A Perfect Continuation

Rating: 9/10 (19 September 2005)

WARNING: CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR PARTS I AND II.
When "The Godfather" was released in 1972, it instantly became a classic, and has now gone on to become a cinematic legend. I find it rather surprising that "The Godfather Part II" was made at all, as "The Godfather" is not exactly a franchise film, but what is more surprising is just how good this sequel is.
"The Godfather" was the story of the Corleone crime family: Vito (Brando), the Don of the family; Michael (Pacino), his youngest son; Sonny (Caan), his hot-tempered first-born; Tom Hagen (Duvall), his adopted son and legal adviser; Fredo (Cazale), his middle child; Connie (Shire), his daughter; and Kay Adams (Keaton), Michael's girlfriend. Over the course of the film, Vito is seriously injured, causing Sonny to become Don, but due to his temper, he is promptly shot dead, thus causing Michael to take over duties as Don, and he and Kay are married.
"The Godfather Part II" begins right where "The Godfather" left off and continues chronicling the struggles of the Corleone family as they attempt to become a legitimate organization amidst the corruption they are tied to. But the film also switches back and forth between this storyline and that of young Vito (Baldini, De Niro), showing us how he rose to power.
"The Godfather Part II" has about the same pace as the first film, the same beautiful gold-tinted cinematography, the same operatic approach to the subject matter, and I think it is almost on par as far as quality. But the thing that really makes "Part II" amazing is Pacino's mesmerizing performance as Michael. He was spellbinding in Part I, as well, but this film really gives him a lot more opportunity to develop his character. The most compelling moments in the film are not the scenes of confrontation or violence, but the scenes of Pacino's intense brooding. No other actor has ever so effectively developed their character without uttering so much as a single solitary syllable. A perfect example of this is the scene where Michael and Fredo embrace after Michael had told him he never wanted to see him again. The look in Pacino's eyes is just out of this world. Actually, Cazale's performance is notable, as well.
Francis Ford Coppola's direction skill is at its pinnacle with this brilliant piece of celluloid, and this, unfortunately, was to be his second to last great film (his last being "Apocalypse Now"). Another thing that majorly contributes to not just Part II, but the entire trilogy's greatness is Nino Rota's absolutely beautiful and undeniably memorable score. Not since 1944's "Laura" has a composer utilized a repeated theme so well.
Unfortunately, the "Godfather" series failed to become a trilogy of masterpieces when the bland Part III put a blemish on its greatness, but the sheer power and remarkable film-making of the first two chapters will be forever remembered as two of the very finest films ever made, and rightfully so.
9/10