This is a fantastic package, and for a Godfather fan...a must see. If you got "The Godfather DVD Collection" you know that there is a wealth of cut scenes in the extra features (For one and Two..Godfather three has always been an expanded directors cut since it's arrival on video years ago.) Seeing these on their own is special, but seeing them woven back into the story is rapture. As we all know, seperately..these are loooonnng movies in and of themselves. Woven together with the extras, you're looking at an eleven and a half hour presentation. When Coppola presented a packaged version of the first two films for broadcast on NBC titled "The Godfather:The Complete Novel For Televison", it was the first time Vito's backstory from 2 was put to the beginning of the story, and added some deleted scenes. Later, a boxed VHS set..The Godfather:The Complete Epic was the same, but with even more scenes added. Now..adding still more footage, plus the third installment, came this entry.. The Godfather Trilogy. Now let's talk extras..this is the real meat. Speaking about all the footage would take too long, I don't think I can remember it all, and I want to leave something out so you can discover it for yourselves! All the same, this might take a while. The extras of young Vito's story arent all that spectacular, but some intersting bits. For instance, we get to see the assasination attempt on Don Fannuci which leads to him being a real tyrant..a few extra scenes of Genco and Vito, the full talk between Vito and Clamenza before Peter offers to give the carpet..First meeting with Tessio, and a gun-dealer scene,meeting (and naming) a young Hyman Roth...best of all..when Vito goes back to Corleone for his vengence... we get to witness him killing the actual men who killed his family, not just the Don. The footage from The Godfather is a more extensive. In the original film, there is NO scene between Pacino and Brando until the hospital after Brando is shot, and none with dialogue until the garden scene when Michael comes back from Italy. Here, we get a treat. Right after the wedding, they have two exchanges. The most telling is in the hospital, visiting a dying Genco, where Vito discusses with Michael things about their estrangement. The tension between Father and Son here is thick, and you can see how much Michael despises his Father just by his expressions. There is extra footage of Woltz's estate which show a scantily clothed very young starlett in the mogul's upstairs rooms. There is also an extra scene with Michael and Kaye in a hotel. The most extensive footage comes immediately after the shooting of Vito. You get to see Sonny getting the call, mobilizing his forces, and even telling his Mom. We learn here that Sonny immediately suspects Clamenza of betrayal. Another scene is right after Michael arrives at the house, he sits in on a meeting with Sonny and Tessio where it is discovered that Paulie is the betrayer, then we see Tom come home after his release from the Turk's clutches. There is more Brando footage which lengthens his stay in the film, but not much. The missing footage from 2 that has to do with Michael's story, is almost exclusively takes place during the wedding.. extra meetings, party scenes, discussions, ..including, and most importantly, locating and killing Fabrizio, the man who killed Michael's beloved Apollonia. The fact that this was left out at all is almost incomprehensible. Like I stated, there's more, but why spoil it all? The extra footage all adds to character development, story continuity, and action. It must have been very difficult for Coppola to decide what to leave in or out. People will only sit in a theater for so long. Or for that matter..to read a film review. So I'll close by saying one more thing..if your a Godfather fan..and you haven't seen this version...see it! You'll be in for a treat.
