Question about THE GODFATHER SAGA, aka THE GODFATHER: THE COMPLETE NOVEL FOR TELEVISION to everyone.

What is your critical opinion of it? Does it work or is there flaws to it?

Although it's all nice and neat to have everything in chronological order, one of the best things about GF2 were the flashbacks. To contrast Vito's rise to power with Michael's crumbling life as his greed for power overtakes him, was just wonderful to watch. And to have those scenes taken out of order ruins it for me.

Of course, that doesn't mean that I won't watch it when it's on!!

Yep the contrast of vito and mike is very important to the movies and the saga, well it doesnt reinforce the fall mike is going to take.

There is absolutely no question that GFII was made to be watched with the flashback scenes that parallel Vito's early life and rise to power with what is going on in Michael's life. It's just brilliant in that form. It was meant to and should be watched in that way.

But there are times that I do enjoy just watching the Michael and Roth's chess match in GFII, on it's own, without the interuptions of the flashbacks.

I do not see any flaws in the Saga. In fact I think that several of the deleted scenes in the Saga are an integral part of the plot that should never have been edited out of the original theatrical versions of The Trilogy. And with the Saga, I believe that for the first or second time viewer who is really not that familiar with the GF plot and storyline, it has a much smoother flow to it which makes it easier for them to comprehend.

The "Saga" version is far and away the best, IMO. I vastly prefer the chronological order to the flashbacks. And all of the deleted scenes, included where they belong in the Saga, are brilliant, and add to the enjoyment.

I've never seen the complete saga although I am ready to watch the films again and would like to watch the saga this time. Anyone know when it will be on DVD???

I don't think there's been a date set yet. But we can all rest assured that, if there's a way for Paramount to get us to spring for another GF Trilogy set, they'll find it.

I remember spending $200 on THE GODFATHER EPIC on VHS in the 80's. When I realized that all of the SAGA scenes were NOT in it, I went ballistic.

Frigging Paramount.

Even the Trilogy set, from what I gather, doesn't have all the scenes - Michael and Vito's talk in the garden following the Five Families meeting, isn't there according Jeoff.

Anyway, perhaps one can re-edit the whole thing from the deleted scenes. Who knows?

I can understand why. That set was the first crack any of us had at GF on tape--and we paid dearly. But it had only about half the deleted scenes. And then, in '83, NBC showed the Saga on commercial TV with all the deleted scenes. That's when and why I bought my first VCR.

A separate DVD for deleted scenes is not my cup of tea. The Saga is the closest you get to perfection in the GF world.

Now, your question regarding flaws :

No major flaw, but the violence is toned down...

- Sonny says "stick in his hand" and not "dick in his hands"

- Young Vito doesnt shoot the extra bullet through Fanucci's mouth.

- Sonny doesnt get the close range final "treatment" from one of the hitmen...just the bullets to the car.

- No close-up when Young Vito "slices" Don Ciccio

And all the screen-texts are missing too...

well nothing is perfect, but the SAGA is still the most "complete" version of 1 and 2. There are some scenes in the SAGA that never made it to the DVD.

FFC also made some changes / corrections in the order of some scenes too (besides the regular chronological timeline)

I actually started with the saga, and I watched it 20 times before I saw the original films, so its easier for me to prefer the saga. I first saw the saga not knowing that Im watching a rare version with lots of deleted scenes, so then when I saw the originals, I kinda felt like "where the hell is this and that great scene"... I gotta tell you, its not the chronological order which made me love it more- its the inclusion of all those scenes, it just feels wrong to see them seperated with that extra DVD.

TB, are you speaking of the August of '83 showing? If you are, it's a small world.

That's when I switched from beta to vhs, for the very purpose of having the Saga on vhs.

God I feel old.

Huh???

They didnt think they were gonna make a GF2 right?.... it may have been planned that way AFTER(flashbacks)... it was a nice twist in writing and bringing it to the screen... GF2 is a great movie as a standalone without the flashbacks. IMO.

Without the flashbacks you'd never gain insight into what Michael's flaws were, both as a don and as a man.

By paralleling his story with Vito's, while they were approximately the same age, the tragedy that was Michael's life is magnified ten fold. It shows us how he could never be the man his father was because he lacked his humanity.

There's no comparison. While a little Godfather 2 is better than none at all, the film was made to be watched in the flashback format.

I dunno, I wouldn't feel bad about it. I consider the Michael story in GFII the continuation to GFI, and the Vito parts as prologue, really.

If you copied the Michael story in GFI, and left it like that, it'd be the same for me - this the story of Michael Corleone. The Young Vito is extra, provided in the book for more insight of the Corleone empire, and in the second film to contrast Michael and Vito.

In the end, all I want is the exisiting versions, with ALL the deleted scenes. OK, give or take a few scenes...

This is a little off of the subject but it would have been interesting to have incorporated a young Hyman Roth into some of the flashback scenes.

You mean Johnny Lips?

Your reply makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. What does their not planning to make GFII have to do with them writing in the flashback scenes when they finally DID decide to make GFII? What does one have to do with the other?

It's quite obvious to anyone who has even an ounce of insight that the young Vito scenes go hand in hand with the Michael scenes. They back and forth scenes between then and now were made to compliment each other in paralleling the lives of the two main characters (Michael and Vito) in the storyline.

I don't follow your line of thinking here. Please clarify what you are really trying to say. Thanks.

Ditto, DC. I don't understand his logic either.

I dvr'd the recent airing of the Saga and just got to watching it. There was a quick scene that I do not remember seeing before, although it's been about 4 years since I last watched the Saga.

Immediately after Bonasera leaves, Vito whistles and reproaches Sonny, who was staring out the window. I believe Vito said, "Santino, are you paying attention?" The film never really got into the doubts Vito had regarding Sonny's ability to run the Family as compared to the novel.

Anyway, I thought that was a good 10 second scene and touch by FFC.

One annoying thing about recording the Saga (or anything much these days): these networks ruin the recording IMO with those annoying popup promotions for some other show they are promoting. Drives me nuts!

The flashbacks are essential i believe.Its sought of like a comparison between father and son when they were roughly around the same age.It shows Vito's respect through fear and also love.But shows Michael's respect comes from just plain fear.


Also how they went about running their business's