The Godfather: A Novel for Television

Both The Godfather and The Godfather Part 2 were monumental films when they were each released in 1972 and 1974. No one thought cinema could get any better. Fast forward a few years and Francis Ford Coppola is financially struggling to create his newest masterpiece, Apocalypse Now. A deal is struck where he is funded for his current project, but he has to re-edit the two Godfather films. It was a risky move that made Coppola into the Hollywood legend he is today.

There are several different versions of the edited films, most notably the one broadcast for television in 1977, which added a few deleted scenes, but also edited out any grotesque violence or language. It was a compromise that Coppola made, probably hoping for a theatrical re-release at some point in the future. The 1977 edit of the two films in chronological timeline order was a huge success, and the audience loved the films. I believe this is why Coppola decided to make The Godfather Part 3.

Well, part 3 came out, and it was panned by critics and the audience just wasn't there like they were nearly twenty years before. The films were again edited, but the audience still enjoyed the first two films far more than they did the third. Finally, the uncensored and reconstructed version of the first two films was released on cable in 2016 as the complete epic. That edit is the best one there is, with a running time of 7 hours and 3 minutes, including everything from the two movies and deleted scenes. However, these days, this version is hard to come by, which is a shame because Paramount should release to DVD and Blu-ray. This version is the best and rarely seen. Seek it out and watch, you will not be disappointed.

Wish I could buy it on DVD! I have watched the original movies 100's of times over many years. Really enjoy seeing the deleted footage and the movie played in chronological order.

I understand that this version runs contrary to the vision of the writers, director, and producers.

However, for these movies, the format also works well. It is admittedly a less sophisticated way to absorb the story, but some of us are fine with the give and take to see it chronologically.

I wish the option was available for seeing both versions.

I also prefer seeing the deleted scenes. I know they had been deleted by the film makers for a reason, but who didn't love seeing some of the villains get their comeuppance?

The story is unbelievable, the vision was unprecedented, however, I would love to have the option to stream this version.

If you keep in mind that Mario Puzo's The Godfather novel had no literary sequel, I find it astonishing that within the span of less than two years later both he and Francis Coppola were able to produce such a feat!

Nevermind the fact that the idea of cherry picking backstory from Vito Corleone's and forecasting into Michael and the Corleone family future and fates is something to approach with great trepidation for an author and filmmaker. But they pulled it off!

Then they had the audacity and inventiveness to introduce a flashback structure into the film. Coppola told editor Walter Murch if he had only had a little more time editing it before its release that "it might've been great". The resulting 1977 "Novel for Television and its uncensored 1981 Godfather Saga (released only on VHS) is the fulfillment of that wish and evidence of its greatness.

If two great films can be intercut together, reordered (and even have plot lines expanded upon) and still remain seamlessly coherent, that alone is a testament to the genius of both story(s), direction and author(s).

Imagine if you will, a director producing a sequel of the same power a year or two later to any classic work like Stephen King's "Shawshank" or Margaret Mitchell's "Gone with the Wind". Couldn't be done and hasn't. Except in Godfather's case. (Coppola even managed to direct and write "The Conversation" in between).

Unsurpassed!

In this cut, the Corleones are served in one long, deliciously slow-cooked feast. It drops the fancy timelines and gives you the whole saga straight-more heart, more drama, and plenty of mob-family spice. I really enjoyed this edited version of both The Godfather films. Two of my favourite movies of all time, stitched together with some deleted sequences. Great!