Well, we know too good that two sequels were made that way on purpose, as a sort of disclaimer - "No-no, guys, you've got us wrong, we didn't mean that, we are so sorry, so sorry..." It was Coppola's intention to make everything end as terribly as possible, but in his wish to benefit the audience he became so bluntly didactical that the art ended there.
It was, I believe, that moralyzing spirit that finally ruined the whole franchise.
It is so obvious that Michael could never act in the way FFC made him to, just for being Michael, that some results of his good intentions look too ridiculous to be able to teach audience.
What he did with Michael makes me feel more pity and sympathy for that poor character than all Puzo's "glorifying", cuz the poor thing suffered more from bad screenplay than from all his enemies. And that, I believe, doesn't improve my morality at all!
But it's so unrealistic that it simply cannot be taken seriously as a proof of anything, except maybe FFC's degradation...
Novel is much more authentic to reality and human nature, and therefore is able to teach us more real lessons, though they are not so direct and primitive.
What is the most important, it makes us start thinking, and then it's deep meaning and complexity reveals itself to us. Thinking of FFC's sequels is prohibited - it reveals more and more goofs each time.
When you do such a thing as this movie, you must not do it to "glorify", or "not to glorify". It gets you nowhere. You must only live a life with them, without trying to stretch it on commonplace cliche of any kind, even the most profitable. Everything artifical is untrue, by definition.
I believe, I seem desperate... :rolleyes: