From today's NY Post.
'GODFATHER' REBORN
A RESTORED CLASSIC YOU CAN'T REFUSE
September 21, 2008
IT may be a "family" thing, but Talia Shire likes comparing her brother to Michelangelo. At least when it comes to restoring his most celebrated film, "The Godfather."
When the actress, sister of Francis Ford Coppola and portrayer of Connie Corleone Rizzi, first saw the "The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration," available on DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, it reminded her of another renowned work of art.
"Remember when they cleaned the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and you saw what the palette really was?" she says. "Francis is overjoyed. He worked with [cinematographer] Gordon Willis on this operatic palette of colors. We have to remember that these were amazing colors and shadows, and they spoke to the themes that were in 'The Godfather.' "
"The Coppola Restoration" is a multi-disc set featuring a meticulous, frame-by-frame digital restoration of the first two "Godfather" films, as well as a remastered version of "Part III" and two discs of extras, many of which are new.
The project took Coppola and Willis more than a year, as the negatives to the first two films had worn out over time, dulling the "brassy yellow" hue that had been an integral part of the film's highly acclaimed retro look. Compared to the 2001 version, the difference is stark, with the colors on the restored version appearing deeper, more vibrant and expressive.
The new extras include "Godfather World," which highlights the film's influence on pop culture, from "The Sopranos" to "South Park," and two new documentaries, "The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't" and "When the Shooting Stopped," which shed light on the struggles Coppola faced in getting the film made.
Coppola was a last-resort hire, after veteran directors such as Arthur Penn and Elia Kazan turned down offers. Once on board, every day was a trial. Paramount bristled at the young director's every decision, including his choice for the young Michael Corleone. They wanted WASPy Robert Redford for the role instead of a relative unknown named Al Pacino.
"Al had gotten a big award off-Broadway," Shire recalls. "From an actor's point of view, Al Pacino was the Broadway actor. He wasn't some unknown. So it was just a question of helping the studio see him not only in the role, but as a potential movie star."
Even after filming began, Coppola's job was on the line until he filmed the murder of a rival gangster and his police-captain muscle.
"He was always worried the first two weeks that he would be fired. I didn't realize how close to the truth that was," Shire says. "But then you get those two weeks in, and all of those dailies start looking unique and extraordinary."
By the end, though, all involved could only marvel at what they had been part of.
"This was an extraordinary filmmaking experience," says Shire. "You felt everyone on that set were great artists, and you could see everyone hitting their marks in a new way. There was this wonderful feeling that we were growing and learniing. It'll never happen again."
