Colonel Kurtz and Anakin Skywalker

You're right. GL relied on input from his friends. Marcia Lucas, his wife, in particular helped him to bounce off ideas for ANH. And after they saw the rough cut, his friends, Brian DePalma in particular, were severe and offered helpful advice. Btw, according to Annotated Screenplays, in a rough draft of ROTJ. Luke kills Vader and puts on Vader's mask to feign loyalty to Palpatine. I believe they are in the throne room on the Super Star Destroyer in this draft, and then Luke takes the helm (on the bridge?) and crashes the destroyer into the Death Star. I know I got the mask part right, hazy about the rest.

I am really interested in GL's creative process for all 6 films, but esp for ANH. Have you checked out

http://www.starwarz.com/starkiller

Also of interest is

http://www.jitterbug.com/origins/

 

I agree about Anakin being closer to Michael Corleone...however, I disagree about Michael never supposed to be forgiven. When he confesses to Tom Hagen's son the priest in the Vatican, he pleas with God: I swear on the lives of my children, give me one last chance to redeem myself and I will sin no more.

He renegs on it, and of course, what happens? Mary is shot and killed in an attempt on his life. He experiences true regret, breaks down and weeps when he admits he killed his mother's son (Fredo) I think at the end, we see a tragic figure, one who got dragged in to a life of crime, tried to get out, and being unable to. We see a man who suffers the worst fate possible for his sins, seeing his child die in his arms, because of his own actions. I think at the very end of GF III, we are supposed to finally sympathize with Michael, as he realizes his life was shameful and then as he dies in his chair in Sicily. Vito Corleone wasn't really any less guilty of crimes than Michael, he too engaged in many activities that would be regretable. However, he is always seen as a sympathetic character, and we the audience mourn his death. Michael gets to that point at the end, I think.

 

well this is off topic but have to comment on the above.

to say micheal was dragged into a life of crime is a bit ridiculas. micheal was being excluded by his family. his father, and his brothers had better things in mind for him. they wanted him to be squeeky clean. he got involved by his choice. his own doing. he did not have to have that meeting. nobody wanted him to do it. they all knew what it meant. so did he. it was his turning point. sitting in his fathers office, hearing everybody try and think of crazy revenge plans. only he knew what to do and only he could pull it off. increadible moment in film. when micheal falls to the dark side. and it does parrell anakins fall. because it is a choice. he makes a choice, it is not something that happens to him, it's not an accident, its not confusion. micheal and ankkin both make a decision to change their lives, to go from the hope of the family, the hope of the jedi to go to murderous path.

 

They wanted him to be " squeaky " clean because Vito wanted a member of his family represented in positions of power that were normally reserved for the Anglo blue bloods and Michael fit the mold perfectly but it was still sinister machiniations that drove this thinking by Vito. The book expounds further by saying that its specifically Michael who Vito wanted to take over the family. He was the logical choice because of Sonny's temper and Fredo's simple mindedness. Thats why Sonny flips out in the flashback when Michael announces he joined the army. They did indeed have higher plans for Michael, not for legitamacy however, but for power. The Corleones love for each other is only bested by their lust for power. It is THE major theme of the movie AND the book. Your supposed to be fooled by the father/son talk in the orange grove when Vito tells Michael he didnt want this kind of life for him. All he was really saying is that he wanted Michael to be the Corleone that didnt have blood on his hands, thus being able to obtain absolute power. But even at that point its inevitable because in that scene they are planning for when Vito is dead and Michael will be able to whack the other Dons. " ... and so let me say that I swear, on the souls of my grandchildren, that I will not be the one to break the peace we made here today " - and he doesnt, Michael does - and that was Vitos plan all along after Michael made the fateful decision to kill Sollozzo and McClusky.

 

The Godfather Trilogy...the second greatest trilogy of all time.

anyways, Francis Ford Coppola made the Godfather part II because people just didn't appreciate how evil Michael actually is. They treated Michael as a hero after the first movie. Coppola thought people missed the point. But, after many years, Coppola thought perhaps he was too blunt about Michael, and softened up a little but, thus we have the Godfather part III. The theme of the Godfather part III is redemption, as Michael attempts to clear his conscience. Confessing to Tom Hagen's son in the Vatican, trying to make the peace with Kay, trying to completely get out of all illegal activities...(until Joey Zaza tries to take him out, of course)By the end, all we are left with is the hull of a once great man, burdened with the actions of his life, realizing that it is his own actions that were the cause of his daughter's death. Maybe his anguish is justified, but we are left feeling sorry for Michael Corleone as he dies in Sicily.