The Uprise of an Empire and the Fall of another

Rating: 10/10 (7 February 2011)

How do you follow the greatest mobster movie of all time? By contrasting the uprising of Vito along with the fall of Michael at the same time. The scenes at first are subtle, yet powerful. Take for instance, the beginning where you have the humble Don singing in Italian at Ellis Island as a kid and the scene changes to Antony's first communion in Reno which is just a front for the Senator to do business with Michael about the acquaintance of new hotels for double the price of the arranged price in order to milk the family as much as possible. There is hatred for the current family that Michael controls from outsiders such as Senator Geary. The Vito plot flows smoothly of how Vito gains power by meeting Clemenza and killing the current powers in Little Italy in New York and later getting revenge on Don Ciccio in Corleone. He starts by stealing and then running molasses with several partners while doing favors for certain people. Michael's story is about Roth trying to take over Michael's control over the hotels he owns by having a partnership with Cuba, Michael's investment in some new hotels in Cuba, all while trying to overthrow him by having Fredo betray him unintentionally since he knew that everyone in the family stepped over him because he is weak minded. While Vito is becoming the new Don in the 20s, Michael does the unforgivable and orders the hit on his own brother since he never forgave him for his betrayal and the ending is truly the end of this franchise with the haunting comparison of a young Michael with his dad waving goodbye and then it goes back to a cold Michael pondering his brother's death. The irony also is that when Michael joins the Navy and everyone on the table questions his decision, Fredo is the only one who embraces his decision.