#2
The Godfather Part II
The Godfather Part II
1974
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Written by: Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo (Based on his novel)
Cinematography by: Gordon Willis
Starring: Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, Robert DeNiro, and John Cazale
It was difficult choosing between The Godfather Part I and The Godfather Part II for this list. That being said, leaving out The Godfather Part III was incredibly easy. Both of the first two are amazing and considered classics but I decided that putting them both on the list of greatest movies of the 1970s would be unfair to others and I thought that putting them together would be cheating. The two of them while consisting of the same characters are still very different movies. One of the biggest differences that I noticed immediately was that the second installment didn't have the famous quotes that the first has. Watching the first film and hearing famous quote after famous quote can get tiring. In that way the second Godfather is more refreshing. But it is not just this, over all it's a better movie.
The movie follows two interweaving story lines. One follows Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) in the late 1950s as he struggles with the expansion of his business family in Havana and Las Vegas while his empire in New York unravels and as he struggles keeping his own real family together following troubles with his wife Kay (Diane Keaton) and brother Fredo (John Cazale). This is a fantastic storyline and could work well on it's own. However, to make something good even better, Coppola adds the second storyline. This one takes place in the early 20th century and follows Michael's father Vito Corleone (Robert DeNiro) as he rises from obscurity to wealth and influence. His mafia family and personal family both grow concurrently.
During a preview of this movie, Coppola showed the movie to some of his best friends in Hollywood where it was not well received. George Lucas is said to have remarked that "You have two films. Take one away, it doesn't work." Among other things this shows that Lucas really is a talentless hack. For all of his mainstream success, Coppola has never fit the Hollywood mould. He had to fight to get the final cut on the Godfather movies and even after their success continued to make experimental and cutting edge films to satisfy his own artistic needs instead of his financial ones. What I love about The Godfather Part II and what is the main thing that makes it better than it's predecessor is that the two story lines show how far Michael Corleone has deviated from his father's business. Vito's family rose in power because it began by winning the trust and favour of those in the community. The mafia family of which he was in charge of knew how to return a favour and keep people safe. In this long amazing scene, Vito kills the previous local mafia kingpin setting in motion the chain of events that would lead to him being the new local Don:
Even without the subtitles it is easy to understand what is going on. Don Fanucci here is a real bastard and charges bankrupting rates for his personal protection. Vito comes in and overthrows him, everyone is happy.
On of the reasons that The Godfather Trilogy is still so popular today, I believe, is because people are obsessed with it's focus on business ethics, or the lack therof. Michael is a anti-hero because, even though he is a cold heartless bastard, people believe that is always just doing what is best for his business. Even if that means hurting or even killing the ones he loves, the business always comes first. People love that. I remember particularly in university knowing people who were studying all these different disciplines. Those who studied business administration were usually the ones with the giant Godfather poster in their dorm room. I think the movie's popularity says a lot about the society that we live in. People can justify all sorts of ruthless behaviour involved in the corporate world using a twisted Darwinian logic. Eat or be eaten they say. I can't help but suspect though that their eagerness to justify this 'fact of life' stems from some sort of inner ruthlessness which they themselves possess. A ruthlessness which Michael also possesses.
Anyway, this reading of The Godfather Part II is false. The two story lines running side by side show the differences in the way Vito and Michael run the family business. Vito's has a charitable focus and he takes care of the local community. On the other hand, Michael's focus is on expansion into new markets by any means necessary. The difference hear is simple. Vito's running a fresh business and Michael's inherited one from his father that has been 40 years in the making. After all of this time corruption has run rampant in the organization like a virus. Michael himself is resorting to cheating and lies as a regular tool of business. His own family is falling apart too as a result of this.
In the movie, the family's political connections and bribes are shown quite naturally as just a part of business. This is the way to get things done. When running a dirty business like this though, there is increased risk. This is shown quite clearly as the Corleone family business tries to make in grounds into Cuba. At this time in the late 1950s, Cuba was the jewel in the Americans Caribbean Empire's crown. The President of Cuba Fulgencio Batista was a puppet and a dictator backed by the United States so that the American corporate interests could rape the island of it's natural and human resources while at the same time impose monopolies and virtually control all of Cuban industry. At the same time the people of Cuba were getting fed up. Batista had come to power in a second coup in 1952 and used hard line authoritarian tactics to prop up his rule. Cuba was a virtual police state and the majority of the island's people suffered from malnutrition, lack of access to education, and intense political repression. It was not just 'reputable' corporate interests that dominated in Cuba though, as shown in The Godfather Part II organized crime had begun to make inroads. Batista himself was cozy with leading mobster Meyer Lansky (Hymen Roth in the movie) and in the movie Michael travels to Cuba to try and get a piece of the pie. However, on New Years Eve 1958 things were destined to change and Michael and Fredo were both there to witness it:
So this is a classic scene, probably the most famous from the whole movie. Look past the drama between the two brothers though and you can see just how mired in corruption the Cuban government was. While the country was starving there was a lavish New Years party put on by the President to cater to his supporters: American diplomats and the corporate elite. Even the Mafia was invited to this event, the beginning of what have been a long relationship had the following events not taken place. This was the night of the Cuban Revolution. Also, while this party was going on, the rebels were making gains in towns and cities all over Cuba. Fidel Castro, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, Raul Castro and their rebel group known as the '26th Of July Movement' had taken over the city of Santa Clara in a long battle. Batista panicked and fled to the Dominican Republic. A week later, after a long victory march, Fidel Castro entered Havana and proclaimed support for a new government. A government in which initially he did not even serve as President.
To be sure, Castro's rule has it's many problems. Nobody can deny that there are some similarities to his rule and those seen from authoritarians before him. However, Cuba has seen many significant gains since him and his movement came to power. Many people claim that it is a police state like the previous Batista government and heavily repressed. Maybe so, but it is more democratic than people give it creedence for. At least, it is more democratic than the Batista regime and many other countries in the region where American interests still hold sway. There is a party machine (The Communist Party) one must climb the ranks of to make a real difference, but these are open to far more people from many different backgrounds. There is a way to still make a difference in Cuban politics. More important than any structural or political changes though are all of the massive changes which have directly raised the Cuban standard of living. Cuba has the best health care in all of Latin America. Their medical personnel are sought after by nations all over the world and this expertise is coupled with a wholly inclusiveness so that a far larger percentage of people are covered than in many countries. I don't I'll ever live to see the day when the United States government can claim that 100% of their citizens have access to quality health care. The Cuban education system is also one of the highest and the most inclusive in all of Latin America. This is the key to the success of the revolution as it opens up opportunities to all to study.
One of the things which I enjoy most about The Godfather Part II is that in showing the ties that organized crime had in pre-revolutionary Cuba, it points out just how mired in corruption the country really was. Those who speak with nostalgia of the glorious Havana of the 1950s were the ones involved in this corruption and should hold no sway in the debate. The old Havana was run by gangsters and not just the gangsters not just in the mafia. These gangsters came from the corporate world and the highest levels of government (both Cuban and American).
Those who were corrupt in Cuba saw their downfall with the revolution. So too Michael will inevitably head to his downfall. That is the lesson of the movie. The young Vito Corleone prospered due to his goodwill while Michael inherited a business which could only survive by becoming more corrupt with each deal. Something like this, it is shown, is completely unsustainable and the effects are not worth the risk.
The movie follows two interweaving story lines. One follows Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) in the late 1950s as he struggles with the expansion of his business family in Havana and Las Vegas while his empire in New York unravels and as he struggles keeping his own real family together following troubles with his wife Kay (Diane Keaton) and brother Fredo (John Cazale). This is a fantastic storyline and could work well on it's own. However, to make something good even better, Coppola adds the second storyline. This one takes place in the early 20th century and follows Michael's father Vito Corleone (Robert DeNiro) as he rises from obscurity to wealth and influence. His mafia family and personal family both grow concurrently.
During a preview of this movie, Coppola showed the movie to some of his best friends in Hollywood where it was not well received. George Lucas is said to have remarked that "You have two films. Take one away, it doesn't work." Among other things this shows that Lucas really is a talentless hack. For all of his mainstream success, Coppola has never fit the Hollywood mould. He had to fight to get the final cut on the Godfather movies and even after their success continued to make experimental and cutting edge films to satisfy his own artistic needs instead of his financial ones. What I love about The Godfather Part II and what is the main thing that makes it better than it's predecessor is that the two story lines show how far Michael Corleone has deviated from his father's business. Vito's family rose in power because it began by winning the trust and favour of those in the community. The mafia family of which he was in charge of knew how to return a favour and keep people safe. In this long amazing scene, Vito kills the previous local mafia kingpin setting in motion the chain of events that would lead to him being the new local Don:
Even without the subtitles it is easy to understand what is going on. Don Fanucci here is a real bastard and charges bankrupting rates for his personal protection. Vito comes in and overthrows him, everyone is happy.
On of the reasons that The Godfather Trilogy is still so popular today, I believe, is because people are obsessed with it's focus on business ethics, or the lack therof. Michael is a anti-hero because, even though he is a cold heartless bastard, people believe that is always just doing what is best for his business. Even if that means hurting or even killing the ones he loves, the business always comes first. People love that. I remember particularly in university knowing people who were studying all these different disciplines. Those who studied business administration were usually the ones with the giant Godfather poster in their dorm room. I think the movie's popularity says a lot about the society that we live in. People can justify all sorts of ruthless behaviour involved in the corporate world using a twisted Darwinian logic. Eat or be eaten they say. I can't help but suspect though that their eagerness to justify this 'fact of life' stems from some sort of inner ruthlessness which they themselves possess. A ruthlessness which Michael also possesses.
Anyway, this reading of The Godfather Part II is false. The two story lines running side by side show the differences in the way Vito and Michael run the family business. Vito's has a charitable focus and he takes care of the local community. On the other hand, Michael's focus is on expansion into new markets by any means necessary. The difference hear is simple. Vito's running a fresh business and Michael's inherited one from his father that has been 40 years in the making. After all of this time corruption has run rampant in the organization like a virus. Michael himself is resorting to cheating and lies as a regular tool of business. His own family is falling apart too as a result of this.
In the movie, the family's political connections and bribes are shown quite naturally as just a part of business. This is the way to get things done. When running a dirty business like this though, there is increased risk. This is shown quite clearly as the Corleone family business tries to make in grounds into Cuba. At this time in the late 1950s, Cuba was the jewel in the Americans Caribbean Empire's crown. The President of Cuba Fulgencio Batista was a puppet and a dictator backed by the United States so that the American corporate interests could rape the island of it's natural and human resources while at the same time impose monopolies and virtually control all of Cuban industry. At the same time the people of Cuba were getting fed up. Batista had come to power in a second coup in 1952 and used hard line authoritarian tactics to prop up his rule. Cuba was a virtual police state and the majority of the island's people suffered from malnutrition, lack of access to education, and intense political repression. It was not just 'reputable' corporate interests that dominated in Cuba though, as shown in The Godfather Part II organized crime had begun to make inroads. Batista himself was cozy with leading mobster Meyer Lansky (Hymen Roth in the movie) and in the movie Michael travels to Cuba to try and get a piece of the pie. However, on New Years Eve 1958 things were destined to change and Michael and Fredo were both there to witness it:
So this is a classic scene, probably the most famous from the whole movie. Look past the drama between the two brothers though and you can see just how mired in corruption the Cuban government was. While the country was starving there was a lavish New Years party put on by the President to cater to his supporters: American diplomats and the corporate elite. Even the Mafia was invited to this event, the beginning of what have been a long relationship had the following events not taken place. This was the night of the Cuban Revolution. Also, while this party was going on, the rebels were making gains in towns and cities all over Cuba. Fidel Castro, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, Raul Castro and their rebel group known as the '26th Of July Movement' had taken over the city of Santa Clara in a long battle. Batista panicked and fled to the Dominican Republic. A week later, after a long victory march, Fidel Castro entered Havana and proclaimed support for a new government. A government in which initially he did not even serve as President.
To be sure, Castro's rule has it's many problems. Nobody can deny that there are some similarities to his rule and those seen from authoritarians before him. However, Cuba has seen many significant gains since him and his movement came to power. Many people claim that it is a police state like the previous Batista government and heavily repressed. Maybe so, but it is more democratic than people give it creedence for. At least, it is more democratic than the Batista regime and many other countries in the region where American interests still hold sway. There is a party machine (The Communist Party) one must climb the ranks of to make a real difference, but these are open to far more people from many different backgrounds. There is a way to still make a difference in Cuban politics. More important than any structural or political changes though are all of the massive changes which have directly raised the Cuban standard of living. Cuba has the best health care in all of Latin America. Their medical personnel are sought after by nations all over the world and this expertise is coupled with a wholly inclusiveness so that a far larger percentage of people are covered than in many countries. I don't I'll ever live to see the day when the United States government can claim that 100% of their citizens have access to quality health care. The Cuban education system is also one of the highest and the most inclusive in all of Latin America. This is the key to the success of the revolution as it opens up opportunities to all to study.
One of the things which I enjoy most about The Godfather Part II is that in showing the ties that organized crime had in pre-revolutionary Cuba, it points out just how mired in corruption the country really was. Those who speak with nostalgia of the glorious Havana of the 1950s were the ones involved in this corruption and should hold no sway in the debate. The old Havana was run by gangsters and not just the gangsters not just in the mafia. These gangsters came from the corporate world and the highest levels of government (both Cuban and American).
Those who were corrupt in Cuba saw their downfall with the revolution. So too Michael will inevitably head to his downfall. That is the lesson of the movie. The young Vito Corleone prospered due to his goodwill while Michael inherited a business which could only survive by becoming more corrupt with each deal. Something like this, it is shown, is completely unsustainable and the effects are not worth the risk.
For being a thought provoking study of business ethics as well as being just an amazing classic, The Godfather Part II is in my opinion the 2nd greatest movie of the 1970s.
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