The Island Cinephile

The Godfather Part II: A Worthy Contender

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

“Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.”

Don Michael Corleone

The Godfather II debuts off-the-heels of the first film a mere two years later. Bearing in mind the commercial success achieved by its predecessor, the second film attempts to strike lightning again – and it nearly does so without a hitch. With subtle direction from Francis Ford Coppola, the second film begins with a prominent family scene akin to the opening Wedding Scene from part one. Michael Corleone’s son, Anthony, is participating in his first communion ceremony which is then celebrated at the family compound on Lake Tahoe. He conducts a few meetings during this important event in his son’s life as Don Corleone. Though, tensions unravel between Michael and Kay as his efforts to legitimize the family business have seemed like empty promises. These meetings are of great importance and form the premise of Michael’s destructive pathway for the entire film. Opposingly, the story of a young immigrant Vito Andolini, known as Vito Corleone, is detailed. From his young life living in Corleone, to his migration to New York as a child. As a young man, we see how he builds his empire from the ground up and garners the loyalty of his community.

Both stories are interesting to view but because of the comprehensive facets of both complex characters – the film feels distended. Due to this, my interest waned every so-often because of the jump between both stories. Maybe the film would have rated higher for me if it had been split into two parts – one detailing much more of Michael’s rise and fall, and another detailing the life of Vito Corleone. Regarding characterization, Michael’s descent into darkness is portrayed using symbolism and subtle acting by Al Pacino. At times he felt a bit too stoic compared to how Michael is portrayed in the first installment. He appeared to deviate from looking out for family interests to wanting to pursue control over all of them. His motivations were not clearly defined in this film, and it seemed unmethodical. Still intelligent and with a calm demeanor, Michael is shown to be more reserved and cold-hearted. Whereas Vito Corleone’s early life is a treat to watch as De Niro portrayed him as a charming, intelligent, and hardworking immigrant in New York. He was one that built his family from nothing and sought to protect them at all costs. Therefore, seeing the juxtaposition between the father and son did not make much sense since the Michael seen in the first film, sacrificed his freedom to protect his family. The dialogue of the film helped with characterization but felt too on-the-nose sometimes. There were a few popular quotes that has made an indelible mark on pop culture, one being “Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.”

Many of the actors from the original film had reprised their roles, except Marlon Brando and Richard Castellano. Though their presence is missed, the film is carried out beautifully through the efforts of a young Robert de Niro and Al Pacino. The quality of De Niro’s work was recognized as he had won an award for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards. I do wish that Pacino’s character was explored much more, notwithstanding that his work was nothing short of stellar as Michael Corleone. His subtlety in acting is what makes most of his characters. James Caan reprises his role as Sonny for a minor portion of the film and reminds the audience of what was lost. John Cazale reprises Fredo and does a stellar job as the shifty, jealous brother. Though, I wished his and Michael’s relationship were explored more. Diane Keaton as Kay remained a good choice as a tortured, frustrated wife.

The Godfather II is a great follow-up to the original film but seems to have lost its way because of the convoluted plot which required more time given to such complex characters. Compared to The Godfather, part two falls a bit short of creating another near-perfect movie. Yet, it is still an acclaimed film and a worthy contender.

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