Day 13
Day 14:your favorite quote
“I knew it was you,Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!” - Michael Corleone(Al Pacino)
The Godfather Part II
I didn’t really mean to start from the top and go down, in my pursuit to complete the top 30 of IMDB’s Top 250 movies in 3 weeks time, but The Godfather Part II was accessible to me. Also, having seen the first, it is what I felt most obligated to watch first. Here’s my thoughts(Possible spoilers ahead):
While I tried not to compare it to the first, it is almost a given. There is things that make both great,and things that take away from each. Hurting Part II, is the absence of Sonny Corleone(James Caan) and Vito Corleone(Marlon Brando). The both of whom were my favorite parts of the first one. Seeing a younger version of that mean old guy from Elf was a delight to see, but his interactions with his brother Michael(a straight-faced Al Pacino) were just golden. And Brando, the only movie I had seen him in prior to the Godfather was Apocalypse Now, and man can he change characters. I am hoping to see On the Waterfront soon(not sure where it falls on the list.)
Having said that, I am grateful for this film for multiple reasons. Both Pacino and Diane Keaton(playing Michael’s wife Kay) step up in bigger roles, and really shine. For someone like me, 18-years-old, I’ve gotten used to an older Pacino and an older Keaton in the movies I see. And so seeing them in their younger years makes things even better.
Possibly my favorite thing about this film is the amplified role for Fredo Corleone(John Cazale.) When Michael shuns Fredo, Cazale’s acting in that scene is just beautiful. It really is a shame that his career was so short, but all five films he was in were nominated for Best Picture, so you could say he had one of the best careers of all time.
The great thing is, is that the story holds up to the first film. Both movies are over 3 hours, but you hardly ever recognize it. Even if you’re not an Italian-American, you feel like you could be one, or as if you know the Corleone family personally. That is what makes these films great, is that it feels as if you’re living out this crime saga. It would be too hard for me to rank them above/below each other, because both films work together as a magnificent piece of art.
