The original ending of The Godfather 3 that Al Pacino ‘loved’

Closing of one of the great trilogies of Hollywood, The Godfather 3 had an original ending that Al Pacinointerpreter of Michael Corleone“loved.” Directed by Francis Ford Coppolathe film arrived in Brazilian cinemas on March 15, 1991.

It is worth remembering how production ends with Mary (Sofia Coppola), daughter of Michael Corleonemurdered and, years later, the protagonist dies of old age. In the book of memories Sonny Boy: A Memoir, Pacino remembers the behind-the-scenes of the third film.

“At the end of the film, Michael he would be murdered on the steps of the church. He goes down the steps and rests on the floor below,” he wrote (via NME). “Kayhis ex-wife, rushes to his side. She looks at his face and asks, ‘Michaelare you dying? Are you going to die?’ AND Michael looks at her and says, ‘No.’ Phenomenal ending.”

A brilliant return to the first THEGodfatherwhen Michael ends his life with one last lie to Kay.

Then the actor admitted how problems arose after the actors Richard S. Castellano and Robert Duvall refuse to return as Peter Clemenza and Tom Hagenrespectively. This absence was considered a “great absence.”

“With much of the film depending on the character [de Duvall]none of us knew what to do without him. Francis and Mario they had to reconstruct the story, but they were brilliant writers and changed the whole script,” he continued. “Even the ending that I loved so much had to end – instead, Michael would die of old age, in solitude, after his daughter, Marywas killed in an attempt to assassinate him.”

Then, Al Pacino talked about the negative reviews of The Godfather 3widely considered inferior to the first two films. For the artist, a common point of conflict is “the search for redemption of Michael.”

“I don’t think the public wanted Michael spent the film seeking forgiveness for his sins. They wanted Michael continued to be Michael. They wanted the Big boss,” he explained. “That’s what we love about him, right? The guy we saw at the end of Part II was encased in stone. I saw the Part III as his effort to free himself from this envelope, looking for a way out of his almost traumatized state of numbness.”

That phrase of his that became a kind of tradition and that people still remember Part IIIwhen he says, ‘Well, just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in,’ sums up the need for Michael to leave that state, those chains that held him back.

Rolling Stone Brasil special features exclusive interview with Coppola

To celebrate the debut of Megalopolisthe Rolling Stone Brazil launches a cinema special with an exclusive interview with Francis Ford Coppola. Unshakable in the face of controversial reactions to his new film, the filmmaker defends the cinema industry’s boldness in being creative and opens up, in good Portuguese, about Brazil’s influence in his new film: “Alegria”.

Additionally, the special features interviews with Walter Salles, Fernanda Torres and Selton Mello on I’m Still Herewho is expected to represent Brazil at the Oscars in 2025; a curation of the 100 greatest films of all time, under the scrutiny of journalists and film critics; a list of the 101 unforgettable soundtracks of the seventh art and much more.

The novelty hits newsstands in November, but can now be pre-purchased at the Perfil publisher’s store for R$ 29.90, with shipping starting on the 6th.

READ ALSO:Francis Ford Coppola attends the premiere of Megalopolis in São Paulo

Which 2024 release are you most looking forward to? Vote for your favorite movie!

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• Inside Out 2 (June 20)
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