December 22nd, 2009The Godfather, Part II (1974)
The Godfather, Part II (1974) of the Godfather trilogy continues the saga of the Corleone Family, serving as both a prologue and a sequel, extending over a period of 60 years and three generations. The script was again co-authored by director Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo, the author of the popular novel about American organized crime. Many critics believe this film sequel, at a lengthy three hours and twenty minutes, is a superior improvement over the original film, although some of it is confusing and leaves questions unanswered.
The film is masterfully intercut back and forth between two parallel stories: the prologue story (about one-quarter of the entire film) to the sequel, contrasting the two eras and their protagonists.
The prologue portion follows the background story of the rise of youthful Don Vito Corleone (Robert DeNiro replacing Marlon Brando) to Mafia chief in the early 1900s in the Little Italy section of New York City. About fifteen minutes of the prologue portion is in Sicilian with English sub-titles. The major portion of the sequel begins in 1958 – about three years after the conclusion of the first film The Godfather part one and follows the career of Corleone’s son Michael (Al Pacino again) from his patriarchal prime to his decline a year later. The saga leads to the inexorable passage of ’sins’ from the immigrant father to his modern-day son.
Similar themes from the original are carried over and arise in Part II: revenge, intrigue, betrayal, alliances, violence, the corruptive influences of power, and devoted loyalties to the family. Unlike the first film, the forbidden words “Mafia” and “Cosa Nostra” are each mentioned once – in one of the Senate Hearings scenes. The film contains fewer deaths, though – a total of 16. But the tragic film is more somber with Gordon Willis’ un-nominated cinematography highlighted by sepia-toned, golden amber, and darkish tones.
The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won six: Best Picture (for producer/director Francis Ford Coppola), Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Robert DeNiro in a Sicilian-speaking role), Best Adapted Screenplay (co-authored by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola), Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, and Best Original Dramatic Score (Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola). It was a three Oscar win for Coppola. Five of the other six un-rewarded nominations were for acting roles: Best Actor (Al Pacino), Best Supporting Actor(s): (Michael Gazzo and Lee Strasberg), and Best Supporting Actress (Talia Shire). The Godfather, Part II was the first sequel in Academy history to win a Best Picture Oscar.
18 Responses to “The Godfather, Part II (1974)”
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May 28th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
God father was the master piece and their was the great movie for the years and was the best at its all part where is theme,directory,words and many more.The film is masterfully intercut back and forth between two parallel stories: the prologue story to the sequel, contrasting the two eras and their protagonists. God father was the master piece
June 8th, 2010 at 8:11 am
Godfather trilogy continues the saga of the Corleone Family, serving as both a prologue and a sequel, extending over a period of 60 years and three generations.
June 8th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won six: Best Picture for producer and director Francis Ford Coppola, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor Robert DeNiro in a Sicilian-speaking role, Best Adapted Screenplay
June 11th, 2010 at 9:23 am
The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won six: Best Picture for producer and director Francis Ford Coppola, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor Robert DeNiro in a Sicilian-speaking role.
June 15th, 2010 at 8:51 am
This is one of the greatest sequel ever produced, this sequels explores the parallel relation amongst the father and son. This movie has made a great profit and Paramount will be more happy due to this.
June 17th, 2010 at 9:49 am
About fifteen minutes of the prologue portion is in Sicilian with English sub-titles. The major portion of the sequel begins in 1958 – about three years after the conclusion of the first film The Godfather part one and follows the career of Corleone’s son Michael from his patriarchal prime to his decline a year later. The saga leads to the inexorable passage of ’sins’ from the immigrant father to his modern-day son.
June 22nd, 2010 at 1:00 pm
The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won six.God father was the master piece and their was the great movie for the years and was the best at its all part where is theme.Its words and other all aspect of the film was Mouthless.
July 1st, 2010 at 3:20 pm
he Godfather was only about Mafia types, it would never have garnered. The characteristic that sets this film apart from so many of its predecessors and successors is its ability to weave the often-disparate layers of story into a cohesive whole. Any of the individual issues explored by The Godfather are strong enough to form the foundation of a movie.
July 27th, 2010 at 12:50 am
I like suspense movies and The godfather 2 is good movie.I enjoyed it.I can say that it is an excellent movie and great sequel.God father 2 is one of the best sequels ever made.
July 28th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
GodFather is been the Evergreen Movie.Its been great concept movie where people enjoyed it a lot though some what talkative movie.its concept was been the best and every one had acted beautifully.
July 29th, 2010 at 11:07 am
One of Hollywood’s greatest critical and commercial successes, The Godfather gets everything right; not only did the movie transcend expectations, it established new benchmarks for American cinema.
July 31st, 2010 at 9:33 am
Often ranked as the greatest movie sequel ever produced, The Godfather: Part II follows Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone as he teams up with gangster Hyman Roth in an effort to expand his empire into the lucrative world of gambling.
August 3rd, 2010 at 1:21 pm
The film is masterfully intercut back and forth between two parallel stories.The characteristic that sets this film apart from so many of its predecessors and successors is its ability to weave the often-disparate layers of story into a cohesive whole.
August 6th, 2010 at 1:29 am
Seeing Godfather and one of my favorite movies as a correction, I wanted to get more godfather so I rented it. Words can not describe how great it was a sequel. Once again acting and wonderful story and the film went on was just how I never get bored. The film was obviously everything is beautiful. So far my favorite is finished talking at the table when everyone was sitting there. There are so many great scenes like Vito when he was younger, Fredo was in the lake, and many many more. You see the movie because it is simply amazing is filmaking. It’s better than the first film but still a very worthy sequel is not.
August 6th, 2010 at 11:26 am
The performances, Gordon Willis’ memorably gloomy camerawork, the stately pace and the sheer scale of the story’s sweep render everything engrossing and so, well, plausible that our ideas of organised crime in America will forever be marked by this movie.
August 11th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
The great Movie as the story is all about the spy people who is been on the mission and how he Fulfils it.The concept was great and acting was mind blowing.
August 17th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Francis Ford Coppola has made one of the most brutal and moving chronicles of American life ever designed within the limits of popular entertainment.
August 27th, 2010 at 9:19 am
The performances, Gordon Willis’ memorably gloomy camerawork, the stately pace and the sheer scale of the story’s sweep render everything engrossing and so, well, plausible that our ideas of organised crime in America will forever be marked by this movie.