The Godfather, The Godfather II

The Godfather

A+

The Godfather II

A

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

The "Godfather" and "The Godfather II," as Roger Ebert points out in his review for the two films in his volume "Great Films," are part of a very select canon of films that seemingly every American has seen at least once. Indeed, the first time I saw the "Godfather" I was around 15 years old and felt like a complete Philistine since everyone else I knew had already seen it, in many cases multiple times. The transition of Francis Ford Coppola's mob movies from simply great films to essential elements of American artistic heritage is certainly attributable in many ways to its titillating subject matter, the mob having always been a rather guilty obsession of many Americans, but the lasting importance of both films in the annals of American film is a testament to the brilliance of each work which, together, form one of the most important achievements in American film history.

"The Godfather" trilogy follows the Corleone family, from the arrival of patriarch Don Vito on Ellis Island at the turn of the century to the death of his son Michael decades later, as they build a criminal empire in America. "The Godfather" follows the rise of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) as he returns from the war and is slowly sucked in to his fathers business, eventually taking the reins upon his father's death. "The Godfather II" features two separate story lines, one following Don Vito's arrival and early days in America, and the other focusing on Michael who is now focused on legitimizing his late father's business by investing in viable, legal enterprises around the globe.

The above synopsis obviously does the two films little justice as both are densely layered pictures with multiple story lines and elements of of intrigue running through them and the vastness of both films contribute in making them the staggering achievements that they are recognized as being today. Both films are also recognized as being equally brilliant which is no small feat considering the legendary difficulty of following up critically acclaimed films with equally succesful sequels. Indeed, "The GodfatherII" is often cited as an example of a sequel that is better than the film it follows. Although I tend to disagree, my preference for the first "Godfather" is more a question of taste than any real difference in excellence between the two films. Indeed, the two first chapters of the "Godfather" trilogy represent together one of the towering achievements in movie history, films that are both grandiose and gripping, complex and thrilling.

One major difference between "The Godfather" and "The Godfather II," I would contend, is that the former film was a veritable all star game of acting, featuring performances from a who's who of American screen greats, from Pacino to Brando to Duval to Cazale. Although Deniro only shows up in the second film and his performance is obviously fantastic, the interplay between a cast of great actors that really buoys "The Godfather" is noticeably absent from "The Godfather II." I've also aways felt that the back and forth narrative of the second "Godfather" robs it of some of the same intrigue and depth that is apparent in the first "Godfather" where the story is sungularly focuses on the present day. Regardless, these are, as I already pointed out, mostly questions of taste. Both films are fantastic, both films are classics, and both films are probably available somewhere on VHS for $4.99.