|
Michael Corleone Quotes: "There are many
things my father taught me here in this room. He taught me:
keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." "I
don't want to kill everyone, Tom. Just my enemies."
The basic story of this second installment
of The Godfather Trilogy cuts back and forth between two storylines,
one being Michael Corleone's struggles in the 1950's with the
Mob empire he's inherited, and the second one being how his
young, immigrant father, Vito Corleon, grew up in America, starting
a life in crime in the early part of the century, in 1910s New
York, as Vito strives to provide for his growing family. As
we watch his father begin the crime family we see, the son fights
to hang on to it, tightening his grip as he attempts to expand
his crime family's business in Los Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba,
trying to take the business legitimate, without much success
due to a variety of factors; the lure of absolute power, his
deteriorating ties to old school New York capo's, and his own
family members, a dysfunctional lot!
This gripping film classic, that rivaled the
success of "The Godfather, Part 1," was written and
directed by the immensely talented Francis Ford Coppola , based
on Mario Puzo's novel, 'The Godfather. ' Coppola won the Oscars
for director, writer, and for being a producer.
The stellar cast includes: Al
Pacino, Robert
Duvall, Diane
Keaton, Robert
De Niro, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg, Michael
V. Gazzo, G. D. Spradlin, B. Kirby Jr. (Bruno Kirby), John Aprea,
Morgana King, Mariana Hill, Troy Donahue, Joe Spinell, Abe Vigoda,
Harry Dean Stanton, Danny Aiello, Roger Corman, James Caan.
Al Pacino is great as Michael Corleone, son of the late Don
Corleone. It's a quiet, thoughtful performance, full of dark
looks and brooding silences, punctuated occasionally by violent
outbursts of temper. While not as flamboyant as some of his
later performances, Pacino is a powerful and memorable screen
presence much the same.
Robert De Niro, playing the Brando character from "The
Godfather," as a young man, does a masterful job. He even
speaks fluent Italian, (with English subtitles). Only a master
actor of De Niro's caliber could pull this off, and he does
it with great style and conviction. It is one of the best performances
of his career, and he won an Oscar for his efforts.
Talia Shire gave an excellent, compelling performance as Michael
Corleone's unhappy, volatile sister, Connie Corleone, earning
an Oscar nomination.
Dianne Keaton excels as Michael Corleone's
bitter wife, Kay, as she realizes too late that one must be
careful what kind of family one marries into. Her husband Michael,
had promised her that he would go legitimate, but instead finds
himself pursuing the goal of absolute power, which brings unhappiness
and tragedy.
John Cazale does a convincing job as Michael's
disloyal, incompetent, weak-willed older brother, Frederico,
who causes problems for Michael, who must then deal with him.
Troy Donahue has a brief role as Talia Shire's
irresponsible boyfriend, Merle Johnson. While he's not on the
screen very long, it's nice to see the 50's and early 60's teen
dream again, nonetheless.
My favorite scene takes place in the past with De Niro. Determined
to find his place in the world, De Niro tracks down and confronts
the crime lord who runs his neighborhood. The scene is brutal,
uncompromising and unforgettable.
The well crafted screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario
Puzo, was based on the novel, "The Godfather," by
Mario Puzo. Much time is spent setting up and developing the
characters, and it's time well spent. We really get to know
the key characters, as though they were members of our own family.
The recreations of the early twentieth century New York Italian
community are incredible. The details, including old building,
people in period costumes, speaking Italian, (with English subtitles),
chickens running around in the street are so authentic, it's
as though Coppola went back in time and lensed these period
scenes on location.
"The Godfather Part 2" has a memorable Music Score.
Nino Rota is the responsible party.
|
