Review of The Godfather Part II (1974) by Richard D — 28 Jun 2018

I don't imagine I need to tell anyone that this is a great film. It's a rare case of a sequel that not only matches, but exceeds the quality of the original film. Coppola and Puzo alternate between two time lines .

.. taking material from the book that tells the story of Vito Corleone's rise to power and contrasting it with new material that shows the moral decline of Michael Corleone. With the switches in the timelines happening at key points that emphasize the contrast between father and son, the movie becomes a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.

All of the performances are great, but it's especially striking seeing how restrained Pacino is here. He's a commanding presence. My one complaint would be that Diane Keaton is done a minor disservice being given a fairly dramatic change in character that nearly comes from nowhere.