Despite consisting of three movies, there is an argument to be made that The godfather is not a trilogy at all. Francis Ford Coppola’s award-winning movies tell the story of crime boss Michael Corleone and his movements within the Corleone crime family. The first two movies consistently find themselves at the top of lists that dictate the greatest movies of all time, and while the third isn’t as widely loved, The trilogy as a whole has become iconic For its rich atmosphere and deep character work. However, Coppola’s three films adopt a method of storytelling that is not common in regular trilogies.
The reason that The godfather And its sequels are so undisputedly beloved is due to their importance in the history of the film industry; Countless films that are beloved today would not exist without Coppola’s trilogy Coming first. The godfather Overshadowed every other crime movie of its era, essentially mastering the genre in a way that has very rarely been replicated in the years since. It was among the first movies to attempt to tell an epic story like this over three films, and while it accomplished the feat, the result is very different from trilogies being created today.
The Godfather is not a trilogy, it is one movie and an epilogue
The first two parts are one story
Although it consists of three separate movies, The godfather Trilogy is best understood as one story and its epilogue. That’s exactly how Coppola has described the project over the years, with the filmmaker recently taking over Instagram To cement his position on the debate. He wrote: “In my opinion, there is only one film known as The Godfather (Parts 1 & 2) and an Epilogue or ‘Coda’, The Death of Michael Corleone.” This has been the opinion of the director since the films first came outBut the changed title of the final installment lends itself more simply to a trilogy.
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From a narrative perspective, it makes sense that The godfather is considered as one story and its epilogue: the first two parts have much more than the third, both in their setting and in their characters, which is perhaps why the third has always felt so separate and falls under the comparison . The Godfather: Part III did not live up to expectations because the audience was hoping for a third part in the story, when in fact, Coppola has only offered a glimpse into what happens next.
Thinking of The Godfather as one movie and an epilogue makes the series better
It fixes many problems with part three
Although there is a lot of debate around this question, thinking about The godfather In this mode actually makes the series much better. It essentially nullifies the age-old question of whether The godfather Part 1 Or 2 Better yet, merge them into a single story that is more cohesive than either on their own. The first two movies share so much thematic material, character development, and complex storylines anyway It was always pointless to separate them; Consider The godfather As one complete project makes everything flow together more effortlessly.
Coppola’s decision to company The Godfather: Part III as a “Epilogue” is a very interesting one that speaks strongly to the purpose of the movie: It’s not intended to be the huge, sweeping epic that parts one and two wereBut rather a more constrained exploration of the characters after the main story. That’s why it’s much slower and less intense because it’s not trying to achieve the same goal. There are still issues with the film that can’t simply be waved off, but the existence of the project makes a lot more sense when considered that way.
The Godfather not being a trilogy makes a fourth movie less likely
The story is already over
Although Coppola didn’t talk about the subject for a while, there were discussions in the 90s around the possibility of a fourth The godfather Movie, but the project ultimately did not go forward. It was considered unnecessary, and the poor reception of the third movie probably deterred the studio from such a huge commitment. In recent years, Audiences debated whether a fourth movie would be a good ideaBut Coppola’s attitude seems to dispel the idea of The Godfather 4.
It wouldn’t make sense for Coppola to continue this story when it’s been wrapped up for over 30 years, especially if he never considered parts two and three to be ‘sequels’ in the first place.
If it was always intended to be a single story, and the epilogue has already been completed, there is nothing more to add to the project. It wouldn’t make sense for Coppola to continue this story when it’s been wrapped up for over 30 years, especially if he never considered parts two and three to be ‘sequels’ in the first place. The godfather is a true work of art – a masterpiece that does not need to be expanded just for the sake of it.