The Godfather Part II (1974)

 

The Godfather  Part II (1974) 

In today’s world, sequels are a constant occurrence. In fact, it goes beyond that to pre-quels, re-quels, remakes, reimagining’s, rethinking’s, etc, etc. And they’re big business. But in the 1970’s, sequels were few and far between. At a time when not everything had been done in the movies, why would a sequel be needed? Especially a sequel to the original and best mafia film of them all, The Godfather? Released in 1972, it swept the Oscars and changed movies forever. And in only two years, a follow up would be released. Could it be done? Would it be as good as the original?

The first film was based on the novel by Mario Puzo. Turns out, that book had a tonne of source material yet to be mined, which was only touched on in parts with the first film. Since that movie’s mega success, director Francis Ford Coppola and Puzo had forged a great partnership, and got straight to work on a sequel. The ending of The Godfather clearly established the future of the Corleone family; Don Vito (Marlon Brando) had passed away, leaving his son Michael (Al Pacino) to lead the business and the family into the future. With such a sudden rise to power, what else would there be left for Michael to pursue? More power of course.

1974 rolled around as quickly as time does, and The Godfather Part II graced screens. Needless to say, the pressure was on, the expectations were beyond high and audiences weer hungry for more of the same. The surviving characters were back, and new characters were introduced. Set in the late fifties, Michael and Kate (Dianne Keaton) are flourishing; two healthy children, millions of dollars and the respect and admiration of everyone around them. With his hostile take over of some Las Vegas hotels, Michael was doing well, and as much as he would like to keep things business as usual, the other families wouldn’t let him hog all that money and power.

What makes The Godfather Part II so unique and brilliant, is its choice to jump back and forth between two alternating storylines; the rise of Michael Corleone, and the early days of Don Vito Corleone, as he journeys from Sicily, Italy to New York, America as a boy. In true rags to riches fashion, he finds work, marries a beautiful woman, and starts punching out the babies who would become the kids we’d meet in Part I. In another turn of creative genius from director Coppola, a young Robert De Niro was cast in the role of young Vito, and perfectly channels the character, image and mystery of his predecessor Marlon Brando.

Strap in for a movie well over three hours long, but rest assured you won’t be bored, and totally invested in the worlds of father and son Corleone, as they climb their way up to their respective positions of power and respect. The plot is intricate and fascinating, as we are pulled deeper and deeper into this world.

Michael’s journey takes him from his new home in Nevada, to Cuba and Washington DC, after an attempt on his life at his compound. Protecting his family, his name and his legacy, Michael will take whatever action necessary, even if that means dispensing of his mentors, eliminating his competition, and even casting out members of his own family. We meet a different Michael here than we did in Part I. He is certainly more certain and driven in what he is doing, but is controlled by a deep, dark desire to sustain power, and never let his true emotions show. Pacino’s performance here is stellar, and one scene in particular where he argues with his wife Kate, shows how quickly he can go from tender to terrifying, given the right trigger.

In his Oscar wining role, De Niro makes the role of Don Vito his own, while still reflecting the earlier work of Brando. After fleeing his home once his entire family is murdered, Vito enters America, a frail, frightened little boy, who doesn’t speak a word of English. But his work ethic is strong, and he dutifully fulfils his role, until the local neighbourhood kingpin comes along to shake things up. Threatening Vito’s freedom and way of life, the future Godfather will go to new extremes to take back what’s his, and rise to the position of power that will undoubtedly becomes available.

Although their journeys are set years apart, and under different circumstances, there is a common theme in both stories; power, the desire for it, and the greed and corruption that takes over a man on the rise to take that power. Coppola handles the transitions and pacing of both stories perfectly, finding just the right moment to switch timelines, and take you back there to see each story reach its conclusion. It was a classic of example of this ground-breaking director once again showing the world what a strong filmmaker he was, and setting the foundation for all future sequels to come.