The story of "The Godfather" and how it was made is already the stuff of movie legend. But the story of how the movie was saved and restored to the glory of how it first looked back in 1972 is one that probably deserves a bit more attention. And if you’ve got about twenty minutes to spare, you’ll want to give this one a look.
In 2008, Paramount released "The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration" with a fresh transfer assembled by Robert A. Harris of Film Preserve, but it was a lot of work to get that movie back on store shelves. "Emulsion Rescue" is a fascinating look at the step-by-step process of restoring Francis Ford Coppola‘s film to its original state, and most importantly, to the visual look cinematography Gordon Willis imprinted on the film. It’s fascinating stuff that gets very, very technical on how prints are made and preserved, but makes it all very approachable and accessible.
Featuring Coppola, Willis, Harris and Steven Spielberg, it’ll certainly add another layer of appreciation for the already monumental picture, so give it a spin below. [35 MM]