The Godfather Part II Review- By Michael Carlisle

 Title: The Godfather Part II
Year: 1974
Director: Francis Ford Coppola 
Country: US
Language: English

During the 1970's there were few American Directors producing masterpieces at the rate Francis Ford Coppola was making them. With The Godfather (1972), The Conversation (1974), The Godfather Part II (1974) and, perhaps the greatest war movie ever made, Apocalypse Now (1979) he was seemingly unstoppable. All his films were nominated for multiple Academy awards and both Godfather films won the Oscar for "Best Picture" in their respective years. His seventies films have made a huge impact on American movies and American culture. This review will look at The Godfather Part II.

A continuation of The Godfather saga, Part II tells the story of  a young Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) as he grows up in Sicily and 1910's New York. At the same time we follow his son Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) in the 50's as he attempts to expand his business in various regions of America. 

Many cinephiles and film critics claim that this is the best film ever made, and it's not hard to understand why. The intricate weaving of two tales ; A flashback of young Vito and a current portrait of his growing son  Michael Corleone, not only allow us to see parallels of the two men, but also their differences, which emphasize how far Michael has fallen from grace. Often flashbacks are not used at the right moments in movies, but Coppola uses them at precisely the right moments. 

Coppola's camera is a voyeurs dream; giving us access to an intimate and detailed mob family that is anything but stable. The sets are remarkable, the film's depiction of 1910's New York looks exactly as it does in pictures and videos from that era. The dialogue is tremendous, each line is solid and packs a mean punch to the gut "I knew it was you Fredo. You broke my heart!" Lastly De Niro certainly deserved his "Best Actor" Oscar at the Academy awards; his portrayal of Vito Corleone was better than Marlon Brando's depiction in the first installment, which is truly saying something.

In conclusion, The Godfather Part II is certainly one of the greatest movies ever made. Only a genius like Coppola in the 70's could pull off something so grand. The film has influenced the way modern Directors produce Gangster flicks and tv shows, Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad  wouldn't be half as good without Coppola's influence. This picture will certainly remain relevant and groundbreaking for decades to come. Praise it! 5/5