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Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Genre: Modern Gangster
Featured Cast: Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire, Diane Keaton, Robert Deniro, John Cazale, Lee Strasberg, Michael Gazzo, and G. D. Spradlin.
1974
Plot: Michael leaves the “Olive Oil Business” in New York City, in the hands of Clemenza who passes it on to Frank Pantangeli; and expands the Coreone’s family empire to Nevada. All is not well as an attempt is made on Michael’s life, which forces him to flush out a traitor in his family.
Review: In some ways this film shows us what a sequel should look like. It has the same production value as it provides its audience with both a prequel and a sequel. It also topped the original film by earning six Oscars compared to the three Oscars the original film earned. It won: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Robert Deniro), Best Screenplay Adapted from a Novel, Best Art Direction, and Best Musical Score. The extra running time, 202 minutes vs. 178 minutes, does not allow the screenplay to give the space needed to fully develop both the prequel and sequel, thus accounting for the lower rating. The plot allows the viewer to see how the mafia had evolved from the turn of the century through the 1950’s, however I believe this is better illustrated in the Epic version of the movie, where the movie is combined with the first movie and shown to us chronologically. This movie is recommended to mature audiences because of its presentation of graphic violence
The Godfather Part II
Genre: Modern Gangster
Featured Cast: Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire, Diane Keaton, Robert Deniro, John Cazale, Lee Strasberg, Michael Gazzo, and G. D. Spradlin.
1974
Plot: Michael leaves the “Olive Oil Business” in New York City, in the hands of Clemenza who passes it on to Frank Pantangeli; and expands the Coreone’s family empire to Nevada. All is not well as an attempt is made on Michael’s life, which forces him to flush out a traitor in his family.
Review: In some ways this film shows us what a sequel should look like. It has the same production value as it provides its audience with both a prequel and a sequel. It also topped the original film by earning six Oscars compared to the three Oscars the original film earned. It won: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Robert Deniro), Best Screenplay Adapted from a Novel, Best Art Direction, and Best Musical Score. The extra running time, 202 minutes vs. 178 minutes, does not allow the screenplay to give the space needed to fully develop both the prequel and sequel, thus accounting for the lower rating. The plot allows the viewer to see how the mafia had evolved from the turn of the century through the 1950’s, however I believe this is better illustrated in the Epic version of the movie, where the movie is combined with the first movie and shown to us chronologically. This movie is recommended to mature audiences because of its presentation of graphic violence