04/19/09 - The Godfather: Part II

The Godfather: Part II (1974, 200 min)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071562/

Here we have the best sequel of any movie ever. One that actually improves on a near perfect film. And while I am seeing both on the same day, I did sleep between them so I was freshly rested. I actually do not recommend watching both of these back-to-back since you kind of need time to absorb how great each one is.

In this installment, we have the parallel stories of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) as he fights for power amidst swirling chaos and that of a young Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) as he rises to prominence in 1920s New York City. Either of these would make a great movie in and of itself. Coppola decides to go crazy long here (200 minutes) and actually give both stories in one movie which is great. The back-and-forth cuts are well-timed and appropriate and don't confuse or otherwise hinder the viewer.

Again the highlight of the acting in my opinion is Al Pacino. The scene where he is told by Kay (Diane Keaton) that she did not have a miscarriage but rather an abortion is amazing. Al Pacino simply acts with his eyes, his jaw quivering. The rage and anger is almost palpable. The way that he channels this violence is simply superb. When he yells at Kay during this scene it is truly frightening.

As in The Godfather, every scene again seems necessary. The long cuts of countryside or city streets even manage to flesh out these locations. The scenes where characters are solitary, silently in deep thought are even well done.

We get another amazing climax in this movie as well. Though not as spine-chilling as that in The Godfather's Baptism Scene, from the final testimony of Frank Pentangeli (Michael Gazzo) to the last lingering shot on Michael Corleone, we get great scene after great scene (the above mentioned miscarriage scene is in this time of the film). Overall I would say this is approximately the last hour or so of the movie and for a movie this greatness that long is simply astounding. We also get the death of Fredo which is somewhat painful to watch because Fredo, though betraying Michael, still manages to come off as very likable in my opinion. His anger at everyone calling him stupid and how his little brother Michael watches out for him shows how good an actor John Cazale is (also see Dog Day Afternoon to see him and Pacino again).

Overall, I gave this film a 10/10. However, it's better than The Godfather. Here we get two stories told superbly and an even better performance by Al Pacino as Michael Corleone. The parallel stories: that of rise in Vito Corleone and that of fall in Michael Corleone. It's hard to improve on what some call the greatest movie of all time in The Godfather, but The Godfather: Part II actually does that. As a final aside, these are the only two Godfather movies. There is a Godfather: Part III but I very much recommend viewers of these two films to simply ignore its existence.