THE GREATEST SEQUEL IN THE HISTORY OF FILM.

Rating: 10/10 (28 October 2003)

Magnificent from beginning to end, The Godfather Part II is a superb film that betters what was already a perfect film to begin with. Much more epic in scope and retaining a lot of symbolism and Shakespeare like tragedy, Coppola and Puzo have created a work of art once again. Flashing forward a couple of years after the end of the first film, we find that Michael has well and truly amassed himself as the head of the family. Struggling to turn the business into a legitimate empire, the film flashbacks to the early days of his father's building of the family business, in what is the first stroke of genius of this sequel. The flashback sequences make the film a much more epic affair and in doing so we see the differences not only in father and son, which is the main thrust of the story of the second part of this trilogy, but we see how much America has changed and how much the dynasty of the Corleone family has altered from small street business to potential empire. The real joy in the flashbacks here is how different father and son are. Whereas we see the love between them in the first film and how much Vito loved Michael, here we see the vast differences between them. As Michael tries to legitimize the family business, we see how increasingly alien like and withdrawn he becomes from those around him. His wife Kay, his 'brother' Tom, his blood brother Fredo and how it all ends in tragedy and with Michael ordering the death of the brother who betrays him. Coppola successfully integrates the flashbacks of a young Vito into all of this. Enhanced by the wonderful performance of Robert De Niro (very young here), we see how Vito built his own empire and we see how different he was to his own son, how he loved his wife very much, how he treated friends with respect, how he immersed himself into their lives, not only of those of his friends and family, but of the people he tried to help on the streets. It is this comparison that makes The Godfather Part II such a brilliant film.
The screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo is a masterclass in the art of storytelling. If Shakespeare were alive today, this is the type of film he would be writing. Betrayal plays a big part of this film, as does tragedy. Both the betrayal and the tragedy fall at the hands of the hapless Fredo, betraying his brother and then dying at the hands of a hit organized by Michael himself. John Cazale is a stand out amongst many in this film and the moment where he prays in the boat just before he is killed is one of the most haunting moments ever put on to film. It is both sad in many ways. It reinforces how much Fredo had destroyed the relationship with a brother that he loved and further isolates Michael into his shell, prompting a flashback to happier times and a piece of news that only Fredo reacted warmly to. All of this makes up for a fantastic film. It is truly the greatest sequel ever made. The story is well told, the acting is pure class and the flashback structure is done very well.
This is as perfect as perfection will come.