The Godfather Part III
Robert Duvallis a herculean presence and the perfect antidote to violence and ira inThe GodfatherandThe Godfather Part II , and had he been inThe Godfather Part III , the moving-picture show may have been quite dissimilar . Francis Ford Coppola ’s adaptation of Mario Puzo ’s good - betray novel has been a cinematic military group driving the movie zeitgeist for decades . Now , 50 years after the initial passing , audience have been celebrating and cast members have been reuniting to dish on making - of memories . The Oscar - advance crime epicshaped gangster pic and the Mafia / crime syndicate musical genre , providing a more humane and family - orient slant with memorable characters , particularly that of Duvall ’s Tom Hagen .
Hagen is the Corleone family’sconsigliere , who acts as an advisor and trusted counsel to Don Vito and serves him and their lawyer . matrimonial to a woman named Theresa and the sire to four tike , Hagen is the unofficial fifth Corleone tike and fourth Word after Sonny obtain him live on the streets and befriends him as a tyke . Despite his German - Irish ancestry , which does not allow him formal membership into the family , Vito , played byMarlon Brando in the firstGodfatherfilm , agree to raise him . Known for his civilise ground , emotional intelligence , and have a level brain compared to all three chum , Hagen seems like the most obvious choice to function the mob .
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ForTheGodfather , Duvall was nominate for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar alongside James Caan and Al Pacino , who controversially had more screen door clip than Best Actor succeeder Marlon Brando . The character may be best remember for his dialogue scene , where Hagen point to Hollywood to carry a successful moving picture manufacturer to cast Johnny in his new war film and orchestrates the legendary gymnastic horse ’s foreland scene to get back at him . As Michael rises to power , however , Hagen is removed as consigliere and becomes involved less and less in the family business organization . While he is bring on to help negociate with Hyman Roth inGodfather 2 , the first continuation ever to win Best Picture , Hagen ’s displeasure over Michael ’s coolness creates a rift that is never rectify . It is a meet and imposingly spectacular direction , but the human relationship between these two case never gets a proper conclusion , give Duvall ’s absence in the final film .
Why Robert Duvall Wasn’t In The Godfather: Part III
Robert Duvall had significantly risen in prominence and demand after the first twoGodfathermovies . He appeared in some high - profile films , includingNetworkandMAS*H , and even garner Oscar gold for his performance in the res publica euphony dramaTender Merciesin 1983 . Duvall had also kept up a function family relationship with Francis Ford Coppola , additionally come along in the director ’s thrillerThe Conversationas well as theVietnam epicApocalypse Nowin arguably his most celebrated role as Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore , who utters the immortal line , “ I have it off the sense of smell of napalm in the cockcrow . ”
Evidently , there was lilliputian prevent the actor from repay forGodfather III , but Duvall admitted in more late interviews that it was money that halt him from give as Tom Hagen . He excuse that he was okay with short and fiery co - superstar Al Pacino clear double what he was become , but not four metre , which is what he claimed happened . Pacino was reportedly paid $ 8 million , plus re - shoot bonuses , for his performance in the trilogy ’s third instalment . For the first movie , when he was an unnamed , the actor was paid $ 35,000 for his total character , which was $ 1,000 less than what Duvall was paid . Duvall obviously took home $ 500,000 forTheGodfather Part IIand was offered a salary of $ 1 million forTheGodfather Part III .
How Tom Hagen Would Have Changed The Godfather: Part III
The Godfather Part IIIcame to be 15 years after the second plastic film , reluctantly get hold of onby Francis Ford Coppola , who was then was in search of a strike project that could help make for him out of debt . Focusing on Michael ’s battle to hold on to the family business sector while deal with vast guilty conscience and a change world , relations with previously unknown gunslinger , the Vatican , and Sonny ’s son Vincent , flirt by Andy Garcia , make the terminal movie a confusing disappointment . While there are some great callbacks like Michael and Kay ’s reconnection , there is n’t enough of the former cast to make the plastic film halt up to its predecessors .
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Robert Duvall’sThe Godfathercharacterappears in both subsequence and prequel books in theGodfathernovel serial , but Coppola has stated a split between Michael and Hagen was the initial architectural plan for the movie ’s plot . or else , the Christian Bible takes place in 1979 - 1980 , and the character ’s absence is explained that he died years before in an unspecified way . Had Duvall agree to doThe Godfather Part III , the pic would have likely dealt less with new characters like Joey Zasa and pass Michael a more suitable adversary . Hagen could apply more imperativeness to push Michael out and further test his loyalties and ruthlessness to see how far he ’d go in eliminate him . Hagen is also powerful , but not stale - full-blood , so it would have been interesting to see that character ’s limits , who would also likely have had his own questioning of guilt trip and dedication . Their own reconnection could have even possibly saved Michael ’s family had he left the family business to Hagen and stepped aside .
Could Duvall’s Hagen Have Saved The Godfather: Part III
While sure enough miles ahead of modernAl Pacino movies likeHangman , The Godfather Part IIIwas released in December of 1990 and was met with more than mixed review . Critics were let down by the overly complex plot , performance of cast members like Sofia Coppola , and dissimilar tone compare to the first two . Despite the reaction , the film earned $ 136 million at the box office and seven Academy Award nominating speech . Duvall ’s show , no matter how sizable , would not have likely changed the reception , though perhaps supply some extra satisfaction to audience and giving the character a right ending that he deserved .
Despite the pic being more than 30 years old now , Coppola , who is currentlyself - funding a novel movie calledMegalopolis , has tinker with different cut , let in the 2020 versionThe Godfather Coda : The Death of Michael Corleone . A limited serial calledThe Offeris set up to drop on the Paramount web this April , dramatizing the making of theGodfatherfilms . There is no Holy Scripture yet if an histrion does show Duvall , but his absence would be strange given how important to the films he is . Robert Duvallhimself continues to defend theGodfathermovies and reflect on his role as Tom Hagen . As forThe Godfather Part III , he has gone on record as read he has no declination whatsoever about not appearing in that cinema .
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