So I finished The Godfather Part 2 yesterday and man, what a film. Can feel its long lasting effects on media and society today. I wanted to let my thoughts marinate to get a better idea of where I stand with the movie and series in general, hence the delay of my review. [THREAD]

The Godfather Saga is an insanely realistic, brutal and unforgiving depiction of mafia, capitalism and an American family's moral defeat ingeniously executed with creative triumph, as clearly shown by the passionate filmmaking & meticulous scriptwriting put on display.

Part 2 simultaneously tells the stories of Michael Corleone and his father Vito Corleone utilizing the parallel action technique. This technique switches back and forth between 2 time periods and relates the lives of Michael & Vito.

Coppola is able to utilize this technique well because he knows just the right time to cut a scene and enter another. By the end of the movie, the two story lines are complete and united.

The movie’s intercut narrative was a great way to show how Don Vito and Michael forged their own paths with different motivations. The ending was especially chilling as both protagonists were worlds apart when they achieved the same goal...solidifying their power.

A revolutionary work that subtly shows the inner workings of Michael’s mind, making his rise to power and fall from grace prodigiously felt, lingering and tenable. It’s easy to buy into and make you feel invested in his life, which makes it all the more heartbreaking & impactful.

Michael falling victim to his family, father’s name and legacy, and business at the expense of his own individuality, (which he ostensibly fortified through the course of these 2 films) and future he envisioned is one of the most compelling tragedies I’ve seen.

It’s quite the in-depth commentary on Michael's personality & experience. He bears a resemblance to the same stereotypes & line of cerebrated as his traditional family but was striving to be something he wasn't, a modern American. (Hrick’s thread goes into this with more detail)

Michael who once wanted a peaceful life away from this world is now a cold hearted mafia Don, detaches himself from everything & hurts anyone, regardless of their relation. Empathy becomes foreign to him as he slowly lost his affinity with others. He treats everyone as his enemy.

Part 1 was the tale of Michael's ascend to power while Part 2 was the descend of his character, his failure as a family man. He deeply cared for his close ones but his merciless behaviour & megalomaniac mind stripped everything away from him. He lost everyone while losing himself

At the end of Part 2, we see a broken man who endeavored to validate his business but ended up at an all time low, and lost everyone dear to him.
He was a mere ghost of his former self. A dejected figure of solitude and despair.

This scene is carefully placed at the end where it holds the most significance. This scene shapes our understanding of the narrative by touching the issues of power, violence, innocence and family — all which build upon the events that occur throughout the movie.

The unity between Vito’s & Michael’s storylines is clear when Michael recollects amassing with his family for his father’s birthday.

Michael is already seen as different because of how he carries himself but he further isolates himself by saying that he didn’t want a deferment from the army & he has his own plans for the future. He lets his opportunity for freedom slip as he was confined by his surroundings.

At Michael’s lowest, when he lost his wife and his brother, he remembers the moment shown in the scene. The moment when he was naive, when the family was the priority and when he thought he could make his own future, maybe even away from the family.

He wants to step away from the violence of the family but ironically chooses to do so by joining the marines, as if violence is a cycle unpreventable to the Corleone family.

It’s at this moment that his efforts prove fruitless as he ends up entangling himself in a world of crime & violence passed down by his father. Even after marrying Kay and wanting to be legit, it’s impossible for someone like him. Michael loses what he has in this scene. Family.

Everyone leaves to meet Vito and as they leave it ends with only Michael sitting at the table and the use of the wide lens emphasizes his loneliness.

The ending illustrates that Michael is a loner, but it also illustrates Michael's coldness. He coldly sits by himself while the others sing “Happy Birthday” to Vito. He coldly sits by himself while reflecting on the execution of his brother.

He seems to hold no loyalty to the family as Sonny describes. He gets someone to kill Fredo, his own brother. Michael’s wife is gone and he holds no close relationship to his children. He didn’t even know what his son got for Christmas.

There starts to become a clear distinction between the lives Vito and Michael have created. Vito has built a life around family & loyalty. He values his children & despite his violent public figure, he is portrayed as a loyal & sweet father.

He cherishes his children & his wife. On the other hand, Michael’s wife aborts their son and leaves him. For Michael, maintaining both power and family values seems like an impossibility. Only thing that ties these two together is the unpreventable cycle of violence.

This becomes clear in the scene. When the wide lens lingers on a far shot of Michael sitting alone after everything has happened. If only Michael knew then who he becomes. Maybe things could’ve turned out differently. A sad & harsh reality of those trapped by their environment.

The duality between Michael and his Father is veraciously sad, he experienced a diametrical journey to Vito, bringing us back to the conversation in the 1st film where Vito expresses his regrets in Michaels path, one he did not want for his son, one that would lead to his demise.

The cinematography and Nino Rota’s music blend extremely well with every aspect of these movies and felt like I was truly experiencing a genuine coming of age story. A love letter to the film industry with its touching & quite frankly, gripping visuals. Filmmaking at its finest.

I think the first film was a tighter experience and more consistently engaging but the second film’s more ambitious narrative approach leaves a stronger lasting impression and had more standout scenes that left me on edge or had me emotionally defeated.

The acting in particular was mind blowing and extremely impressive how De Niro accurately and convincingly portrayed young Vito since Marlon Brando was absent. Part 2 final stretch is better to me and brings out a more evocative and thought provoking response, I would say.

Both 10/10s either way and my top 2 movies. Overall in media? Not sure but the series is definitely in my top 10, potentially top 5. Michael and Vito are some of my favourite protagonists and characters ever, especially Michael who is now somewhere in my top 5 protagonists.

What I take from these 2 movies is that I’m truly glad to love such a rich medium filled with so much heart, substance & style. It’s a special form of entertainment that I’ll always be grateful to take part in

And I thank Godfather for continuing to enlighten me with what humans are capable of at their most sincerest and passionate.