The Godfather II (1974) – 9/10 – Masterpiece in the steps of the first Godfather
THE GODFATHER PART 2 is a crime drama that continues where THE GODFATHER leaves off (my review for the first GODFATHER). For my 100th film review, I wanted to rewatch and review a favorite movie I hadn’t watched in many years. Since I watched the first GODFATHER for my 75th review, I thought I would watch the second for the 100th review. Originally, this film ranked #20 on my all-time list, but I’m boosting it to #13 after rewatching it. While the first introduced us to the Corleone crime family and became acquainted with the family’s rise, this one develops the backstory of the family’s formation. We also see Michael Corleone take the family through a decline in his day. Sequels rarely match the quality of the original, but GODFATHER II does. Many argue that GODFATHER II is better, but I think the first GODFATHER’s Marlon Brando and the plot are difficult to follow. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are outstanding, but pale in the shadow of Brando, often considered the greatest actor in history. Still, Pacino and De Niro’s impeccable screen presence was monumental, propelling them to stardom. This movie received eleven Oscar nominations in 1975 and won six, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (De Niro), Best Director, Best Writing, Best Art Direction, and Best Score.
Plot
Young Vito begins his story with his father being murdered for insulting a local Sicilian mafia don in 1901, and he must face the consequences of that. To escape the murderous don, Vito flees to America as an immigrant, seeking to start anew. Vito (De Niro) builds the empire to better his family (and friends he ran with), and Michael (Al Pacino) inherits it. The same Michael who once avoided the family business and underwent a transformation in the first GODFATHER. Vito and Michael’s lives, when juxtaposed, highlight their conflicting values and principles. The former tries to hold on to the respect of his loved ones and humanity, while the latter sacrifices both in pursuit of power. The gangster perspective retells an age-old story.
Technicals
THE GODFATHER II follows in the same footsteps as its predecessor. Technical details differ little between the two. Brilliant writing, much of the same cast, masterful cinematography, camerawork, generational music, production, directing, pacing, storytelling, and editing. If there’s an improvement, the pacing improves upon the first Godfather. The locations also improved from the first. Robert De Niro was a perfect fill-in for a young Vito. I’m hard-pressed to find a fault in this film. The themes run deeper here than in the first, with power and corruption taking the central stage. Lies, backstabs, corruption, and betrayals continue. We gain a deeper understanding of the characters introduced in the first movie. Calling GODFATHER more plot-driven and this more character-driven might be an oversimplification—but the two are inseparable. I believe there’s something to gain from watching these films in both release order and chronological order. The feel would shift from a contrast between Vito and Michael to a biographical history of the Corleone family. Both paths offer cinematic value and excitement. Writer Mario Puzo and director Francis Ford Coppola created two-piece gems that complement each other perfectly. I haven’t watched The Godfather 3 yet, but it takes place decades later, with an aging Don Michael Corleone. I plan to watch it in the future to see if Michael learns from his mistakes and how his arc concludes.
Trivia Tidbits
Almost all of Robert De Niro’s dialogue was in Italian, except for 17 English words. Francis Ford Coppola wanted Martin Scorsese to direct The Godfather Part 2. Studio executives refused to change direction after the success of the first GODFATHER. Except for the young Vito scenes, writer Puzo wrote the rest of the story just for this film. Marlon Brando was set to appear as Vito in a cameo but refused because of tensions with studio executives. The first GODFATHER had a famous scene with a complex crosscut that wove together two scenes. Godfather II was to do something similar, but early audience confusion led to edits. Filmmakers decreased the frequency and made it easier to follow. Al Pacino initially refused to do the original script, forcing Coppola to rewrite much of it. Robert De Niro was unsure whether his character should have a mustache, so he decided with a coin toss. Coppola considered having Brando play the young Vito, but chose De Niro. Only two sequels have won the Best Picture Oscar: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING and this. Al Pacino forced script rewrites and demanded a historic salary. Unlike the first GODFATHER, Coppola had complete production control for the second.
Would I recommend this?
Yes, this cinematic masterpiece is one of the greatest films ever. It continues THE GODFATHER with essentially the same characters. It’s both a prequel and a sequel because it shows scenes from a young Vito Corleone’s life and his rise to power. I want to watch the scenes in chronological order from start to finish, which Francis Ford Coppola created years later in the 7-hour special THE GODFATHER EPIC. Coppola edited that together and included extra scenes to create a truly cinematic epic. The standard release order is best to watch first before the chronological order. For this review, I will focus on GODFATHER PART TWO. My rating is 9/10.
*Obtained trivia facts from IMDB’s trivia page and plot/basic history/names information from Wiki
