The Godfather Trilogy

The 1970s were a transformative period in American cinema, as filmmakers and studios took advantage of new cultural freedoms and found audiences eager to embrace entertainment with a genuinely adult sensibility. The 1972 release of The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, was a towering achievement of Hollywood cinema of the era, as it managed to approach narratively and thematically complex subject matter in a way that used the lavish resources of the studio system while employing a new generation of actors to bring the story to life. The film was the top box office earner of its year, earned rave reviews and received 10 nominations and three Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Marlon Brando’s commanding performance. The film helped such stars as Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton rise to prominence, and the craft elements were equally expert, with top talents such as cinematographer Gordon Willis, composer Nino Rota, and production designer Dean Tavoularis contributing to the film’s detailed and evocative depiction of America’s past. 

Despite the film’s momentous success, a sequel to The Godfather was far from inevitable, but Coppola and cowriter Mario Puzo found a way to expand the scope of the narrative while enriching its exploration of family and the American experience. The Godfather Part II was the first sequel to receive a Best Picture Oscar, one of the film’s six Academy Awards and 11 nominations. Sixteen years later, Coppola reunited many of the key cast and crew members for the concluding chapter, The Godfather Part III, nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, moving the story closer to the present while exploring the characters in new unexpected ways.  

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the original Godfather, the Academy Museum will be screening Coppola’s complete trilogy, concluding with the director’s 2020 recut of the third chapter.