the debate on his initial intention regarding his cult work.
Francis Ford Coppolathe legendary director of the three parts of the Godfather, explained in an Instagram post his vision on the timeline of the three films. “A lot of people ask me about the different versions of the films THE GODFATHER…For me, there is only one film, THE GODFATHER (Parts I and II) and an epilogue or “Coda” THE DEATH OF MICHAEL CORLEONE.”
He takes the opportunity to deny the telefilm version of Godfatherbroadcast on French television in the 1980s, which merged the first two films while removing all the time jumps: “I did not originate the idea of a ‘timeline’ version of the story, which was created for a one-time broadcast on television. I thought it wouldn’t work, because the version with Part 2 used past and future tense intrinsically.” According to legend, Coppola asked his editor to create this version to bail himself out while the filming ofApocalypse Now blew his budget.
Finally, the filmmaker pays tribute to the fans as well as those who enabled the creation and existence of these films over the decades: “I am eternally grateful for the longevity of these films and salute everyone who contributed to their integrity.” The three parts of this trilogy which is not one were released in 1972, 1974 and 1990 respectively.
The Death of Michael Corleone: the new edit of The Godfather 3 changes the meaning of the film (review)
