Helpful Score: 3
This is an exhaustively researched chronicle of the making of all three films, from the initial novel conception by Mario Puzo, through the making of The Godfather, Part III. This gives a fascinating view of how movies were greenlit and made during the 1970s. This features Francis Ford Coppola at the very beginning of his dominance of 1970s films.
Detail after detail is given on the day to day production of The Godfather, including the behind the scenes deals that were made with the Italian American Anti-Defamation League as well as the Mafia itself.
You will find out what Coppola had to go through to cast Marlon Brando and Al Pacino and the lengths he would go to for everyone to see his point of view. This was not a fun film to make, by most accounts. But I remember reading that unhappy sets often make for spectacular movies.
The book is very well written, and easy to read. Almost as if the author is just telling you the story, as it does not get bogged down in technical details unless it happens to be necessary for the point being made. Good selection of photographs, some I hadn't seen before.
My main gripe with the book is after the extensive coverage of the conception and making of The Godfather, the sections on Godfather, Part II and Godfather, Part III seem rather rushed. Yes, it would have been quite a tome if the author had devoted as much time to those two films as the first one, but I wouldn't have minded.
If you are interested in movies, love the Godfather, Coppola, or anything related to mob movies, then this is a great read.
Detail after detail is given on the day to day production of The Godfather, including the behind the scenes deals that were made with the Italian American Anti-Defamation League as well as the Mafia itself.
You will find out what Coppola had to go through to cast Marlon Brando and Al Pacino and the lengths he would go to for everyone to see his point of view. This was not a fun film to make, by most accounts. But I remember reading that unhappy sets often make for spectacular movies.
The book is very well written, and easy to read. Almost as if the author is just telling you the story, as it does not get bogged down in technical details unless it happens to be necessary for the point being made. Good selection of photographs, some I hadn't seen before.
My main gripe with the book is after the extensive coverage of the conception and making of The Godfather, the sections on Godfather, Part II and Godfather, Part III seem rather rushed. Yes, it would have been quite a tome if the author had devoted as much time to those two films as the first one, but I wouldn't have minded.
If you are interested in movies, love the Godfather, Coppola, or anything related to mob movies, then this is a great read.
I enjoyed the details of the making of the 3 movies so much that I bought another copy and the 5 disc boxed set of the 3 movies for my movie-fan son-in-law for Christmas.
