The Godfather - Part 2 is basically 2 films for the price of one, and they are both utterly mesmerising. First, there is the continued saga of Michael Corleone's struggle to strengthen the family's business dealings and to actually keep his own family together. Pacino's performance as Michael is definitely from the 'out-of-this-world' bracket. The abortion scene is one of the best movie sequences of all time. Trust me, that is NOT an over-statement. Just watch those eyes! Complex and thrilling this film is not one to miss.
The second film is the depiction of Vito Corleone's rise to power in the 1920's. It is basically a movie all of it self, just as gripping and mesmerising as the rest of the movie, and it is all down to Robert De Niro. How do you follow on from Marlon Brando? De Niro did - in spectacular fashion. Brando's performance in part 1 was legendary (I'll make him an offer he can't refuse), but De Niro matches him stride for stride, line for line (I'll make an offer he don't refuse), even though it is almost all in Italian. You can easily be forgiven that the same character is being played by someone else, De Niro is that good!
Ultimately though, the film belongs to Al Pacino. De Niro also has Raging Bull and Taxi Driver to claim as his best performance, but THIS is Pacino's finest hour. It is a chilling portrayal by him of how power can corrupt, and by the end of the movie even I was scared of him, let alone his wife, played superbly by Diane Keaton.
So what else can I say? 2 films for the price of 1 combine to create the best movie sequel ever made, regardless of the fact that I love The Empire Strikes Back. It is shocking, it is brutal, it is pure drama all the way through. Don't rent this movie! Buy it, so you can watch it again and again and again. It is an offer you cannot refuse!
Godfather part 2-Superb The King Lear of Filmaking.Godfather part2- best film ever made-so many bravura moments-one of the most intelligent and postmodernist films ever made by Hollywood.
The Godafather Part 2- easily the best sequel ever made as well. From the symmetrical time-- frame(the past is shot in Gold--significant? Yes --- to the present blue brown and black) to an outstanding performance from Pacino and ensemble support from John Cazale and Robert Duvall and the highly charismatic Lee Strasberg-Micheal we re bigger than US Steel.Its Shakespearean really.
Indeed if God made a film about the futility of violence this would be it.Indeed so many themes where to begin?--There are three underlying themes running throughout the film---
1) destiny-The Puppetmasters that pull all our strings--how by one twist of fate--Don Corelones survival in turn of the century Sicily an Empire was born.It then corresponds nicely with focal-points in 20 th century world history-Un-blinkingly so........
2-how in the past we have --simultaneously--a more'' innocent age'' and how the 20 th century
ultimately corrupts the souls of those men who shape our destiny high and lowborn.The System is corrupt basically..........
3-the fall of the Holy Roman Empire of Mafia families-a word ironically never used in the first two films-gives the film an underlying deepness- with the performances transcendent from the potential banana skins of ensemble performances.
Indeed Coppola does nt overcompensate for the loss of Brando because lets face it the ''flashback''sequence are superbly controlled shot acted and--forgive the pun --executed......
Its also about Crime and Punishment regrets, family, loyalty,paranoia, how we pay for our sins outside the law-- not punished by the police--as in Part 3---but by the even more sinister and almost etheric Puppetmasters .And its a film ultimately about redemption.
All enemies are dealt with because they represent the darkness of 20TH Century America--so in a way didactic and highly moral within its own self-governing ethos.
To be honest one could write a book about the Godfather Trilogy but highlights include Don Corelones final scene with Micheal the insight the destuction of all enemies at the end-- themes of power and betrayl and how one man can suffer far far more-there IS a Hell on Earth--than anything the police throw at him.As jade broken Micheal career-best Pacino is astonishing.
Indeed include the horses head sequence and the famous abortion sequence and you have box office and critical gold viewed through the prism of an America that lost its purple-spectacles a long long time ago.
So its not Popcorn then.But it is hugely entertaining showing the cancer of corruption in The American Dream and religous imagery--micheals annointment at the beginning-before Anthonys Communion.The Puppet masters again.
Tragedy is always close.It could be melodramatics but the pyrotechnical acting is immesuarbly convincing and nicely controlled--Pacino really desrving an Oscar for the Series--overcompensated through the souffle-Scent of a Woman--......
The bravura acting lifts it well out of reach of mere soap opera however.The insight and acting and general production were way ahead of its time.And indeed made in 1975 was the paving -stone for The Movie Brats--Speilberg Lucas DePalma Scorcese and yes Coppola--- making forward looking films in an modern context-especially with The Hays code gone.But for a film about violence and its reprecussions Godfather 2 is almost bloodless.There are only 5 killings in the film and most directed outside the family.
Yet ultimately it is almost Conservative in it s belief system--the cornerstones of family love honour and the duplicity of anyone outside the family network-including poor Fredo.The symmetry alone makes it an outstanding companion piece but it is also an extrordinary film in its own right.
Indeed instead of Brando we get De Niro. And the villains are also equally worthy--The ever-excellent Lee Strasberg outstanding.Coppolas previous film The Conversation established Post Watergate that paranoia is with us every day and with paranoia comes a sense of evil. Therefore his follow up film -The Godfather part2 -re focuses and simultaneously re-inforces and re establishes the very same belief.
Yet Micheal Corelone is nt evil in the traditional sense. In fact one of the joys of the film is wondering what you d do in Micheals position.Indeed not only is Godfather part 2 superior in every way to part 3 it must be the best film of all time.Certainly the most episodic but also the clearest.
So go on and rent it-if only for the acting and directing alone.But theres so so much more.The philosophy the spellbinding intelligence of the social commentary and the acting also the themes
and so much more.
So go on rent the trilogy-even the relatively dissapointing part3 seeing a jaded and ultimately broken Micheal(never ever recieving the Redemption he always wanted--suggesting in the end in its infinitely subtle way--unlike 40s noir films perhaps --that crime might pay financially but that in itself is nt worth the transaction we all pay for Sins -real or imagined--our Soul)--
Indeed looking even better in widescreen Godfather 2 has so many highlights it could fill an encyclopedia on how to make Film-and there you have it Go and rent this film now you ll appreciate it --you dont evenhave to be cine-literate to appreciate quality--really an offer you cant refuse......
