Review of The Godfather Part II (1974) by Andy P — 22 Dec 2013

"Perfection" is a word that is often used in movie reviews to describe a really good film, but rarely often does the movie amount to the description. In the case of 'The Godfather, Part II', the movie really, truly is an example of perfection.

I can't stress that enough, it's perfect, perfect, PERFECT! As a cinema lover, a film nerd if you will, like anyone who thoroughly appreciates movies, personally I can't believe how good this movie is.

It's a masterpiece! 'The Godfather, Part II' is often recognised as "The best sequel ever made". Well, no shit. But to simply label it as such is doing it a great disservice. It not only far exceeds its predecessor, 'The Godfather' (a film which is rightly considered one of the best films ever), but stands alone as a tremendous achievement in filmmaking.

Director, Francis Ford Coppola intertwines two stories that run parallel with each other. One story is of the rise of a young Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro), whilst the other is about his son Michael's (Al Pacino) attainment of power and how he rules his empire with an iron fist.

Coppola ingeniously switches between stories throughout the film so they compare the father and son, their similarities and huge differences. You may remember that Part I was about a man's inner struggle and change, how he attains power.

In Part II he is a ruthless leader who rules with an iron fist. The movie's cast is first class, but its De Niro and Pacino who stand out. The two have since become widely regarded as two of the best screen actors of all time.

It was fitting that at that point of their respective careers that they were to star together in a masterpiece of this magnitude. The don't share any screen time though, that didn't happen until 1995's 'Heat'.

Admittedly they are my favourite actors ever, but it's this movie, along with several others, that made me take notice. De Niro deservingly bagged an Oscar for his effort playing the younger version of Vito, a character Marlon Brando also won an Oscar for in the first film.

He not only imitates Brando's mannerisms, but brings his own energy and ability to the role. Pacino's portrayal as the tortured Michael, well... it was like it just reached out of the screen and grabbed me by the throat and stared into my very being.

In my honest opinion, Pacino not only gives the best performance of his illustrious career, but it's the best acting performance in any movie, ever. He gives a performance of brutally tied-down restraint.

The upstanding war hero of the first film has become a devil. A man at war with himself. Everything he does is for the protection of his family, but in doing so, he loses sight of it. It's utterly disgraceful that the Academy didn't give him a well-earned Oscar for his portrayal of Michael.

Disgusting, even. Anyway combine the brilliance of Coppola's direction, the amazing cast, Pacino and De Niro's performances, Mario Puzo's story, and Nino Rota's haunting score, and a brilliant ending, and you have perfection.

It's one of my favourite movies of all time, surpassed only by Martin Scorsese's 'GoodFellas', but only by a little, and it's one of the greatest movies ever made. It deserves a hell of a lot more than its placing at #32 on AFI's list of America's best movies.