Francis Ford Coppola on his new version of The Godfather: Part III

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As it releases into cinemas, Francis Ford Coppola has been chatting about his new – and improved – cut of The Godfather Part III. 

Francis Ford Coppola has been chatting about his rereleased, recut and retitled version of The Godfather: Part III. Now named Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michel Corleone, the film is playing in cinemas now.

The legendary director has opened up about his decision to revisit the film, chatting to CBS This Morning (via The Hollywood Reporter).

Coppola said that “it was like pulling on the thread of a sweater that annoyed you, and you end up re-knitting the whole sweater”.

“If an audience does not understand what is going on, it is very hard for them to be emotional about it”, he says of the original cut.

Whilst the film was nominated for many awards, it also came in for something of a critical mailing when it originally released in 1990. Most stinging of all was the criticism aimed at Coppola’s daughter, Sofia, who came onboard as a last-minute replacement when Winona Ryder left the production after a few days of filming.

States Coppola, “when the film came out, the bullets that Sofia got were meant for me, just as in the story, ironically.” “My wife was very upset.”

The director recently screened the recut version of the film for the cast, including Sofia Coppola, who has of course gone on to become a brilliant filmmaker in her own right: “She didn’t want to see it,” said Coppola Sr.  “but she felt the whole thing was better.”

You can catch the full interview below. The film is due to make its VoD and home formats release next week. You can find more information and preorder a copy here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gz-PvEA2l4

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