Rent The Godfather: Part II (1974)

Masterpiece - The Godfather: Part II review by GI

A simply glorious piece of film making and one of those rare occasions where a sequel is as good, if not better, than the original. Director Francis Ford Coppola's striking recreation of the early 1900s and the 1950s and the somewhat unique structure of this film makes it a rewarding viewing experience. It's a modern cinematic art masterpiece and a film worthy of repeated viewings. It's so rich in detail that there are gems to be discovered each time you see it. The film is both prequel and sequel to the original with the two storylines intermixed creating a contrast between the rise of Vito Corleone, here played by Robert De Niro, and the continuing saga of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) as he secures his empire through murder whilst claiming to be making the 'family' legitimate and having to deal with a senate hearing on organised crime. Coppola fills the screen with so much authenticity in the scenes that begin in Sicily with Vito, as a young boy, having to flee the local mafia boss who has murdered his family - a sequence that proves a key to the character's development later. The New York of 1901 and beyond where, as a young man, Vito realises that crime is the way to provide for his future sets his life on course to become the later head of the mafia family. There's some cold and precise violence displayed here although as with the first film it is restrained and whilst realistic it's not gratuitous. The intermixing of the family in Nevada where Michael rules without challenge is a story of corruption and Pacino's Michael has now transformed from reluctant crime boss to evil incarnate. His character is the epitome of the maxim 'absolute power corrupts absolutely' and we watch as he gradually turns on his own family members where he sees betrayal. Pacino is a tour de force here aided by Diane Keaton who has a more powerful role as his wife Kay who gradually comes to challenge and hate him. There's also a recreation of historical events that look and feel documentary in style especially the senate hearings and the Cuban revolution which has a key role in the narrative. A wonderful film, a family saga, epic and melodramatic and one of the finest films ever made.