It was once said that power cannot change the course of destiny. In The Godfather III, that power continued to become steady but not too resilient, objective but not too much of a perspective. Crafted 16 years later after its predecessor, The Godfather II, Francis Ford Coppola was able to maintain that great respect he has been requiring of the audience for this history's most renowned mafia tale, and considering this as one of Hollywood's prestigious trilogies, or if not, one of the world's most influencing films of the modern times.
Finally, as I was thinking, having been able to slice in to my very rugged schedule, I had finished watching the masterpiece - and now, I should say this once and for all... The Godfather III is a brilliant film, but has its major flaws, weaknesses and fragile points. Just like its former prequels, they had their own fair share of imperfection, and it's inevitable, just like the film's protagonist/antagonist itself, Michael Corleone, power isn't fit for anything at all.
It felt like a tradition, a continuous circle of life, and Godfather III focused now on the lives of Michael Corleone's children. Now as we have sensed this Corleone's tragic visage of a character, we know that his figure, as greedy with power and hungry for position, we could think that someday, a man like this would face his doom. The Corleone family had been attemption to go legitimate, to become the most famous Sicilian bloodline to every live in New York, to become ultimately respectable in the society, to amass tremendous wealth, to silence the past of murders and death - yet the past couldn't be silenced as violence that had once been taught to Michael Corleone started to slither its woeful path to his children. Before, when Michael had been too ravenous for power, as he sensed this all happening to his children, his instinct as a father kicked in. His dream now is to protect his children from the violence, from the gruesome portrait of his family's past. This is how The Godfather III was able to captivate me; it is a story of how a father wanted to protect his children, how a father wanted to redeem himself despite of the things that he had done in his past. A father that is coming clean, changing his path and standing in front of his children, protecting them from the harsher truth outside the world that they all move in.
Most of the characters are back, including Diane Keaton as Kay. Michael still loved her but just couldn't bring the willpower to sieze her back into his arms. We are also introduced to the new characters; the children of the mafia clan. There was Mary, the only daughter of Michael Corleone, played by Francis Ford Coppola's daughter himself, Sofia Coppola; Anthony, Michael's son; and Vincent, Sonny's son, played brilliantly by the very young Andy Garcia.
Now, Michael is torn between choosing the road of power and stardom or to the road of a silence life, with his own family. He was doubting who to give his position as the Godfather, since his own son Anthony doesn't want to meddle in his own businnesses. They are then left with Vincent, the son of Michael's brother, a very egotistical, ruthless and shameless bastard of a man. At last, when Michael was on the brink of his family's tragedy including his only daughter's demise, he passed on the power willingly to Vincent. There we see as we try to sit back, that this place of power will never end and will continue to haunt the future generations.
Coppola had his own universe upon making the films. He knew how to use moods and atmosphere to create the very essence of Godfather. Although the film felt somewhat dislocated at times, everything would fall back into a solid piece at the end of it all. I believe, although it has weaknesses, The Godfather III is not the weakest of the trilogies. I think The Godfather II had the most frail plot, and The Godfather I was the best for me. But anyway, it is a trilogy and I could say an A-Lister at that. The Godfather III would have been void of appraisals without the surmounting brilliance of Al Pacino himself. Nobody could have played the Corleone father much better. My complaints goes to Sofia Coppola, who was so astoundingly beautiful yet astoundingly talentless when it comes to acting. She's as rigid as a wood when she acts. I'm just glad she goes to directing now, I think she does better in that field after loving her Lost in Translation.
Now, as we try to look back into the foundations of the film, all we see is memories now, like looking at our family picture in a very old frame. Once memorable, definitely haunting and will surely go with us forever.

Rating: A