This movie is a study in greed and depravity.

Rating: 10/10 (27 November 2005)

This movie is about a struggle for power between two men: the pretentious upstart Michael Corleone, who is trying to establish his legitimacy as Godfather, and Hyman Roth, the most powerful crime figure on the planet, whom Michael both hates and wants to emulate. The movie also shows Michael's depravity and hypocrisy. While committing the most vicious acts in the name of the Family, he is actually systematically targeting for destruction every one closet to him. Michael is nothing but a phony. He reveres his father, Vito, who is his role model, but he can never be another Vito. Vito was respected and loved, while Michael is feared and loathed. Vito attracted people, inspired confidence, was acknowledged a leader, while Michael repels people away. Everyone close to Michael is driven away or killed: Tom, Freddie, Kay, Pentangeli. They are on to Michael and Michael knows it, so he must have them eliminated. The character of Michael Corleone is one of the most chilling characters in cinema history. Michael is cruel and depraved, yet tries to pass himself off as decent and moral. But that is a front which masks his greediness and deceit. Everything he touches he destroys. Michael is so nasty and mean that he even fights Hyman Roth, the one man who has real affection for Michael. But even that is not enough for Michael. For Michael, being a predator, Roth's good will is a sign of weakness to be exploited. The depth of Michael's depravity is bottomless. And in the end, the man for whom family meant everything, has no one. He has either murdered or driven away everyone. He is alone.
When this movie was first released oh those so many years ago, I liked it. Recently I watched the movie again. This time, the movie wasn't that good. My main objections to the movie are: the repeated use of flashbacks and the character of Michael. Regarding the flashbacks, they ruined the continuity of the movie. Is this movie about Michael or is it about the first Godfather? Second, the character Michael is so overblown and two-dimensional that not even Al Pacino's excellent performance could totally save it. It seemed that what Michael needed was a therapist to help him work through his misplaced aggression. Michael feels the need to defend his family but defend them against WHAT? Moreover, Michael is married, is the father of two children, is educated and thoroughly middle-class. This profile does not suggest someone who is likely to be directing an organized crime syndicate. Sorry, it just doesn't wash. And when Michael has his older brother murdered, even though his brother is mentally challenged, that defies all logic, even for Michael for whom the family comes first. If this movie is supposed to be a dramatic study of a deeply confused man who harbors paranoid delusions of persecution mixed with a big dose of grandiosity, then this movie is interesting. However, if this movie is trying to suggest that an intelligent, college-educated, married family man, who has the option to go "legit", would be interested in pursuing a career in organized crime, then this is stretching literary license a bit far. Why not have Michael run for political office instead? Now that could make for an interesting and credible movie.