One of the Greatest of All Time

Rating: 9/10 (15 December 2011)

The Godfather Part Two opens right where the The Godfather left off. Nino Rota's masterful and romantic score whispers off in the distance. The screen fades in from total darkness, pure emptiness. We see a focused man sitting stoically in a leather bound armchair. Darkness expands around him on all sides. This man is Al Pacino as Michael Corleone. Around him his associates kneel, showing their utmost respect. Michael is being crowned the new Don of his family. In the last film, his father, a powerful New York mob boss, had passed away, requiring Michael to now lead his family. With this action, Michael is closing the door on his old life and returning fans are quickly reacquainted with this epic tale.
The Godfather Part Two was left with the task of filling an extremely large pair of shoes, as its predecessor is considered one of, if not the greatest, film of all time. The second film does surprisingly well in accomplishing this enormous undertaking. With its stellar combination of all elements that make a film great, The Godfather Part Two easily works its way into the discussion of the greatest movies of all time.
This film effectively flips back and forth between two different plots in two separate time periods. After being reintroduced to Michael, we are immediately transported to the beautifully recreated island of Sicily at the turn of the century. We are then shown a young Vito Corleone (Andolini), Michael's father. We are also told that Vito's father was recently murdered and that his brother has fled to seek retribution, leaving only young and timid Vito and his mother. Vito's innocence is exemplified by the quietness and minimal dialogue in this opening scene. Quickly after, we are informed that his brother has also been killed by the same man and he and his mother go speak to the mob boss that has committed these acts. In attempting to plead with the local boss, his mother is murdered and Vito flees to New York. Once in New York, the plot documents Vito's exciting rise from a poor Italian peasant into one of New York's most powerful mob bosses. He overthrows the current boss, and he along with his friends, put themselves into power. During this portion of the film we are introduced to younger versions of characters from the first film, such as Peter Clemenza and Mama Corleone, Vito's wife. Throughout this tale, Vito also seeks retribution for the murders of his family. The final words he utters to his families killer are, "My father's name was Antonio Andolini and this is for you" This event show Vito's rise to power coming full circle.
Interwoven between this story is also the tale of Michael Corleone's personal struggle. He struggles in keeping control of his family and also trying to legitimize his business ventures, involving such groups as the US Senate. In this plot we see the development of Michael from the timid young man he was in the first movie to the true face of evil he becomes. Al Pacino's beautiful performance, such as his soulless glare and heartlessly delivered dialogue, accent the corruptness in his character. We also see his life slipping away from him in many different ways because of his terrible actions, most specifically the act he commits towards the end of the film. This final scene shows the completion of Michaels's transformation into pure evil. The plot ends with one of the greatest climaxes in modern cinema.
Even without the legendary Marlon Brando at the helm, this film still contains one of the greatest ensemble casts of all time. Al Pacino, now at the fore-front, is supported by the likes of Robert DeNiro as Vito Corleone, Diane Keaton as Kay Corelone and Robert Duval as Tom Hagen, to mention a few. Every character has an added depth due to these talented actors' ranges. This phenomenal cast makes the viewer care about family aspect of the film and believe that all of these actors could truly be related.
Though a long film, totaling over three hours in length, excellent pacing keeps the viewer interested at all times. There is never a truly dull moment in the plot. The expanded run time allows for a more complete tale to be told. Also, exceptional editing mixes both plots together. I disagree with Roger Ebert when he says the two plots, "provides for itself a structural weakness from which the film never recovers" I think the two plots strengthen the movie as a whole. Over the course of the movie, the viewer is never confused and the plots never seem to run over into each other.
Francis Ford Coppola and Gordon Willis continue their partnership as director and cinematographer to create one the most visually compelling films of all time. In discussing Willis's cinematography, Vincent Canby of The New York Times said, "The photography by Gordon Willis, so effective originally, is now comically fancy – the exteriors are too bright and glowy while the interiors are so dark" He is discussing Willis common use of darkness in his shots. I feel that Willis's continued use of his dark and shadowy style adds a deeper emotion to every scene. Coppola's dynamic choices on shots contribute to the sensation in scenes, even ones with very little dialogue. Together they beautifully recreate settings such as Sicily, Las Vegas, Miami and Cuba.
The Godfather Part Two surpasses all goals that it set out to achieve. Its stellar cast highlights one of the best written tales of family and honor in the history of cinema. It is hard to define The Godfather Part Two as purely just a gangster movie. It is much more easily defined as a masterpiece. Combining all of the elements that produce a great film, the team behind The Godfather Part Two created one of the greatest movies of all time.