A cinematic epic by Coppola

Rating: 10/10 (21 February 1999)

The Godfather II is not really a movie about the mafia. The themes that run throughout the film are of power,corruption of power and family. Coppola expertly tells the parallel stories of a father and his son with the use of flashbacks and flashforwards. He simultaneously shows how the father builds an empire and how his son subsequently unwittingly destroys it. The scenes involving the son Michael Corleone are very serious in nature,whereas the scenes involving the father,a young Vito Corleone, are presented in a more jovial manner.Before a flashback or flashforward, Coppola uses an effective technique of having children or the mention of children in the scene in order to emphasize the generational link through children. The flasback scenes are also photographed using different methods of lighting to contrast the different moods.Metaphorically, the story of the Corleones parallels the rise and subsequent corruption of America. The ultimate symbol of America in the form of the Statue of Liberty appears throughout the film. The assassination of Hyman Roth the jewish Mafia chieftain, is eerily similar to the assassination of Lee Harvey Oswald the alleged assassin of President John Kennedy. Coppola effectively uses symbols such as the orange to represent evil. Several scenes show characters that do evil holding an orange (the fruit being a biblical symbol of evil).In an early scene Johnny Ola an emissary for Hyman Roth brings an orange to Michael Corleone from Miami. In a flashback scene, Don Fannucci (the black hand), is seen handling an orange before his demise. Michael Corleone is eating an orange as he plots the murder of his enemies. Coppola also uses catholic religious rituals as backdrops in major murder sequences. As Vito Corleone murders Don Fannucci there is a religious procession on the street. As Michael's brother Fredo is being murdered he is reciting the Hail Mary prayer. In the end Michael loses his soul and family to maintain his power. A great film by a talented director.