From 13:30 Flashback-Vito never had any "Oranges" prior to killing Fanucci. The Scene which shows Flashback-Vito at the Fruit-Stand is after Fanucci's Killing/Murder & with Flashback-Vito as the Don of the Neighborhood.
How do you not understand that after killing the heads of the five families means you can never walk away? He’s in too deep at that point! To leave is to sign your own death warrant! Roth wanted him dead over Moe Green! This take is extremely naive!
Fredo has an alarming habit of seeing things from a perspective other than what's good for the family. Michael joining the Marines isn't good for the family. It makes sense Fredo would be the only one proud of Michael here.
They call Frankie "Five Angels" because that's what Pentangele literally means, but your take on the symbolism of calling him that is still valid IMHO.
The guy they picked to play young Tessio is perfect. I can totally imagine that is what young Abe Vigoda looked like. I tried to confim it, though, by googling 'young abe vigoda'. Now I'm convinced that Abe Vigoda came out of the womb looking like a 70 year-old man.
You never mentioned the senator purposely mispronouncing Anthony's name at the party, but perfectly pronouncing Corleone to Micheal in the meeting, showing his duplicity early on.
I thought that was so clearly portrayed it couldn't possibly be an Easter egg or something someone would miss.. It accurately put on display the false fronts politicians put on in public as opposed to there demeanor in private..
I feel like this communicates or underlines his condescension and racial prejudice more than his duplicity; the senator makes it clear what he thinks of Italians. It's all semantics though.
The shot of Michael looking outside the window - is my alltime favorite shot - one can literally feel that, despite him finally getting what he wanted, he is basically losing the last bit of humanity and his chance of what he had planned for himself
As a Sicilian Catholic in that time period, Michael saw the abortion as the murder of his son. Murdering other people's sons, of course, was not such a problem for him.
I completely missed that Fredo was the reason Roth’s hit failed. Michael told Fredo that Roth tried to kill him…and Fredo betrays him again by protecting Roth. Michael had to kill Fredo because it was only a matter of time Fredo would either get Michael or one of his family members killed. I still think Connie left the blinds open.
What I’m wondering to this day is the two men that attempted the hit. I seriously doubt if Fredo was competent enough to kill them himself. Either they did a hell of a job making it a suicide or Rocco did it. I don’t know who else could have.
Michael took Tom Hagen for granted. Tom ended up being smarter than you'd think blackmailing the senator in a move unlike him. Tom stayed loyal to that family to the end
1-Something i never noticed before is that in the cake cutting scene the shape of Cuba on the top of the cake is orange and so is the chair that Michael is sitting in...🤔 2- I've always found Cazale's performance to be top tier. Highlighted in the scene where Michael confronts him the way he lays back and pathetically attempts to explain himself does make you feel sorry for him. There are many reasons why a dog will expose his belly but one of them being to show acknowledgment of your Authority because they're putting themselves in a vulnerable/submissive position. sometimes dogs will expose their belly in an attempt to make you feel sorry for them and appear non-threatening because they are afraid. Fredo laying there belly up is emblematic of all those things. 3- I think Michael's relationship with Kay is indeed a complicated one. As evidenced by the final scene in the first movie,she's always shut out. Both physically and emotionally. I think this is in part because when Michael was in Sicily he truly loved Apollonia, let her in completely and was devastated by her death. So now he can never let anyone in again out of fear of being hurt like that again,hence why Kay's betrayal with the abortion is that much more painful. His love for her tho is evident in the fact that he doesn't have her killed which frankly wouldnt be surprising considering how many people hes killed for less. 4- I never noticed until now that the theme of the son paying for the sins of the father and the cyclical effects of a life of violence extends all the way back to Vitos father. He messed around with the mob and ultimately that decision led to all of his sons being killed except for one. That is repeated with Vito and then again with Michael. 5- the flashback scene where Michael tells everyone about his decision to enlist and go fight in the war ends with him sitting alone. I think that is representative of Michael's entire story arc. He goes to war for his country,for his family, against the five families,against his own family,and essentially is always at war with himself internally. The decisions he makes in fighting these wars ends with him sitting there by himself contemplating everything he's lost. 6- the end of the first movie and the beginning of this one show Michael taking power and people kissing his ring. Like a king. He literally has people falling all over him but at the end of this movie he sits completely alone as he brings his hand (and ring) close to his own mouth. A king reflecting in lonely silence....."heavy is the head that wears the crown"
Just when I thought I was out, heavy spoilers drops another banger and they drag me back in! Godfather 2 electric boogaloo! It’s crazy how incredible godfather 1&2 still r to this day! Great video man!! 🔥🔥
The duality amongst brothers in 42:42 can also extend to Michael’s sons: the one who lives, Anthony, will destroy his legacy by not following in the family business, and the one who dies, the unborn son, who in Michael’s mind, would’ve upheld the legacy.
I’ve heard some people speculate that when Michael called Fredo to the car he wasn’t gonna kill him but it was gonna be Michael giving fredo a chance. One last chance of trust cuz he’s his brother. But fredo was too scared thinking this would be where he died so he didn’t enter. Inherently sealing his fate
In goodfellas somebody got shipped away as punishment, it’s possible he would have been sent back to Italy or somewhere else where mikey kept him alive but had him excommunicated
Around 38 mins you mention about the Dons (think its Fanucci) throat cutting scene. Its one of the biggest parts that show his weakness as he is shouting for the Police to help him, showing that he is not powerful and relying on the cops like a civilian (Vito witnesses this, giving him confidence to lowball later). Also if I remember correct when the Don jumps into the car to speak to Vito, he mentions about the cops would find out about the dresses if he doesn't pay a toll, again its a puss move to run to the cops and not something a mafia Don would do. Then combined with the lowball offer Vito makes shows that Fanucci is not at all powerful, furthermore that he is actually a bit of a sheep in wolves clothing, presenting an aura with no real backup - the scene where he pinches the cheek Vito doesn't respond for quite a period and eyeballs him, I think that's when Vito realises the Don has zero power and is completely weak, giving Vito the opportunity to make his move. Separate part 45 mins in - When Michael hugs Fredo, Michael looks at his bodyguard who is sizing him up for weakness, Michael returns his look until the bodyguard looks away, so Michael has to be strong and it kind of forces his hand also.
Great points except for the last one. Neri was looking at Michael on how to handle Fredo. Michael's look to Neri was Michael giving him the green light to take Fredo out.
I love how both stories mirror one another, with Vito being sent alone to a new home, then building up his friends and family, ending the movie surrounded by loved ones, compared to Michael surrounded by people who need and respect him, slowly losing his friends and family (killing one of them) and ending the movie completely alone.
Roger Corman playing a Senator isn't just because he was a legend in Hollywood. It was because Corman was a mentor to Coppola (as well as a whole bunch of other directors)
@jameswhorton1973 that was in the Godfather part 1. This video is talking about part 2. He made Tom head of the family when he left for Cuba, and that is a MAJOR promotion.
think you missed the point about his wife.... his love for her died when he took revenge for his father in the first film. When in exile he found himself and his future bride, when she was killed he lost his only love. When he returned to America Kay was a means to an end, he could wear her on his arm and move freely as a family man. Due to the void he felt inside at the loss of his first wife, he cares very little for her throughout the rest of the films. I think, he thought he was in love with her for the life he wanted to live at the start of the first film, but when he finally committed to his family he knew she would never love him or what he would become. His sicilian wife, Apollonia Vitelli, had a fire in her heart that would have meant she put family before anything, had she not been killed Michael would have continued like his father in creating a family that he could have relied on and trusted. Instead he came back far darker and more ruthless, he still needed to present as a family man so Kay would do, he could manipulate her and wouldn't have to start a new relationship, but he has no emotional investment in her anymore, she is a naive idealist in his eyes now. I think he wears the wedding ring at the end for Apollonia, not Kay.
i think he wears the ring in part for apollonia but.....i also think the ring represents his "marriage" to the family NOT his family but The Family. like once he lost apollonia he dedicated himself to running the buisness and tho it may not have been a fully conscience decision he always put it before his family.
Then why did he confess to Kay in part3 that he still loves her ? They both have moved on and kay even remarried but not Michael. He could have easily found himself another Sicilian wife who would gave him heirs. He tells her how he dreams abt her and children in Sicily
Thank you. Lots of things not explained but if can be figured out. Fredo didnt know, Rocco was the trader, they figured it out and sent him to assonate Roth.
I see the fact that he was wearing his ring differently. 1st, he's Italian Catholic. You don't get divorced. 2nd, Kay was the only person who beat michael. She caught him off guard and for the first time in the movies he finally loses control of his emotions. The fact he still has the ring on is a subtle "fuck you" to Kay, even if she can't see it. You don't leave michael. He decides when it's over.
I've always taken Rocco's willingness to take on the risky killing of Roth as atonement for his failures. He was the head of security when two men were able to almost kill Michael. He had to prove his loyalty somehow.
The BEST movie breakdown I've ever seen next your breakdown for The Godfather! Thanks, Paul! This is truly an amazing piece of work, well done! Looking forward to the part III breakdown! Cheers!
The thing I hated about the third Godfather was Sonny’s son and Michael’s daughter sleeping together. That was so wrong. Plus, I don’t think Sonny’s son would attempt that since he had to have heard about Michael killing his brother and his brother in-law. I don’t think the story needed that love triangle…plus her acting as Michael’s daughter was painful to watch.
One of the most powerful themes of the film is how Michael the "Nice American Boy" not just loses his innocence like Buonasera's daughter but takes on the worst characteritics of an American business executive. He's ruthless, flat out lies, manipulated politicians, worries about his successor, while he flat out lies and behaved with paranoia. Im many ways Roth is his father when he appeals to his sense of business "we will be bigger than.." ..
Michael doesn't fire Tom! He fears he's going to lose him, just like he's losing the rest of his family, so he asks him about a job offer he's had (in his usual hard, cold way) and is relieved that he's staying with the family. I'd also argue that the tragedy of The Godfather films is how different Michael is from his father. Vito commands personal loyalty and is a more openly warm and loving figure (the great scene illustrating this is in the first film where Michael tells Tom he's out and Vito has the emotional intelligence to realise Tom needs reassurance). Vito became Godfather out of necessity at a time when newly arrived Italians needed to watch out for each other more; the old Don was ripping them all off, which the young Vito is particularly disapproving of. Vito is consistently shown to be an openly caring husband and father; his wife also doesn't interfere with his work as she knows he's doing what he has to do for them. That was never going to be the case for Michael and Kay. The films also suggest that the Americanisation of things is also proving detrimental. Michael and Fredo have American wives that don't fit in with the system and Frankie Five Angels' distaste at the American music and food at the party in the beginning of Part 2 are also a sign of unwelcome change. Ironically, Michael's efforts to Americanise can also be seen to chime with his attempts to go legitimate (it's also worth noting that Michael is the only one of his siblings who doesn't have an alternate American name, sort of foreshadowing the Americanisation and weakening of the old way of doing things). I watched both films with my kids recently and we discussed the tragic arc of Michael's life and whether it was unavoidable. We pinpointed the death of Michael's first wife as a major fork in the road: it's likely that Apollonia would have a been a far better mob wife than Kay and he would have avoided quite a bit of drama in the second film had she not died. The second film's juxtaposition of young Vito's rise to power and the unravelling of Michael's personal life as he defeats all his enemies (yet again) shows the massive contrast between the two as men and of the times they lived in. It all suggests that Vito's hope for Michael, his youngest son, to genuinely achieve the American Dream (that is noticeably out of reach for the young Vito from his quarantine cell on Ellis Island) is ultimately dashed. They should make Part III one day so we can find out if Anthony fares any better...
Genco abbadando was best friends with Vito since his father took Vito in and let him work in his shop. Genco became vito's consigliere and helped expand his father's shop into a full on olive oil company.
In college, at St. John’s University, I had to take philosophy classes to graduate. In one, I was taught about the perfectly unjust man. Michael Corleone, for all of his outward appearances, is a wholly evil man. He has no redeeming qualities. When viewed through this lens, his character is that much more chilling.
One thing I noticed was that in Godfather 1, Vito meets everyone even if it was the Funeral guy, or Luca Brasi, who he kept waiting, but met at last. However in Godfather 2, Michael only meets senators and other big shows. He keeps Pentangeli waiting and forgot about him. This either shows that the Corleone family had grew exponentially, or that Michael had grown to be more arrogant and self centred, than Vito.
When Kay reveals she had an abortion and calls out his naivity, it's a callback to Michael playing on her naivity with the family business. She's naive when it comes to the business as he is when it comes to the family.
Its all comes down to one thing fredo was jealous he even said it but because he was drunk micheal just brushed it off people talk their true feeling when their intoxicated
FREDO's low-key resentment towards his father and brother nearly got both of them killed and DON MICHAEL didn't feel an iota of guilt killing him because he would have destroyed The Family.
Bro, Frankie's brother is being held HOSTAGE by the family. The look on his face when he enters the hearing, & the look the brothers exchange...they both realize they're powerless & better do what they must to save their necks.
For a long time I thought Part 2 was the greatest film of all time, but over the years and multiple viewings of both I have come to regard them as equal....I consider both to be among the top 10 movies of all time
Iconic video just like these two masterpieces. These movies are like a Beethoven, Mozart, Debussy type of treasures. No matter how many times you watch you will always find something new. You made me a subscriber so I cannot refuse.
Pantangelo, agreed because they promised to take care of his family. He actually didn't betray The corlieone family because he didn't testify. Fankie was set up by Roth, who stated he was small potatoes.
I recently just finished watching all 3 Godfather movies, for the first time. :D I loved them all. & even got to watch part 2, at the local movie theater. Also, the little girl being held by her mom, while young Vito is coming into America, is played by Sofia Coppola.
This video was all over the place with explanations. I know the movie jumps all over the place with pacing but the way this video explained scenes and storylines that hadn’t happened yet almost gave me dementia 😂
The scene from the wedding you show when you mention Sonny's widow is actually of him with his mistress, who is implied to be Vincent's mother Love this breakdown 😁 thanks for it!
USC is also the school where OJ Simpson played at. He later went in to become the first of only eight players ever to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season.
I like the point about if you want revenge, dig two graves. Not only did Michal lose a part of himself for killing Fredo...the same thing with Fredo. By going after his brother and siding with Roth cost Fredo his life...but he did get revenge since Michael lost his family by killing his brother. If the hit on Michael doesn't happen, he might had found another way to get the family out of the criminal business and Kay may had stayed with him. However, the hit attempt woke Kay up and she fully understood she and her kids lives were in danger. Micheal and Kay's marriage was over after that event. She never looked at Michael the same loving way after she was almost killed.
I think Connie opened the blinds because she also hated Michael...and I don't think Fredo would enter the bedroom with Michael's wife in the bedroom because that would be hard to explain. But Connie as a woman could do it. I think it is another reason she begged for Fredo's forgiveness because she was also guilty. I think that is another reason Connie stays loyal to Michael since she saw how cold Michael became and he could also kill her if he found out she was also involved with trying to bring down Michael.
I’ve seen this move at least have a dozen times and I never understood how or why the guards knew thethe assassination attempt on Roth was going down. Thank you lol
Omertà And the obvious reason to show up at the hearing with the brother is to let him know they can get to his family. It's a clear threat, forget about the rest
The chonologically linear version is called "The Godfather Saga." It was made for TV so the explicit stuff is left out, but in includes cut scenes not in the theatrical versions.
In the directors commentary Coppola said Danny Aiello improvised the line "Michiael Corleone says hello" and he liked it, so he left it in. Coppola didnt realize til later the confusion this would cause. Did Roth order the hit? Yes. Did the Rosado brother know Roth ordered the hit or did he somehow get mislead into thinking the hit was sanctioned by Michael through the family's buffers? "The family had a lot of buffers"-willie cici Also, Rosado could have been mislead into thinking Michael was now partners with Roth and his family had the entire backing of Roth and Michael now.
Good point about Michael being afraid of and not wanting to lose his family, which still ends up happening because he both held on to them too tight and cared more about business. There's even a deleted scene where Michael asks his mother if his father was ever afraid of losing his family, so that fear was always there on his mind, which is probably what caused Michael to hold on so tight and want to control them so much. It's ironically also what caused him to ultimately lose them. Part 3 became about Michael trying to finally go legit, which he does, but is still unable to get his family back, no matter how hard he tries and ends up alone again when we see that flash forward where he dies alone of old age in some Sicilian village years later.
@7:05 - The Moshulu is a real ship that is currently (and has been since 1975) a floating restaurant in Philadelphia. It can also be seen in the first Rocky film during the training montage as Rocky gets a sudden burst of speed along the water front. It is period appropriate to Godfather II but was actually built in 1904.
This was well done! I have watched these movies since they came out. My parents and Siblings were born in Calabria Italy. I am the first American born Child. The Italian scenes has such a special place in my parents heart and paisani...I speak Italian to my parents. The Italian scenes were the first American movie scenes I didn't have to translate lol As for Frankie Pentangeli...Penta...5 Angeli ...angels We Italian Americans as a nickname ...translate each others Italian names into exact English... 5 family's was interesting but. That is not why he called him that. It was sign of affection.
Moshulu is a restaurant ship in Philadelphia today. It can also be seen in Rocky during the running training montage. Side note the ship was launched in 1904 so Vito couldn’t have escaped to America in 1901 on her
A lot of people, including myself, thought that Vito travelled on the Moshulu. But he didn't. It's a point of view shot, that shows what Vito is seeing. So, Vito is on a different boat, seeing the Statue of Liberty, and the Moshulu. Sorry, I was disappointed when this was pointed out to me, simply because of my Philadelphia roots.
I love the scene where Roth talks about Moe Greene. It's clear that the "just business" caveat goes only so far. Indeed, one might surmise that Roth's dealings with Michael Corleone are almost entirely driven by Roth's need to avenge his long departed friend. Likewise, although Greene clearly needed to be moved out of the way, the disrespect Greene showed towards the Corleone family, especially the way he treated Fredo, illustrates how it wasn't all business to Michael either. One might indeed reject the "just business" model altogether, it's all personal!
Huge thank you for checking out the video. Make sure you watch our breakdown of the first Godfather here - th-cam.com/video/dGnjhCcEIOY/w-d-xo.html
From 13:30 Flashback-Vito never had any "Oranges" prior to killing Fanucci. The Scene which shows Flashback-Vito at the Fruit-Stand is after Fanucci's Killing/Murder & with Flashback-Vito as the Don of the Neighborhood.
How do you not understand that after killing the heads of the five families means you can never walk away? He’s in too deep at that point! To leave is to sign your own death warrant! Roth wanted him dead over Moe Green! This take is extremely naive!
Fredo always loved Mikey- even when he was stepped over-
Fredo always loved Mikey- even when he was stepped over-
Oranges billboard Sunny passes before he’s holed
Also ironic that Fredo is the only one at the table that congratulates and is proud of Michael about joining the army where everyone else wasn’t.
Tragic.
Marines*
“They didn’t know it was Pop’s. Day”
FREDO already going against the family.
Also- “Paulie’s a good kid”
That's because Fredo is naive and stupid.
Fredo has an alarming habit of seeing things from a perspective other than what's good for the family. Michael joining the Marines isn't good for the family. It makes sense Fredo would be the only one proud of Michael here.
They call Frankie "Five Angels" because that's what Pentangele literally means, but your take on the symbolism of calling him that is still valid IMHO.
Haha that’s the nicest way to correct someone I think I’ve seen on this channel, much appreciated
Beat me to it!
Pentangeli
Penta 5 angeli: angels
@@heavyspoilersyour pronunciations sucked, too.
Feel more at home now? 😂
I love the godfather part 2 more than the first one, one thing I like is how Michael communicates with eyes instead of words
I know he does that when he just flicks his eyes to Al Neri as a sign that Fredo could go now
Senators and presidents don't have people killed. Who's being naive now 😅
Kay wanted to be lied to
Just like Carmella Soprano 😅
It's pronounced Pent. Angeli
Michael's eyes again when Fredo says Johnny Ola showed me this club
The guy they picked to play young Tessio is perfect. I can totally imagine that is what young Abe Vigoda looked like. I tried to confim it, though, by googling 'young abe vigoda'. Now I'm convinced that Abe Vigoda came out of the womb looking like a 70 year-old man.
I think if you could find a picture of a young Boris Karloff you'd have a ringer for the actor who portrayed young Tessio.
The guy who played young Tessio is Don Amateo in New Jack City
Fun fact…The Moshulu in the movie is docked in Penn’s Landing here in Philly and is now a restaurant/club still open to this day
Yep it's the actual ship that carried immigrants across the ocean for decades. I just walked around on it last weekend
You never mentioned the senator purposely mispronouncing Anthony's name at the party, but perfectly pronouncing Corleone to Micheal in the meeting, showing his duplicity early on.
Nice catch
That's an excellent observation!
I thought that was so clearly portrayed it couldn't possibly be an Easter egg or something someone would miss..
It accurately put on display the false fronts politicians put on in public as opposed to there demeanor in private..
Because he was a southern redneck passive-aggressively doing it.
I feel like this communicates or underlines his condescension and racial prejudice more than his duplicity; the senator makes it clear what he thinks of Italians. It's all semantics though.
Godfather 1 & 2 are so close to perfect.
Agreed❤
The shot of Michael looking outside the window - is my alltime favorite shot - one can literally feel that, despite him finally getting what he wanted, he is basically losing the last bit of humanity and his chance of what he had planned for himself
I’m always drawn to the weird panes of glass, the frames are like spiderwebs almost.
I prefer the first. Seeing Michael become the man he needed to be was a great, epic story.
Moe Green was shot in the eye just like Bugsey Siegel. Siegel started Vegas and Roth mentioned it. Characters based on real people.
Bugsy didn't start vegas, it was already in development.
He just took over what another man had envisioned.
When she tells him it was an abortion…the look Pacino gives her was pure perfection…the anger can be read in the eyes followed by the slap
As a Sicilian Catholic in that time period, Michael saw the abortion as the murder of his son. Murdering other people's sons, of course, was not such a problem for him.
@@charlesfaure1189 today it still is the murder of a child. What has changed since then?
@@officialthomasjames dude, we didn't ask.
@@officialthomasjames Exactly.
@@PerfectPanels9 Well, you were told.
One of the best films ever made.
Factual
Ever.
I completely missed that Fredo was the reason Roth’s hit failed. Michael told Fredo that Roth tried to kill him…and Fredo betrays him again by protecting Roth. Michael had to kill Fredo because it was only a matter of time Fredo would either get Michael or one of his family members killed. I still think Connie left the blinds open.
Me too. I’m still wrapping my head around it.
Same and I’ve watched this movie at least three times a year for over a decade 🤯
Women always leave the damn blinds open.
What I’m wondering to this day is the two men that attempted the hit. I seriously doubt if Fredo was competent enough to kill them himself. Either they did a hell of a job making it a suicide or Rocco did it. I don’t know who else could have.
Michael took Tom Hagen for granted. Tom ended up being smarter than you'd think blackmailing the senator in a move unlike him. Tom stayed loyal to that family to the end
1-Something i never noticed before is that in the cake cutting scene the shape of Cuba on the top of the cake is orange and so is the chair that Michael is sitting in...🤔
2- I've always found Cazale's performance to be top tier. Highlighted in the scene where Michael confronts him the way he lays back and pathetically attempts to explain himself does make you feel sorry for him. There are many reasons why a dog will expose his belly but one of them being to show acknowledgment of your Authority because they're putting themselves in a vulnerable/submissive position. sometimes dogs will expose their belly in an attempt to make you feel sorry for them and appear non-threatening because they are afraid. Fredo laying there belly up is emblematic of all those things.
3- I think Michael's relationship with Kay is indeed a complicated one. As evidenced by the final scene in the first movie,she's always shut out. Both physically and emotionally. I think this is in part because when Michael was in Sicily he truly loved Apollonia, let her in completely and was devastated by her death. So now he can never let anyone in again out of fear of being hurt like that again,hence why Kay's betrayal with the abortion is that much more painful. His love for her tho is evident in the fact that he doesn't have her killed which frankly wouldnt be surprising considering how many people hes killed for less.
4- I never noticed until now that the theme of the son paying for the sins of the father and the cyclical effects of a life of violence extends all the way back to Vitos father. He messed around with the mob and ultimately that decision led to all of his sons being killed except for one. That is repeated with Vito and then again with Michael.
5- the flashback scene where Michael tells everyone about his decision to enlist and go fight in the war ends with him sitting alone. I think that is representative of Michael's entire story arc. He goes to war for his country,for his family, against the five families,against his own family,and essentially is always at war with himself internally. The decisions he makes in fighting these wars ends with him sitting there by himself contemplating everything he's lost.
6- the end of the first movie and the beginning of this one show Michael taking power and people kissing his ring. Like a king. He literally has people falling all over him but at the end of this movie he sits completely alone as he brings his hand (and ring) close to his own mouth. A king reflecting in lonely silence....."heavy is the head that wears the crown"
Lovely explanation and observations. I completely concur. 👍🏾
“Heavy is the fing, that wears the ring.”
Perfectly put 👏
Fantastic Comment.
Better than the entire video in my humble opinion.
Great commentary.
Just when I thought I was out, heavy spoilers drops another banger and they drag me back in! Godfather 2 electric boogaloo! It’s crazy how incredible godfather 1&2 still r to this day! Great video man!! 🔥🔥
Haha thank you man
@@heavyspoilersyou are the 🐐
The duality amongst brothers in 42:42 can also extend to Michael’s sons: the one who lives, Anthony, will destroy his legacy by not following in the family business, and the one who dies, the unborn son, who in Michael’s mind, would’ve upheld the legacy.
Oh man you’ve made my weekend again! Love these movies and just enjoy how you see the joy in film. No gimmicks no grifting just talent! Schamon!
I’ve heard some people speculate that when Michael called Fredo to the car he wasn’t gonna kill him but it was gonna be Michael giving fredo a chance. One last chance of trust cuz he’s his brother. But fredo was too scared thinking this would be where he died so he didn’t enter. Inherently sealing his fate
Yeah I really don’t think Michael would’ve had him killed there, he still let him come to his home after
In goodfellas somebody got shipped away as punishment, it’s possible he would have been sent back to Italy or somewhere else where mikey kept him alive but had him excommunicated
Every movie with a “Part 2” has to be followed by Electric Boogaloo🤣
I agree 😂
I was one that was hyped to see breakin pt 2
Around 38 mins you mention about the Dons (think its Fanucci) throat cutting scene. Its one of the biggest parts that show his weakness as he is shouting for the Police to help him, showing that he is not powerful and relying on the cops like a civilian (Vito witnesses this, giving him confidence to lowball later).
Also if I remember correct when the Don jumps into the car to speak to Vito, he mentions about the cops would find out about the dresses if he doesn't pay a toll, again its a puss move to run to the cops and not something a mafia Don would do.
Then combined with the lowball offer Vito makes shows that Fanucci is not at all powerful, furthermore that he is actually a bit of a sheep in wolves clothing, presenting an aura with no real backup - the scene where he pinches the cheek Vito doesn't respond for quite a period and eyeballs him, I think that's when Vito realises the Don has zero power and is completely weak, giving Vito the opportunity to make his move.
Separate part 45 mins in - When Michael hugs Fredo, Michael looks at his bodyguard who is sizing him up for weakness, Michael returns his look until the bodyguard looks away, so Michael has to be strong and it kind of forces his hand also.
Great points except for the last one. Neri was looking at Michael on how to handle Fredo. Michael's look to Neri was Michael giving him the green light to take Fredo out.
I love how both stories mirror one another, with Vito being sent alone to a new home, then building up his friends and family, ending the movie surrounded by loved ones, compared to Michael surrounded by people who need and respect him, slowly losing his friends and family (killing one of them) and ending the movie completely alone.
Ghost busters with Danny phantom powers vs every official auto bot not any prime accept Optimus
Who would win u think?
Roger Corman playing a Senator isn't just because he was a legend in Hollywood. It was because Corman was a mentor to Coppola (as well as a whole bunch of other directors)
I don't remember Michael kicking Tom out of the family. He asked him if he was going to take the job he was offered and Tom said no, he was staying.
He doesn’t kick him out of the family …. He kind of demoted him when He tells him “ you’re out tom , you’re not a wartime consigliere “.
@jameswhorton1973 that was in the Godfather part 1. This video is talking about part 2. He made Tom head of the family when he left for Cuba, and that is a MAJOR promotion.
@@rhud8585 I didn’t catch that , thanks.
You give a lot of actor back story, but neglected to say that Johnny Ola is played by Dominic Chianese a.k.a. Uncle Junior from Sopranos
"A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man."
think you missed the point about his wife.... his love for her died when he took revenge for his father in the first film. When in exile he found himself and his future bride, when she was killed he lost his only love. When he returned to America Kay was a means to an end, he could wear her on his arm and move freely as a family man. Due to the void he felt inside at the loss of his first wife, he cares very little for her throughout the rest of the films. I think, he thought he was in love with her for the life he wanted to live at the start of the first film, but when he finally committed to his family he knew she would never love him or what he would become. His sicilian wife, Apollonia Vitelli, had a fire in her heart that would have meant she put family before anything, had she not been killed Michael would have continued like his father in creating a family that he could have relied on and trusted. Instead he came back far darker and more ruthless, he still needed to present as a family man so Kay would do, he could manipulate her and wouldn't have to start a new relationship, but he has no emotional investment in her anymore, she is a naive idealist in his eyes now. I think he wears the wedding ring at the end for Apollonia, not Kay.
Right I thought the same. He wears the ring for Apollonia, not Kay.
i think he wears the ring in part for apollonia but.....i also think the ring represents his "marriage" to the family NOT his family but The Family. like once he lost apollonia he dedicated himself to running the buisness and tho it may not have been a fully conscience decision he always put it before his family.
That’s true, he looks at Apollonia with so much more passion and love than he ever looks at Kay, either before or after going to Sicily.
Then why did he confess to Kay in part3 that he still loves her ? They both have moved on and kay even remarried but not Michael. He could have easily found himself another Sicilian wife who would gave him heirs. He tells her how he dreams abt her and children in Sicily
@yashiagrawal8496 Part 3 is nonsensical trash
Thank you. Lots of things not explained but if can be figured out. Fredo didnt know, Rocco was the trader, they figured it out and sent him to assonate Roth.
Loved Tessio tossing and Orange.
Tom and Frankie 5 Angels scene is riveting.
I see the fact that he was wearing his ring differently. 1st, he's Italian Catholic. You don't get divorced. 2nd, Kay was the only person who beat michael. She caught him off guard and for the first time in the movies he finally loses control of his emotions. The fact he still has the ring on is a subtle "fuck you" to Kay, even if she can't see it. You don't leave michael. He decides when it's over.
I've always taken Rocco's willingness to take on the risky killing of Roth as atonement for his failures. He was the head of security when two men were able to almost kill Michael. He had to prove his loyalty somehow.
The BEST movie breakdown I've ever seen next your breakdown for The Godfather! Thanks, Paul! This is truly an amazing piece of work, well done! Looking forward to the part III breakdown! Cheers!
The ADT detail blew me away. I saw the sign, but thought it was an oversight by the film crew. Amazing detail and story-telling...Show, don't Tell
As for the USC-Notre Dame moment. Yes they are big rivals and one of the biggest historical college football rivalries.
Also, re the final flashback scene...right after Fredo's death...
When Michael announced his enlistment--Fredo was the only one to show him support.
This is the one I’ve been waiting for. The best film of all time.
3 is not a bad as people think, pacino and Garcia give great performance and the character of the Italian assassin is unforgettable, in my opinion.
The thing I hated about the third Godfather was Sonny’s son and Michael’s daughter sleeping together. That was so wrong. Plus, I don’t think Sonny’s son would attempt that since he had to have heard about Michael killing his brother and his brother in-law. I don’t think the story needed that love triangle…plus her acting as Michael’s daughter was painful to watch.
I like the third film...but I don't love it. Still, I always watch all three films.
Agreed. 3 is underrated - I also don't hate Sofia in it although her storyline with Anthony could have been done without.
One of the most powerful themes of the film is how Michael the "Nice American Boy" not just loses his innocence like Buonasera's daughter but takes on the worst characteritics of an American business executive. He's ruthless, flat out lies, manipulated politicians, worries about his successor, while he flat out lies and behaved with paranoia. Im many ways Roth is his father when he appeals to his sense of business "we will be bigger than.."
..
Michael doesn't fire Tom! He fears he's going to lose him, just like he's losing the rest of his family, so he asks him about a job offer he's had (in his usual hard, cold way) and is relieved that he's staying with the family.
I'd also argue that the tragedy of The Godfather films is how different Michael is from his father. Vito commands personal loyalty and is a more openly warm and loving figure (the great scene illustrating this is in the first film where Michael tells Tom he's out and Vito has the emotional intelligence to realise Tom needs reassurance).
Vito became Godfather out of necessity at a time when newly arrived Italians needed to watch out for each other more; the old Don was ripping them all off, which the young Vito is particularly disapproving of. Vito is consistently shown to be an openly caring husband and father; his wife also doesn't interfere with his work as she knows he's doing what he has to do for them. That was never going to be the case for Michael and Kay.
The films also suggest that the Americanisation of things is also proving detrimental. Michael and Fredo have American wives that don't fit in with the system and Frankie Five Angels' distaste at the American music and food at the party in the beginning of Part 2 are also a sign of unwelcome change. Ironically, Michael's efforts to Americanise can also be seen to chime with his attempts to go legitimate (it's also worth noting that Michael is the only one of his siblings who doesn't have an alternate American name, sort of foreshadowing the Americanisation and weakening of the old way of doing things).
I watched both films with my kids recently and we discussed the tragic arc of Michael's life and whether it was unavoidable. We pinpointed the death of Michael's first wife as a major fork in the road: it's likely that Apollonia would have a been a far better mob wife than Kay and he would have avoided quite a bit of drama in the second film had she not died.
The second film's juxtaposition of young Vito's rise to power and the unravelling of Michael's personal life as he defeats all his enemies (yet again) shows the massive contrast between the two as men and of the times they lived in.
It all suggests that Vito's hope for Michael, his youngest son, to genuinely achieve the American Dream (that is noticeably out of reach for the young Vito from his quarantine cell on Ellis Island) is ultimately dashed. They should make Part III one day so we can find out if Anthony fares any better...
Genco abbadando was best friends with Vito since his father took Vito in and let him work in his shop. Genco became vito's consigliere and helped expand his father's shop into a full on olive oil company.
In college, at St. John’s University, I had to take philosophy classes to graduate. In one, I was taught about the perfectly unjust man. Michael Corleone, for all of his outward appearances, is a wholly evil man. He has no redeeming qualities. When viewed through this lens, his character is that much more chilling.
Tom wasn’t asked to leave the family, he turned down the Vegas offer and told Michael he’s staying.
i literally just watched this movie yesterday to prepare for this video.
Hope you enjoyed it
Fanucci pinching his cheek was a sign of disrespect.
It would be great if you make a breakedown of Once Upon a Time in America.
"Genco" was Vito's beloved friend and original consigliere.
This was excellent. Great job Paul!
Thank you
One thing I noticed was that in Godfather 1, Vito meets everyone even if it was the Funeral guy, or Luca Brasi, who he kept waiting, but met at last. However in Godfather 2, Michael only meets senators and other big shows. He keeps Pentangeli waiting and forgot about him. This either shows that the Corleone family had grew exponentially, or that Michael had grown to be more arrogant and self centred, than Vito.
Ot has been said that each of Vito's sons represented different aspects of his (Vito's) personality.
When Kay reveals she had an abortion and calls out his naivity, it's a callback to Michael playing on her naivity with the family business. She's naive when it comes to the business as he is when it comes to the family.
I can’t believe that no one caught that you said “Not burst a Hyman”…that is hilarious and EXACTLY my sense of humor! THANK YOU!
Thanks mate. Love listening to you talk about all the details in the Godfather 2 I missed. Godfather 2 is my favorite.
10 points to Griffindore for the subtle hymen joke. 🤣
House wins again
Its all comes down to one thing fredo was jealous he even said it but because he was drunk micheal just brushed it off people talk their true feeling when their intoxicated
46:36 Tom's "Five Angels" simply jokingly translates Frankie's family name "Pentangeli" (etymologically Greek = five angels")
FREDO's low-key resentment towards his father and brother nearly got both of them killed and DON MICHAEL didn't feel an iota of guilt killing him because he would have destroyed The Family.
0:53 Yes!!!
Johnny Ola could have been a varsity athlete back then.
Bro, Frankie's brother is being held HOSTAGE by the family. The look on his face when he enters the hearing, & the look the brothers exchange...they both realize they're powerless & better do what they must to save their necks.
For a long time I thought Part 2 was the greatest film of all time, but over the years and multiple viewings of both I have come to regard them as equal....I consider both to be among the top 10 movies of all time
It really is hard to pick a winner. They're both perfect.
that Theory Time jump-scare got me right in the sh'baow
Iconic video just like these two masterpieces. These movies are like a Beethoven, Mozart, Debussy type of treasures. No matter how many times you watch you will always find something new. You made me a subscriber so I cannot refuse.
Great stuff man...and it's OH-MER-TA, the mafia code of silence
Pantangelo, agreed because they promised to take care of his family. He actually didn't betray The corlieone family because he didn't testify. Fankie was set up by Roth, who stated he was small potatoes.
I recently just finished watching all 3 Godfather movies, for the first time. :D I loved them all. & even got to watch part 2, at the local movie theater.
Also, the little girl being held by her mom, while young Vito is coming into America, is played by Sofia Coppola.
This video was all over the place with explanations. I know the movie jumps all over the place with pacing but the way this video explained scenes and storylines that hadn’t happened yet almost gave me dementia 😂
Still enjoyed it though, so thanks!! 🙏
The scene from the wedding you show when you mention Sonny's widow is actually of him with his mistress, who is implied to be Vincent's mother
Love this breakdown 😁 thanks for it!
USC and Notre Dame is a rivalry. You are correct sir.
i Only saw this now Paul. This is masterful You tube work of one of my most repeatedly watched movie classics
Thank you 🙏
USC is also the school where OJ Simpson played at. He later went in to become the first of only eight players ever to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season.
Al Pacino is so handsome in this movie! I had no idea there was a longer cut.
I like the point about if you want revenge, dig two graves. Not only did Michal lose a part of himself for killing Fredo...the same thing with Fredo. By going after his brother and siding with Roth cost Fredo his life...but he did get revenge since Michael lost his family by killing his brother. If the hit on Michael doesn't happen, he might had found another way to get the family out of the criminal business and Kay may had stayed with him. However, the hit attempt woke Kay up and she fully understood she and her kids lives were in danger. Micheal and Kay's marriage was over after that event. She never looked at Michael the same loving way after she was almost killed.
Superb my good man
Thank you
Was at the 1st festival of the year yesterday, perfect weather for it and perfect upload for the day after. 🙌
Profiles in COURAGE
Good job with this review! One of the best I've watched!
Love everything about your videos pls never stop!
Thank you
I think Connie opened the blinds because she also hated Michael...and I don't think Fredo would enter the bedroom with Michael's wife in the bedroom because that would be hard to explain. But Connie as a woman could do it. I think it is another reason she begged for Fredo's forgiveness because she was also guilty. I think that is another reason Connie stays loyal to Michael since she saw how cold Michael became and he could also kill her if he found out she was also involved with trying to bring down Michael.
Nonsense. And would have done it when Kay wasn't in the room.
The Moshulu ship that Vito came over in is now a floating restaurant here in Philly.
The hit on Frankie was 100% staged by Roth
Hagen says that Roth “played this one beautifully”
He “engineered “ everything
Yep. And that's how Michael knew for sure that Roth was the one that ordered the hit (that and Fredo slipping up at the "live show").
Old Michael still wears his wedding ring because it is the same ring he put on when he married Apollonia, who was his true love.
Im hemmed between the two. They are BOTH amazing films...if i HAD to choose, it would be The Godfather, Part II.
So many things that were missed after watching the movie time after time 😮
This was a fantastic presentation. Well done and thank you
"It insists upon itself"
-Peter Griffen
I’ve seen this move at least have a dozen times and I never understood how or why the guards knew thethe assassination attempt on Roth was going down. Thank you lol
Omertà
And the obvious reason to show up at the hearing with the brother is to let him know they can get to his family. It's a clear threat, forget about the rest
The chonologically linear version is called "The Godfather Saga." It was made for TV so the explicit stuff is left out, but in includes cut scenes not in the theatrical versions.
In the directors commentary Coppola said Danny Aiello improvised the line "Michiael Corleone says hello" and he liked it, so he left it in. Coppola didnt realize til later the confusion this would cause. Did Roth order the hit? Yes. Did the Rosado brother know Roth ordered the hit or did he somehow get mislead into thinking the hit was sanctioned by Michael through the family's buffers?
"The family had a lot of buffers"-willie cici
Also, Rosado could have been mislead into thinking Michael was now partners with Roth and his family had the entire backing of Roth and Michael now.
Electric Boogaloo (if you know you know 😅😅😅😅)
Good point about Michael being afraid of and not wanting to lose his family, which still ends up happening because he both held on to them too tight and cared more about business. There's even a deleted scene where Michael asks his mother if his father was ever afraid of losing his family, so that fear was always there on his mind, which is probably what caused Michael to hold on so tight and want to control them so much. It's ironically also what caused him to ultimately lose them. Part 3 became about Michael trying to finally go legit, which he does, but is still unable to get his family back, no matter how hard he tries and ends up alone again when we see that flash forward where he dies alone of old age in some Sicilian village years later.
Yep, the Chronological Version was also released on VHS and Laserdisc. I own them myself and prefer to watch the movies that way.
I own the Blu-ray Discs as well as the 4K U.H.D. Discs, but I would LOVE to see a chronological cut.
When you put up Pt.1, it was AWESOME. GRAZIE!!!
@7:05 - The Moshulu is a real ship that is currently (and has been since 1975) a floating restaurant in Philadelphia. It can also be seen in the first Rocky film during the training montage as Rocky gets a sudden burst of speed along the water front. It is period appropriate to Godfather II but was actually built in 1904.
It’s Pentangeli…Frankie Five Angels. Penta=5…angeli is Latin plural of angel
This was well done! I have watched these movies since they came out.
My parents and Siblings were born in Calabria Italy. I am the first American born Child.
The Italian scenes has such a special place in my parents heart and paisani...I speak Italian to my parents. The Italian scenes were the first American movie scenes I didn't have to translate lol
As for Frankie
Pentangeli...Penta...5
Angeli ...angels
We Italian Americans as a nickname ...translate each others Italian names into exact English...
5 family's was interesting but. That is not why he called him that.
It was sign of affection.
Godfather 2 just has better pacing . The back in forth between the two different time periods keeps you in it the whole time . Great film .
If ever there was movie character who deserved to end up alone and miserable, it was Michael Corleon
Moshulu is a restaurant ship in Philadelphia today. It can also be seen in Rocky during the running training montage.
Side note the ship was launched in 1904 so Vito couldn’t have escaped to America in 1901 on her
A lot of people, including myself, thought that Vito travelled on the Moshulu. But he didn't. It's a point of view shot, that shows what Vito is seeing. So, Vito is on a different boat, seeing the Statue of Liberty, and the Moshulu. Sorry, I was disappointed when this was pointed out to me, simply because of my Philadelphia roots.
I love the scene where Roth talks about Moe Greene. It's clear that the "just business" caveat goes only so far. Indeed, one might surmise that Roth's dealings with Michael Corleone are almost entirely driven by Roth's need to avenge his long departed friend. Likewise, although Greene clearly needed to be moved out of the way, the disrespect Greene showed towards the Corleone family, especially the way he treated Fredo, illustrates how it wasn't all business to Michael either. One might indeed reject the "just business" model altogether, it's all personal!
It's pronounced o-mer-tà with emphasis on the last syllable, and Pen-tàn-ge-li which directly translates to Five Angels.