The Godfather Part II

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The Godfather Part II
original movie poster
Directed by	Francis Ford Coppola
Produced by	Francis Ford Coppola Gray Frederickson Fred Roos
Written by	Mario Puzo Francis Ford Coppola
Starring	Al Pacino Robert Duvall Diane Keaton Robert De Niro John Cazale Talia Shire Lee Strasberg
Music by	Nino Rota Carmine Coppola
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	December 12, 1974 (première) December 20, 1974
Running time	200 min.
Language	English, Sicilian, Latin
Budget	$13,000,000 (est.)
Preceded by	The Godfather
Followed by	The Godfather Part III
IMDb profile

The Godfather Part II is a 1974 motion picture directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a script he co-wrote with Mario Puzo. The film is both a sequel and a prequel to The Godfather, chronicling the continuing saga of the Corleone family following the events of the first film while also providing an in-depth look at the rise to power of a young Vito Corleone. The film is also ranked as the 3rd greatest movie of all time by the Internet Movie Database with its predecessor, The Godfather, ranked as the number one movie of all time.

Contents 1 Plot 1.1 1901: Vito's childhood 1.2 1958: Michael as Don 1.3 1917: Vito's first crime 1.4 1958: Michael investigates Roth 1.5 1919: Vito kills Fanucci 1.6 1959: Michael's family unravels 1.7 1925: Vito returns to Sicily 1.8 1959: Death Occurs for Many 1.9 1941 and 1959: Final scenes 2 Cast 3 Critical acclaim 4 Academy Awards 5 Sequels 6 Trivia 7 External links

[edit] Plot

The plot is constructed from two storylines presented in parallel. One involves Michael Corleone in 1958/1959 after the events of the first movie; the other is a series of flashbacks following his father, Vito Corleone, from his youth in Sicily(1901-1925) through to the founding of the Corleone family in New York during the first quarter of the 20th century.

[edit] 1901: Vito's childhood

The film begins in 1901, in the town of Corleone in Sicily, at the funeral of young Vito's father, Antonio Andolini, who has been murdered for refusing to pay the local mafia lord, Don Ciccio. During the procession, gunshots are heard and a woman yells out that Vito's older brother, Paolo, has been murdered because he swore revenge on the Don. Vito's mother takes him to Don Ciccio to beg for mercy. Ciccio refuses, knowing that nine year old Vito will seek revenge later in life. The mother takes Ciccio hostage at knifepoint, allowing her son to escape. Ciccio's men kill Vito's mother, and they search the town for the boy. He is aided in his escape by residents of the town and subsequently finds his way in a ship to New York. At Ellis Island an immigration agent asks his name and he remains silent; another man reads his tag and says "Vito Andolini from Corleone", and he is registered as "Vito Corleone".

[edit] 1958: Michael as Don

In the late 1950s, in a similar fashion to the opening of the first film, Michael Corleone, Godfather of the Corleone family, deals with various business and family problems during an elaborate party thrown at his Lake Tahoe compound, to celebrate his son Anthony's First Communion in the Roman Catholic Church. He meets with Nevada Senator Pat Geary, who despises the Corleones, to discuss the fees of the gaming licenses for the hotel/casinos the Family is buying.

Michael also deals with his out-of-control sister, Connie, who is recently divorced but already plans to re-marry to a man Michael disapproves of. He also talks with Johnny Ola, Jewish gangster Hyman Roth's right hand man, who is supporting Michael's move into the gambling industry.

Belatedly, Michael deals with Frank "Five Angels" Pentangeli, who took care of the territory of Peter Clemenza after his death, and now he has problems with the Rosato brothers, who are being backed by Roth. Pentangeli leaves abruptly, stating "your father did business with Hyman Roth, your father respected Hyman Roth, but your father never trusted Hyman Roth."

Later that night, an assassination attempt is made against Michael, which he survives after his wife Kay notices the bedroom window drapes are inexplicably open. Afterwards, Michael tells Tom Hagen that the hit was made with the help of someone close, and that he must leave, entrusting all his power to him to protect his family.

[edit] 1917: Vito's first crime

In 1917, the adult Vito Corleone lives in New York working at a grocery store with his friend Genco Abbandando. The neighborhood is controlled by "The Black Hand" Don Fanucci, who extorts the local businesses into paying him for protection. Subsequently, Vito loses his job to Fanucci's nephew. Vito meets Clemenza and they commit their first felony together, robbing a red rug from a local apartment.

[edit] 1958: Michael investigates Roth

Michael meets with Hyman Roth in Florida and tells him that he believes Frank Pentangeli was responsible for the hit, and that Pentangeli will pay for it. Proceeding to Brooklyn, Michael lets Pentangeli know that he's aware that Roth was behind it, and he has a plan, but he needs Frankie to cooperate with the Rosato brothers in order to relax Roth.

Michael's brother Fredo receives a mysterious call at night from someone calling himself "Johnny". When Pentangeli goes to visit the Rosato brothers he is told, "Michael Corleone says hello." He is attacked and left for dead. His bodyguard, Willie Cicci, is run over by a car.

Tom Hagen is called to a Nevada brothel and Senator Geary in a difficult situation, disoriented with a murdered prostitute. Her wrists tied, she has been eviscerated. Fredo runs the place and Tom offers the senator the family's friendship in exchange for fixing the matter. Hagen says the girl was no one, she has no family who knew she was working in a brothel. Al Neri is briefly seen drying his hands on a towel. Geary claims no memory. He tells Hagen, "she was laughing, we had done this before". Hagan instructs Geary call his office and say he was a guest of Michael Corleone in Tahoe. Geary knows he cannot cross the Corleone Family.

Meanwhile, Michael meets Roth in Havana, Cuba, in late 1958, at the time when leader Fulgencio Batista is soliciting American investment, and the communist guerrillas are actively planning the Cuban revolution. Along with other businessmen, they celebrate Roth's birthday and discuss new deals on how to divide up legitimate businesses in America. At one point, Michael mentions that the rebels might actually win prompting Roth to remark that Michael hasn't delivered the two million dollars to form the partnership.

Fredo arrives in Havana with the two million in a briefcase and when Michael mentions Hyman Roth and Johnny Ola, Fredo says he has never met them. Senator Geary and other government people are coming from Washington, D.C. and Michael wants Fredo to show them a good time in the city. Michael confides to his brother that it was Roth who tried to kill him, and despite Roth's constant talk of his approaching mortality, he has no plans to share his wealth and will assassinate Michael after the New Year's Day party. Michael assures him that he has already made his move, and that "Hyman Roth will never see the New Year."

At a brief meeting, when Michael asks who gave permission to kill Frank Pentangeli, Hyman Roth recalls the murdering of Moe Greene in the first film.

While spending time in a club with the American politicians, Fredo doesn't recognize Johnny Ola. Soon after, at a sex show, Fredo comments loudly that he had been to that place with Ola once before. Michael realises that the traitor is his own brother, and dispatches his bodyguard to deal with Roth. Johnny Ola is strangled, but Roth, in a delicate state, is taken to a hospital. Michael's enforcer tries to kill Roth in his hospital bed, but is shot by guards before he can carry out his mission.

At the New Year's party, Michael grasps Fredo tight by the head and kisses him: "I know it was you Fredo; you broke my heart."

The communist revolution triumphs and most guests flee. Fredo refuses to go with Michael, despite Michael's pleas that Fredo is still his brother and that it's the only way out.

Upon returning to the U.S., Michael asks Hagen about Fredo. Hagen says that Roth escaped Cuba after suffering a stroke and is recovering in Miami; his bodyguard is dead, and Fredo is probably hiding in New York. Hagen also informs Michael that Kay had a miscarriage.

[edit] 1919: Vito kills Fanucci

The plot returns to Vito's story where Don Fanucci is now aware of the business partnership that Vito, Clemenza and Tessio have formed, and wants his share. Vito is reluctant to pay Fanucci, but asks his friends to leave everything in his hands so Fanucci will accept less. Later, there is a big festival in the neighborhood and Vito takes advantage of the occasion by murdering Fanucci in his apartment. Without Fanucci, Vito has earned the respect from the neighborhood and intercedes in local disputes. He now works at the rising Genco Olive Oil Company.

[edit] 1959: Michael's family unravels

Michael now returns home and deals with the loss of his unborn child and the state of his family. Meanwhile, a senatorial committee, of which Senator Geary is part, is conducting investigations on the affairs of the Corleone family. They question disaffected Corleone soldier Willie Cicci, but his testimony is not entirely useful as Michael never gave him any direct orders.

Michael appears before the committee. Senator Geary shows his support for Italian-Americans and excuses himself to leave the proceedings. Michael then challenges the committee to produce a witness to corroborate the charges against him. In the next scene, Frank Pentangeli is shown to be alive. He has made a deal with the FBI and is willing to testify against Michael. Tom Hagen and Michael discuss this issue, observing how Roth's strategy had worked. Michael holds a private meeting with his brother Fredo. Fredo mentions how he feels pushed aside, that he is not dumb, and that he wants respect. He says that he supported Roth thinking there would be something for himself but he didn't know they wanted to kill Michael. He also says that the Senate's lawyer is on Roth's side. Michael calmly says that Fredo has lost him completely as a brother and he never wants to see him again.

Frank Pentangeli arrives at Senate hearings to testify. Michael arrives too, accompanied by an unknown person. His mere presence causes Frank to recant his statement. When Pentangeli is asked if he served under caporegime Peter Clemenza he says he didn't, and that everything he told the FBI was a lie. When asked about the strange man, Hagen responds that he is Vincenzo Pentangeli, Frank's brother, and that he has come to support his brother. Without further testimony the committee is dissolved and Hagen demands an apology from them.

At a hotel room, Michael and Kay argue harshly when she tries to leave with their children. Michael says that he understands her grief at losing a child, but they will work things out. Kay responds "Michael, you are blind. It wasn't a miscarriage, it was an abortion." This statement infuriates Michael, who only says that Kay will not take their children.

[edit] 1925: Vito returns to Sicily

Vito and his family travel to Sicily to strengthen the commercial bonds of the Olive Oil import company and their businesses with Don Tommasino. Vito and Tommasino visit the elderly Don Ciccio to ask for his blessing. When asked about his father, Vito says, "My father's name is Antonio Andolini, and this is for you!", and stabs him with a knife. When they are fleeing the property, the last standing bodyguard of Ciccio manages to shoot Tommasino in the legs, but he survives (acquiring his signature limp, prominent in the first film). With the vendetta accomplished, Vito and his family leave the country.

[edit] 1959: Death Occurs for Many

In the 1950s, the whole Corleone family is reunited when Carmella Corleone, Vito's widow and the mother of his children, dies. Kay doesn't attend and Michael is still reluctant to deal with Fredo, but, after Connie (who shows signs of more maturity) talks to him, Michael and Fredo finally hug.

Later, Fredo and Michael's son, Anthony, become closer while fishing. At the same time Michael, Hagen and Rocco Lampone discuss their final deals with Hyman Roth, who was refused asylum in Israel as a retired Jewish businessman. Hagen says "Roth and the Rosatos are on the run...You've won. You want to wipe everybody out?" Michael answers, "I don't feel I have to wipe everybody out, Tom. Just my enemies, that's all."

Hagen pays a visit to Frank Pentangeli on a military base and they talk about past times. Kay visits her children and leaves at the arrival of Michael. Mirroring the structure of the first film, the sequel reaches its climax in a montage of assassinations and death.

At the Corleone compound on Lake Tahoe, Al Neri prepares a boat so Fredo and Anthony can go fishing. Fredo tells Anthony a story of how he caught fish as a boy when he recites a Catholic prayer, The Hail Mary. However, Connie says Anthony can't go because Michael wants to take his son to Reno. Al and Fredo still proceed out on the lake. Hyman Roth arrives at the airport and is prepared to be taken into custody. He is killed by Rocco Lampone disguised as a journalist, but he is shot as well. In the military base Frank Pentangeli commits suicide by slitting his wrists while in the bathtub. Finally, Fredo is executed by Neri on the fishing boat. Fredo is in the middle of the prayer, Hail Mary.

[edit] 1941 and 1959: Final scenes

The film flashes back to 1941, where the family is preparing a surprise birthday party for Vito Corleone. Sonny introduces Carlo Rizzi to his brothers and his sister Connie. They talk about the recent attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, and Michael shocks everybody by announcing that he just enlisted in the Marines. Sonny ridicules Michael's choice, and Tom Hagen mentions how his father had great expectations on Michael. Fredo is the only one who supports his brother's decision. They all, but Michael, go to greet Vito Corleone.

The last scene in the film is a grown up Michael sitting by himself.

[edit] Cast

• Al Pacino as Don Michael Corleone
• Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen
• Diane Keaton as Kay Corleone
• Robert De Niro as young Vito Corleone
• John Cazale as Fredo Corleone
• Talia Shire as Connie Corleone
• Lee Strasberg as Hyman Roth
• Michael V. Gazzo as Frankie Pentangeli
• G.D. Spradlin as Senator Pat Geary
• Richard Bright as Al Neri
• Dominic Chianese as Johnny Ola
• James Caan as Sonny Corleone (cameo)

[edit] Critical acclaim

The Godfather Part II is the first of only two sequels ever to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, (the second being The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King). The Silence of the Lambs, the 1991 winner for the Academy Award for Best Picture, is not labeled as an official sequel to Manhunter. The Godfather series remains the only film series to win two Academy Awards for Best Picture.

In between The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, Coppola directed The Conversation, a story of a paranoid wiretapping and surveillance expert (played by Gene Hackman) who finds himself caught up in a possible murder plot. The Conversation was released to theaters in 1974 and was also nominated for Best Picture, resulting in Coppola being the second director in Hollywood history to have two films released in the same year nominated for Best Picture and competing for the same prize at the Academy Awards. (The first was Sir Alfred Hitchcock, with Foreign Correspondent and Rebecca. Rebecca went on to win the 1941 Best Picture Oscar. This achievement was matched by Steven Soderbergh in 2000, when the films Erin Brockovich and Traffic were nominated for Best Picture. Ridley Scott's Gladiator won the statue.)

In addition to Best Picture, The Godfather Part II won Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Robert De Niro), Academy Award for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Director (Francis Ford Coppola), Best Music, Original Dramatic Score (Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola) and Best Writing, Screenplay Adapted From Other Material. It was also nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Al Pacino), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Michael V. Gazzo), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Lee Strasberg), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Talia Shire) and Best Costume Design. The film has also been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

Critically, The Godfather Part II can be considered the most successful sequel in movie history. Many critics praise it as equal, or even superior, to the original film. The Internet Movie Database consistently ranks this movie in the top five of its "Top 250 movies of all time", as voted by its users. The film also regularly ranks independently on many "greatest movies" lists. The Godfather Part II is ranked as the 1# greatest movie of all time in TV Guide Magazines "50 Best Movies of all time", and it is ranked at 7# on Entertainment Weekly's list of the "100 Greatest Movies of All Time". The film is also featured on movie critic Leonard Maltin's list of the "100 Must-See Films of the 20th Century" and is also ranked at 32# on the American Film Institute's "100 Years... 100 Movies". The Godfather Part II was featured on Sight and Sound's list of the ten greatest films of all time in 1992 and 2002.

[edit] Academy Awards

Award	Person
Best Supporting Actor	Robert De Niro
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration	Dean Tavoularis Angelo P. Graham George R. Nelson
Best Director	Francis Ford Coppola
Best Score	Nino Rota Carmine Coppola
Best Picture	Francis Ford Coppola Gray Frederickson Fred Roos
Best Adapted Screenplay	Francis Ford Coppola Mario Puzo
Nominated:
Best Actor	Al Pacino
Best Supporting Actor	Michael V. Gazzo
Best Supporting Actor	Lee Strasberg
Best Supporting Actress	Talia Shire
Best Costume Design	Theadora Van Runkle

[edit] Sequels

In the director's commentary on the DVD edition of the film (released in 2002), Coppola states that this film was the first major motion picture to use "Part II" as the title. Paramount was initially opposed to his decision to name the movie The Godfather Part II. According to Coppola, the studio's objection stemmed from the belief that audiences would be reluctant to see a film with such a title, as the audience would supposedly believe that, having already seen The Godfather, there was little reason to see an addition to the original story. The success of The Godfather Part II began the Hollywood tradition of numbered sequels.

Its own sequel, The Godfather Part III, was released in 1990. For that film, Coppola wished to break the precedent by naming it "The Death of Michael Corleone", but because of his reduced clout after a string of box office failures in the 1980s, the studio vetoed this decision.

[edit] Trivia

• The Godfather Part II was shot between October 1, 1973 and June 19, 1974.
• Robert De Niro's performance as Don Corleone (a role originated by Best Actor winner Marlon Brando) won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Brando and De Niro remain the only two actors to win Oscars for playing the same character.
• De Niro had originally auditioned for the role of Michael in the first film, but Coppola wanted Al Pacino to play the part, because he looked more Sicilian. Coppola kept De Niro in mind, however, and when he saw the actor in Mean Streets, he knew he was perfect for the part of Young Vito.
• In one early draft of the script, Tom Hagen had an affair with Sonny's widow, causing some friction amongst the Corleone family. This sub-plot was soon cut from the script, but Coppola included something like this in The Godfather Part III.
• Originally, Marlon Brando was asked to come back for the film's flashback sequences, as Coppola knew that Brando could play any age of a character. Brando felt mistreated by the board at Paramount, and refused to appear for a single day's shooting. Coppola tried to get him to appear at the birthday flashback, but Brando refused to reprise his role.
• James Caan agreed to reprise the role of Sonny in the flashback sequences on condition he be paid the same amount he received for the last film. He got his wish.
• The Godfather Part II was the last major American motion picture to be filmed in Technicolor.
• Bruno Kirby (billed in the credits as B. Kirby, Jr.) plays Pete Clemenza, a younger version of a character originally played by Richard S. Castellano. In the television series The Super, Kirby played Castellano's son.
• Vito Corleone gets his surname because he is originally from Corleone, Sicily. The US Immigration Inspector at Ellis Island, asks the young Vito, "What is your name, son ?". A guard who speaks Italian says, "Nome ?" The boy is silent, the guard reads the tag, pinned on the boy's coat and says: " Vito Andolini, da (from) Coreleone." The inspector repeats, "Vito Corleone." Sen. Geary, insults the Corleone Family, when he pronounces it, "VI-Toe Core-lee-own'" and later, to Michael, "Mr.Core-Lee-Own-E." Don Ciccio, says to Vito, "you have the name of the town." "What was your father's name?" As Vito plunges the knife, into Ciccio's abdomen, he says, "Antonio Andolini!"
• Dominic Chianese, of The Sopranos fame, plays the role of "Johnny Ola" in this film, which also marks his film debut. In The Sopranos, Dominic Chianese plays Uncle Corrado "Junior" Soprano.
• Speculation: The dead prostitute with Sen. Geary in Godfather II, is actress Jennie Linero. If this is true she would be in all three Godfather movies. Godfathers One and Three, she is Lucy Mancini, Sonny's mistress and mother of Vincent. The dead prostitute is not credited at any source.
• United States Senator Pat Geary of Nevada, G.D. Spradlin. At the time of Godfather II, 1959, the real US Senators were: Alan H. Bible, (D-NV) and Howard W. Cannon, (D-NV).
• The scene in which Vito negotiates with Don Fanucci inspired George Lucas's deleted (and later restored for DVD) scene in Star Wars: A New Hope, which Han negotiates with Jabba by asking for more time with paying the money.
• This was the first film that featured both Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. However, they wouldn't appear on screen together until Michael Mann's Heat in 1995.
• Among the Senators interrogating Willie Cicci, Michael Corleone, and Frankie Pentangeli are film producer/director Roger Corman, producer Phil Feldman, and science-fiction writer Richard Matheson.
• The film won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay even though only half of the film was adapted from the novel. Michael's story was an original creation, while Vito's story was taken from the novel. [1]

[edit] External links

• The Godfather Part II at the Internet Movie Database
• The Godfather Part II at Filmsite.org
• The Godfather Trilogy

Francis Ford Coppola
The Godfather series	The Godfather (1972) | The Godfather Part II (1974) | The Godfather Part III (1990)
1960s	Battle Beyond the Sun (with Aleksandr Kozyr and M. Karzhukov) | The Bellboy and the Playgirls (with Fritz Umgelter and Jack Hill) | Tonight for Sure | Dementia 13 | You're a Big Boy Now | Finian's Rainbow | The Rain People
1970s	The Conversation | Apocalypse Now
1980s	One from the Heart | The Outsiders | Rumble Fish | The Cotton Club | Peggy Sue Got Married | Gardens of Stone | Tucker: The Man and His Dream | New York Stories (with Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese)
1990s	Bram Stoker's Dracula | Jack | The Rainmaker
2000s	Youth Without Youth
Productions	The Junky's Christmas (1993) | Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) | Don Juan DeMarco (1995) | Lanai-Loa (1998) | The Florentine (1999) | The Virgin Suicides (1999)