Originally posted by Marcos:
From what I understand there really wasn't that much that would have been different had Tom been in the movie. the George Hamilton character just replaced the character. The Godfather companion talks about this.
Also in the commentary on the DVD, Coppola notes that had Hagen been in the role of the lawyer it would have been better because it would have shown how far that character had come that he was dealing with the vatican. he didn't say anything in the commentary about any changes that would have been made had he stayed on and probably would have mentioned this had the original script called for a Micheal vs. Tom storyline.
Keep in mind he was pretty much negotiating with Duvall up until close to the filming began so I don't think there was that much change made, probably just small rewrites here and there and obviously a lessening of the BJ Harrison role.
Duvall, on David Letterman pointed out that he wanted to make at least half of what Al was making for the film but instead they were offering 1/5th. I think it takes away from the film him not being there, but overall it's not that much worse than it would have been because the overall story would have been the same.
I certainly don't think, given the generally hostile critical reception for GF III, that FFC would have gone into any significant discussion of how he *might* have done the film differently, because that would be handing all his critics a loaded weapon.
I base my opinion that Michael vs. Tom (not necessarily a mortal battle, maybe just a battle of wills) was going to be a primary story line of GF III mainly upon analysis of GF II, making notes of little plot points, the way Tom's loyalty was being tested and questioned, the way Michael was alternately hostile and trusting toward him. To me, the role of Tom Hagen toward the end of GF II was definitely being set up as a possible conflict for a sequel.
And the Vatican/Immobilare story line just has always struck me as not adequately thought through, as if it were rewritten in a frantic rush.
The B.J. Harrison character had no substantive role, no substantive lines, whatsoever in GF III. He just sits there and smiles and says 'yah OK' when Michael says something.
If that's the way the Tom Hagen role was written for GF III, then it's just as well Duvall didn't do it.
