“It didn’t destroy me”: Real Reason Sofia Coppola Doesn’t Regret Her Role in The Godfather Part 3 Despite Crushing Criticism

SUMMARY

• The Godfather Part III was something different for Francis Ford Coppola than the rest of the trilogy.
• With a redemption arc for Michael Corleone's character, Coppola tried to do something which wasn't greatly received by people.
• Sofia Coppola, the daughter of Francis Ford Coppola received the worst of it but she remained unfazed against the hatred.

Do you think there’s time for redemption after you have done so much crime while being an Italian mafia boss during your reign? Veteran director Francis Ford Coppola thought there was.

It started with Vito Corleone in The Godfather | Credits: Paramount Pictures

The acclaimed director made a bold choice to include Sofia Coppola (his daughter) in one of the prominent roles in the film. Unfortunately, The Godfather Part III received brutal criticism and Sofia Coppola got the brunt of it.

There was nothing more to say in The Godfather Part III

It started with Vito Corleone handing the keys of his empire to Michael Corleone through a series of unfortunate events. Mario Puzo’s The Godfather which was released in 1972 received worldwide acclaim and love from millions of fans.

The Godfather Part III was the end of a tale | Credits: Paramount Pictures

The second film expanded on Michael Corleone’s ruthless expansion of his empire. The Godfather Part II has often been called the best part of the entire trilogy. In 1990, Francis Ford Coppola decided to conclude the trilogy on a high note (or rather a low note) with Michael Corleone closing down his empire.

Many people thought that the premise of the film was a masterful stroke to an already iconic painting. Others thought that Coppola had lost its edge, and thus, The Godfather Part III was considered the worst-rated film of the entire trilogy.

Unfortunately, the film also had Sofia Coppola (the daughter of Ford Coppola) in the role of Mary Corleone, the daughter of Michael Corleone. Since the movie was not well-received, Sofia Coppola got the brunt of it since she was in a prominent role.

Sofia Coppola got the brunt of it

Back in the day, Sofia Coppola was called by several magazines for a photo shoot due to her involvement in the film. However, when the magazines were published, Coppola did make the cover page but it wasn’t what she expected.

Sofia Coppola became the scapegoat for people’s disappointments | Credits: Paramount Pictures

The cover page talked about how she was one of the pivotal reasons for the movie’s failure. Most of the reviews had something bad to say about Sofia Coppola. In an interview with the NY Times, the actress talked about how she was unfazed by it.

It was embarrassing to be thrown out to the public in that kind of way. But it wasn’t my dream to be an actress, so I wasn’t crushed. I had other interests. It didn’t destroy me.

Although The Godfather Part III was nominated for 7 Oscar awards, people weren’t really able to understand the metaphor and the need for redemption for Michael Corleone.

Released in 1990, the film currently stands at a rating of 7.6/10 on IMDb and an average of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Godfather Part I, II, and III are available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Written by Visarg Acharya

Articles Published: 2641

Visarg Acharya, Associate Content Writer, has been heavily involved in movies, series, and history. Having an experience of 2 years in the field of content writing, Visarg is a seasoned writer. Having a degree in Physics, Visarg Acharya has published a dissertation alongside a plethora of poems and short stories along the way.