From 'BlackBerry' to 'Australia': The TV Series Adaptation of 'The Godfather'

Article Summary

Recutting The Godfather into a television series lost the unique structure and juxtaposition between Michael and Vito, diminishing its impact.

The restored deleted scenes in The Godfather Legacy caused significant problems with the film's tone and pacing, diverting attention from the main characters.

Incorporating The Godfather: Part III into the re-release of The Godfather Legacy further disrupted the chronological flow of the series and strained the relationship between Vito and Michael.

While many television movies draw inspiration from famous films, there is a growing trend to adapt existing films into the television format. One recent example is Baz Luhrmann's announcement to rework his 2008 historical epic Australia into the television series Faraway Downs. In addition, IFC disclosed that the biopic BlackBerry will be aired as a three-part limited series on the AMC Network. Although altering the format of a film can attract a wider audience with shorter attention spans, sometimes the transition to a different medium does not enhance the original intentions. Films are crafted to adhere to a specific narrative structure, and transforming them into episodic series of events may conflict with the initial vision. The disparity between the two mediums is exemplified by The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II. Francis Ford Coppola's iconic gangster classics are often regarded as some of the greatest films ever made, but combining them into a limited television series had significantly less impact.

‘The Godfather Legacy’ Changed the Structure of Francis Ford Coppola's Story

Released in 1977 on NBC, The Godfather Legacy is a four-episode adaptation that combines The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II. Although some violent and sexual content had to be removed to adhere to network television standards, the series did include previously deleted scenes. While NBC executives were enthusiastic about any new project related to The Godfather, director Francis Ford Coppola was not directly involved in the reediting process. At that time, Coppola was occupied with securing funding for his Vietnam War film Apocalypse Now and entrusted the editing to Barry Malkin, his editor. Regrettably, the transition to television resulted in the loss of Coppola's unique perspective that had been brought to The Godfather franchise.

One of the distinctive aspects of The Godfather film series is its non-traditional framing of events. Initially, the story appears to revolve around Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), giving the impression that he will be the main character. However, soon after, Vito becomes incapacitated and assumes a supporting role for the remainder of the film, passing the torch to his son Michael (Al Pacino) as the protagonist of the Corleone family. Despite Michael's resistance to his father's corrupting influence, he ultimately becomes the very person he had feared by the end of the film. The Godfather: Part II serves as both a sequel and prequel to the initial installment, ensuring that both Michael and Vito maintain their prominence in the narrative. In addition to depicting further events in Michael's life as the Corleone family encounters opposition, The Godfather: Part II highlights Vito's migration from Sicily to the United States. Ironically, Vito begins as a young and naive man, similar to Michael.

‘The Godfather Legacy’ Restored Deleted Scenes

The brilliance of The Godfather lies in its portrayal of how sons inevitably become their fathers; Michael is compelled to follow in the footsteps of a man who instills fear in everyone. However, this profound concept was diluted when the two films were transformed into a narrative series. The striking contrast between Michael and Vito is not as apparent when their stories are presented in a linear sequence of events. The scenes featuring a young Robert De Niro as Vito lacked the same impact, as the audience did not yet comprehend the transformation he would ultimately undergo. Initially, De Niro's portrayal worked because it was inconceivable that this charismatic young man would develop into a monstrous figure over the course of his life.

Image via Paramount Pictures

Although it was enjoyable for fans of The Godfather to see the deleted scenes, Francis Ford Coppola had valid reasons for removing them from the original cut. While these scenes might have been interesting to watch individually, their inclusion in the narrative caused significant issues with the tone and pacing of the film. One significant sequence that was taken out of the original cut depicted Michael's return from Sicily after eliminating both Virgil Sollozzo (Al Lettieri) and Captain McCluskey (Sterling Hayden) at the Bronx restaurant. In the original version, Michael's return is witnessed by his love interest, Kay Adams (Diane Keaton), which effectively conveys the change he has undergone. Through Kay's perspective, we see the stark contrast in Michael's character as he has started a new life in Sicily with a different wife. However, this contextual depth is lost when Michael is shown returning to America on his own initially.

The extended cut also features more interactions with supporting characters such as Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall), Sonny (the late great James Caan), Peter Clemenza (Richard S. Castellano), and Connie Corleone (Talia Shire). While it may be intriguing to see what these characters were doing between key plot points, it detracts from the focus on Michael and Vito, who are the heart of the story. The Godfather is a tale about fathers and sons, not an epic like Game of Thrones. Furthermore, the inclusion of additional action sequences involving conflicts between the Five Families feels forced, as the film already generated ample tension.

The flaws within The Godfather Legacy became even more apparent when the series was re-released in 1992, now including footage from The Godfather: Part III. The Godfather: Part III further diverts the attention of the series by introducing a bizarre storyline centered on Michael's quest for redemption. This flaw was evident during the original release of The Godfather: Part III, and it's even more puzzling to see Michael attempt to "save his soul" immediately after witnessing the crimes he committed in the first two films. The sudden and incongruous shift in the series timeline adds to the confusion, as it feels odd to witness Pacino's character age over a decade between episodes. While the inclusion of extra footage is interesting, The Godfather doesn't effectively work as a chronological progression of events. The dual structure of The Godfather: Part II is lost, and the connection between Vito and Michael is strained due to the changes in editing. Although it may provide an interesting alternative perspective on the events, re-editing a film into a series is simply not a suitable format. If it failed The Godfather, then it is prone to failing anything else.

The Godfather is available to stream on Pluto TV in the U.S.

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Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z netizen, I have mixed feelings about the adaptation of The Godfather into a television series. On the one hand, I understand the desire to make the story more accessible to a wider audience, and I appreciate the inclusion of previously deleted scenes. On the other hand, I feel that the unique structure and juxtaposition between Michael and Vito, which are essential to the impact of the original films, are lost in the transition to a television format.

I think the biggest problem with The Godfather Legacy is that it loses the unique structure of the original films. In the films, the story is told in a non-linear fashion, which allows for a more complex and nuanced exploration of the characters and themes. The television series, on the other hand, presents the story in a more straightforward and chronological way, which makes it feel less interesting and less impactful.