Review: The Godfather: Part II (1974)
'Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.'
★★★★
That line is said by Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), who has just fully taken over the family business, shortly before his father's death in The Godfather: Part II (1974). After watching The Godfather (1972) and being blown away, I wondered how they could make the second one as good as, or even better than, the first. One day, while at a Half-Price Books store, I picked up The Godfather Trilogy on DVD and decided to sit down and watch The Godfather: Part II (1974). Boy, did that take me for a spin. The Godfather: Part II is the perfect example of a great sequel. But what makes a good sequel? Well, continue reading to find out.
This film's plot centers around Michael's time as the head of the Corleone family after Sonny's and Vito's deaths. After a failed assassination attempt at his home, Michael suspects there is a traitor in the family. Before he leaves, he tells Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) that he suspects someone within the family. This suspicion is a contributing factor in Michael's downfall. Michael finds out that the culprit behind the assassination attempt was none other than his older brother, Fredo (John Cazale), which leads to one of the most memorable lines in the whole film: "I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart."
The "B-plot" is centered around Vito Corleone (Robert DeNiro), showing us his origins from childhood to adulthood. We see his origins in Corleone, Sicily, his immigration to America after his mother's death, his rise to power, his marriage, the birth of his children, and his revenge on the man who took everything from him in the most satisfying way possible. As I watched Part II for the first time, I wondered, who could possibly play a character "created" by Marlon Brando? Well, none other than one of the greatest method actors, Robert DeNiro. He truly captures the essence of a young Marlon Brando.
Towards the end, when everything wraps up, Michael recalls Vito's 50th birthday party. Michael, Fredo, Sonny, Tessio, Carlo, and Paulie all sit together. Michael tells everyone he dropped out of college to join the Marines after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Fredo supported the decision, but Sonny (James Caan) didn't seem to approve. "Did you go to college to get stupid?" is one of the best responses I've ever heard in all of cinema. It mirrors the end of the film, where Michael is all alone on a bench, just like in the flashback when everyone is greeting Vito. This demonstrates how different Vito and Michael are. Despite everything Vito did, he put his family first and died in peace. Michael, on the other hand, didn't put his family first and instead dedicated himself to his work. As a result, he lost everything. His wife Kay left him, Fredo is dead, Connie still hates him, and Tom has grown distant. Had Michael been like Vito, things would have been different. Speaking of Vito, you may have noticed the cast members who reprised their roles from the first film, notably James Caan as Sonny Corleone. What about Marlon Brando as Vito? He was originally going to reprise his role, but feeling mistreated by Paramount Pictures, he decided not to show up for the single shooting day. Although it would have been nice to see Marlon Brando once more as Vito, it’s still a great scene, nonetheless. Blame Paramount if you'd like.
Going back to what I think makes a great sequel is simple. The short answer is to do what the first film did well but do it better. This is why "The Empire Strikes Back (1980)," "The Dark Knight (2008)," "Spider-Man (2004)," and "Aliens (1986)" are among the greatest sequels ever made. What "Part II" does is tell two stories, a prequel and a sequel, as I mentioned earlier. There are many people who prefer this over the first film, but I'm not really those kinds of people. I love them both equally.
"The Godfather: Part II" remains one of the best sequels ever produced, without a doubt. It's done really nicely and serves as both a prequel and a sequel at the same time. If you enjoyed the first one, you will without a doubt appreciate this one.