By John Corrado

Following the release of The Godfather Trilogy in 4K Ultra HD earlier this year, Paramount is now releasing standalone editions of Francis Ford Coppola’s three films in 4K, with both regular and SteelBook packaging.

Coppola’s Oscar-winning 1972 adaption of Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather, charting the rise to power of son Michael (Al Pacino) within the Italian crime family overseen by Vito Corleone (Marlon Brand), ranks among the greatest American movies ever made, and the film is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

On the front, the shiny black SteelBook case features a digital portrait of Brando’s Vito holding a cat, done in an oil painting style, with the famous quote “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse” on the back. On the inside panels are overlaid, sepia-tinted images of scenes from the film. It’s an attractive package that matches the two subsequent films.

This is the same 4K remaster overseen by Coppola that was included in the trilogy box set (you can read more on the restoration here), and The Godfather looks incredible in the format, with a beautiful, filmic look to it that really compliments the rich cinematography by Gordon Willis. While it lacks most of the bonus features included in the box set, this is a nice edition for physical media collectors looking for a standalone copy of the film.

Bonus Features (4K Ultra HD):

The 4K disc includes a previously released commentary track and introduction from Coppola. A code for a digital copy is also included in the package.

• Commentary by Francis Ford Coppola

• Introduction from Francis Ford Coppola (2 minutes, 54 seconds): Coppola reflects on it being fifty years since he made the film, and how the production coincided with the birth of his daughter Sofia (who is seen as an infant during the finale of the movie). Accessible under the “Play” button.

The Godfather is a Paramount Home Entertainment release. It’s 175 minutes and rated 18A.

Street Date: October 11th, 2022