The Godfather Part III story
The Godfather Part III is a 1990 American epic gangster film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from the screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo. The film stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy García, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, Bridget Fonda, George Hamilton and Sofia Coppola. It is the sequel to The Godfather Part II (1974) and the final installment of The Godfather trilogy. The film concludes the fictional story of Michael Corleone, the patriarch of the Corleone family, who attempts to legitimize his criminal empire. It also includes fictionalized accounts of two real-life events: the 1978 death of Pope John Paul I and the Papal banking scandal of 1981–1982, both linked to Michael Corleone's business affairs.
24 total · 2 choice · 16 major · 6 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| organized crime | choice | The story concerns the Italian mafia in the United States, and the Corleone family crime syndicate which had by this time expanded its operations to the old continent. |
| the desire for redemption | choice | The central idea in the story is that Michael tries to both atone for his old life of sin and turn his own life legitimate, by brokering a $600 million deal with the Vatican. His efforts ultimately failed and he had to once again resort to a murder spree. |
| betrayal | major | The story turns on Don Altobello's cruel betrayal of Michael and the Corleone family. |
| brother and sister | major | Connie was her brother Michael's most trusted advisor. Anthony and Mary sometimes appeared together. |
| Catholicism | major | Michael sought redemption for his litany of past sins while attempting to legitimize the Corleone family business by brokering a $600 million deal with the Vatican. In the story, Michael joined the Order of Saint Sebastian and made an impromptu confession to the man who would become Pope John Paul I, and the process of electing a new pope was featured. |
| coping with aging | major | The story follows Michael during his final years as head of the Corleone crime family. In his old age, Michael had somewhat mellowed out and sought redemption for his litany of past sins while attempting to legitimize the Corleone family business. A diabetic stroke left Michael physically weak and in need of care from those around him. |
| coping with the death of a child | major | Michael loved his daughter Mary dearly and was heartbroken when Mary died in his arms after an assassination attempt on Michael. Michael screamed in horror after Mary dropped dead from an assassin's bullet that was intended for him, as they and other Corleone family members were leaving the opera house where Anthony had performed. |
| corruption in society | major | Michael sought redemption for his litany of past sins while attempting to legitimize the Corleone family business by brokering a $600 million deal with the Vatican. His plans were thwarted by corruption that ran all the way up to the highest powers in the Catholic Church. |
| descent into crime | major | Michael was on the verge of turning his criminal enterprise legitimate and putting a stop to his mafia career. Michael, however, never quite managed to fully disentangle himself from his criminal past. In a telling exchange with Vincent, Michael spoke the line, "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.". The situation deteriorated to the point that Michael found himself complicit in the organization of another crime spree that including the murder of a Cardinal in the Vatican. |
| father and daughter | major | Michael loved his daughter Mary dearly and was heartbroken when she died in his arms after an assassination attempt on Michael. |