Great movie! Themes not thrills. An unexplored theme?

Rating: 10/10 (2 February 2005)

For those of you looking for cheap thrills, or a no-brainer gangster movie, well this is not for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for a timeless classic, then this is at the cream of it. If you haven't watched the movie, then the following may be a spoiler - but seriously, you must be living under a rock!!?!
Anyway, I just wanted to mention how great Pt II was. I cannot compare Pt I and II but really the rewards cashed in Pt II is because of Pt I. But on the face of it Pt II is the best one because its slightly more dynamic and clever. For me, its clinched by a flashback scene towards the end of the movie. In this flashback, Don Vito, Tom, Sonny and Michael are sitting around a table talking about the war but otherwise are merry, and Michael out the blue says he wants to join the army. At this point, the full realisation that Michael was the "black-sheep" of the family right from the beginning hits you. Michael has not transformed, he had always been like that. He was always the villain in the story. His promise (in Pt I etc) not to enter into the family business can now be seen in new light. His actions in Pt I and Pt II can now be seen in new light. Only those who contributed to the building/maintenance of the family are the true heroes.
Corollary to this, the movie also shows how its easy to sit there and criticise, or to lose everything, and how much tact, skill and resilience (and people/business skills!!) is required to build and maintain something. We could be talking about running a mafia business or your local football team, or your life.
If there are any imperfections, then I respectfully submit that it lies with the viewer.