the best film of the 70's

Rating: Null/10 (24 January 2002)

It doesn't happen very often, but now and then a sequel - if you can call this film such a thing - ends up improving upon the themes and dramas of the first film. In this second slice of Corleone murder, intrigue and family ties, one misses Brando for about five minutes, and then Pacino takes the screen in what must surely be the finest piece of acting he has ever done. An Oscar for Scent Of A Woman? Typical blindness on the part of Academy voters, because Pacino blows everyone else away with just a look of hatred and coldness from his eyes, and by the way he reacts on the screen. By the end of the film he looks like a 20th century Richard III, complete with a blood-red shirt and a pale, almost lifeless face. Coppola, already scoring points that year for his excellent conspiracy drama, The Conversation, delivers what is, in my opinion, the best ever film made between the years 1970- 1979. In short, from start to finish, this film is totally mesmerising. DeNiro steps into Brando's shoes as the younger Don in a wonderfully evocative recreation of New York in the early part of the century, and yet come his last scene you will have no problem in believing that this will be the man who, in twenty years time, would grow up to be Marlon Brando in The Godfather. Twenty-eight years of meatier gangster flicks (Goodfellas, Once Upon A Time In America) have failed to erode its power and undeniable genius. This is because The Godfather part two is like every other classic work of cinematic art - it never ages and its power will never fade. Alas, a third part helped to remove some of its shine, but only a tiny part. A third chapter wasn't really nessecary - The story of Michael Corleone ends right there - on Lake Tahoe.
Movies like this come round once every decade, so do yourselves all a big favour and sit down for 200 minutes and indulge in a brilliant movie experience. You'll thank me later!
10/10!