#2 THE GODFATHER PART II-1974

The Godfather Part II-1974   (Academy Award for Best Picture)

Rated: R  Running Time: 3hrs & 20mins

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Written By: Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo
Cinematography by: Gordon Willis
Music By: Nino Rota

Cast:
Al Pacino.....Michael Corleone
Robert De Niro.....Vito Corleone
Robert Duvall.....Tom Hagen
John Cazale.....Fredo Corleone
Lee Strasberg.....Hyman Roth
Diane Keaton.....Kay
Talia Shire.....Connie Corleone
Michael V. Gazzo.....Frankie Pentangeli
Bruno Kirby.....Young Clemenza
G.D. Spradlin.....Senator Pat Geary
Dominic Chianese.....Johnny Ola


Its very rare in film to have a sequel equal to or greater than the original, this will be one example of that! Part II is every bit as good as Part I.  Michael has become the new Don and moved his family out to Nevada. Michael is no longer the shy Army man that he was at the beginning of the first film, he is now the head of the Corleone family business and is cold, calculating, and a ruthless businessman.  We see in an early scene him dealing with a US Senator, and then after the Senator basically insults his family we see Michael not only get angry but then refuse to do what the Senator wanted, showing that he is now powerful enough and that he will not be pushed around even by a Senator. With all do respect to Art Carney who won Best Actor in 1974 for Harry and Tonto, Al Pacino was robbed!! Pacino is fantastic in this film as we see Michael become a very intense person that after an attempted assassination on his life, he his full of vengeance and spends all his time trying to figure out who was involved and then how to get revenge, meanwhile he neglects his wife and children, which is something that his father never did when he was the Godfather. Once again wonderful cast all the way around with Duvall, Cazale, and Lee Strasberg.  The film is long, but it never felt long! As the film moves along we that Michael has realized that Hyman Roth has been the one behind the assassination attempt and that the person within his organization that indirectly helped was non other than (SPOILER ALERT!!!!)  his brother Fredo. One of the cool things about this film is that it has 2 storylines going on at the same time. While we are watching Michael Corleone we are also being shown the story of his father Vito and how he came to America and became the head of one of the most powerful mafia families in America. The young Vito is played beautifully by Robert De Niro. We see Vito become the Godfather all while still being a family man, which in reverse is what we see Michael struggle with throughout the film. Again a masterful job with the cinematography by Gordon Willis. Every shot seemed to be a work of Art. Also the music is once again as brilliant and wonderful as the first film. By the end of the film we see (SPOILER ALERT!!!) Kay realizing that her husband is not the same and despite his promises to make the family "legit" that it will never happens and in a emotion scene we see her tell Michael she is leaving him and taking the children. Of course Michael fights back and says he will do everything in his power to make sure she and the children wouldn't leave. Kay realizing that as long as Michael loves her wont allow her leave, so she reveals that the miscarriage she had was in fact an abortion, and that she knew it was a boy, but didn't want him being brought up in this kind of a family. Out of pure rage and feeling betrayed by her Michael strikes Kay knocking her onto the coach and he then kicks her out.  Michael has only his sister left to take care of him by the end of the movie and you can Michael broken down, lonely, feeling betrayed by those that loved him and that he loved.  I give the film 5/5 stars and rank it up there with the other great classic masterpieces in film history!