The beautiful completion of a wondrous film arc **** (out of ****)

Rating: 10/10 (11 September 2003)

The Godfather, Part II, The Two Towers and The Empire Strikes Back: these are the only sequels to match the original. What do thesee have in common? They are all continuations of a saga, rather than just additional stories. I do not distinguish necessarily between the greatness of the Godfather Parts I and II. It is the same story, and both movies are ten times as good when viewed together in a 6 and a half hour marathon. In Part II, an incredibly slow first hour concerning Michael's trying to find the people who want him killed, this returns to the compelling family drama that is truly the essence of the Godfather. In the meantime, the story of young Vito, played by a young but still brilliant Robert De Niro, unfolds, intertwining his rise with the moral fall of Michael. At the end, the arc is complete, and the final shot of MIchael sitting amongst the falling leaves, a man who has lost his family and his soul, a man totally alone, so unlike the innocent at the beginning of Part I, is the greatest end shot in history.