A tragic story...

Rating: Null/10 (4 December 2004)

In the Godfather, we saw Michael Corleone transform from idealistic youngest child to all-powerful mafia don. He successfully protected his family and led its resurrection. Part II is a roller-coaster in theme: Vito Corleone in his younger days(another one of De Niro's classic roles)rises from poverty, personal tragedy, and personal weakness to become the Godfather, a man whose family is healthy, safe, and affluent. He is a moral man, but does not rule out murder and crime as an option. He only uses it to help his family, however. The downward slope of this roller coaster is the story of Michael. I can't think of any tragedies I have seen in film that matches this one. Coppola does excellent at making us both sympathies and lament with a man who is evil, cruel, and destructive. Michael Corleone is now in firm control of the family. All seems well: his wife Kay is pregnant, they have two children already, Anthony and Mary. But these scenes early in the movie only serve as the diving board into the abyss. The night of his son's communion, an assassination is attempted against Michael. This is the beginning of the end. Michael trusts no one, save for Tom Hagen(Robert Duvall where were you for Part III? Save us from George Harrison please!!). But by the end, Michael trusts no one, especially after he finds out that his brother Fredo(another tragic character) was connected to his near assassination. Michael does some business in Cuba that only aids in the destruction of his soul. By the end, Kay and the children have left him, Fredo has been killed by him, and Michael is left alone. The end of the movie is a series of the best shots ever put into film(with the exception of some in Apocalypse Now). The dinner conversation summarizes the tragedy of Michael. He says he's joining the Marines and Tom and Sonny scold him. "I have my own plan's for my future." It is Don Vito's birthday and the family is there to greet him at the door for a song, but Michael sits alone at the table thinking. The final two images are of a train ride with Vito and Michael, showing a happy and successful Vito and young Michael and then the next, the most powerful shot of all time, is of Michael, sitting alone at his Nevada home. He sits there, broken, alone, invincible to his enemies but dead on the inside, a man whose sins will haunt him forever. Then the picture fades to black and in that instant will see what was wasted. Michael and Vito both were great men, but fate put them in their roles. Wasted greatness is the ultimate theme of the Godfather Trilogy and the tragedy of Michael Corleone is epic. Like Hamlet or Romeo and Juliet, destiny was against Michael. That is what ultimately makes us sympathetic.