Stars: Marlon Brando, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Al Pacino, Sterling Hayden, Talia Shire, Diane Keaton, John Marley, Richard Conte, Robert De Niro, John Cazale, Marianna Hill, Lee Strasberg, Andy Garcia, Eli Wallach, Bridget Fonda, George Hamilton, Joe Mantegna

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Summary: The Godfather trilogy. 'The Godfather' is a Chilling portrait of a Sicilian family's rise and near fall from power in America, and the passage of rites from father to son. Based on the novel by Mario Puzo. 'The Godfather - Part II' is the sequel which continues the saga of two generations of power within the Corleone family. 'The Godfather - Part III' is the third part of the epic story in which Michael searches for his successor and a way of freeing his family from crime.

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Despite making many other distinguished films in his long, wandering career, Francis Ford Coppola will always be known as the man who directed The Godfathertrilogy, a series that has dominated and defined their creator in a way perhaps no other director can understand. Coppola has never been able to leave them alone, whether returning after 15 years to make a trilogy of the diptych, or re-editing the first two films into chronological order for a separate video release as The Godfather Saga. The films are an Italian-American Shakespearian cycle: they tell a tale of a vicious mobster and his extended personal and professional families (once the stuff of righteous moral comeuppance), and they dared to present themselves with an epic sweep and an unapologetically tragic tone. Murder, it turned out, was a serious business.

The first film remains a towering achievement, brilliantly cast and conceived. The entry of Michael Corleone into the family business, the transition of power from his father, the ruthless dispatch of his enemies--all this is told with an assurance that is breathtaking to behold. And it turned out to be merely prologue; two years later The Godfather, Part IIbalanced Michael's ever-greater acquisition of power and influence during the fall of Cuba with the story of his father's own youthful rise from immigrant slums. The stakes were higher, the story's construction more elaborate and the isolated despair at the end wholly earned. (Has there ever been a cinematic performance greater than Al Pacino's Michael, so smart and ambitious, marching through the years into what he knows is his own doom with eyes open and hungry?) The Godfather, Part IIIwas mostly written off as an attempted cash-in but it is a wholly worthy conclusion, less slow than autumnally patient and almost merciless in the way it brings Michael's past sins crashing down around him even as he tries to redeem himself. --Bruce Reid, Amazon.com

On the DVD:Contained in a tasteful slipcase, the three movies come individually packaged, with the second instalment spread across two discs. The anamorphic transfers are acceptable without being spectacular, with Part 3 looking best of all. Francis Ford Coppola--obviously a DVD fan--provides an exhaustive and enthusiastic commentary for all three movies, although awkwardly these have to be accessed from the Set Up menu. The fifth bonus disc is a real goldmine: the major feature is a 70-minute documentary covering all three productions, which includes fascinating early screen-test footage. There's also a 1971 making-of featurette about the first instalment, plus several shorter pieces with Coppola, Mario Puzo and others talking about specific aspects of the series, including a treasurable recording of composer Nino Rota performing the famous theme. Another section contains all the Oscar-acceptance speeches and Coppola's introduction to the TV edit, plus a whole raft of additional scenes that were inserted in the 1977 re-edited version. Text pieces include a chronology, a Corleone family tree and biographies of cast and crew. Overall, this is a handsome and valuable package that does justice to these wonderful movies. --Mark Walker

Aspect Ratio:	1.78 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	An Inside Look At The Creative Process Taking The Godfather From Book To Screen, On Location Production Designer Dean Tavoularis Looks At Some Of The Original Locations For The Godfather Trilogy, A 73 Minute Documentary On The Origins Of The Film Including
Year:	1972
Release Date:	October 8, 2001
Runtime:	521 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	P H E 8128
Keywords:	English, Box, Gangster, General, Godfather, Set, Mob, Mafia, Trilogy, Drama
Genre:	Drama