Promotional image for The Godfather Part II

With The Godfather Part II celebrating its 50th anniversary last month in the US, (the film didn’t release until 1975 for most countries including the UK) now is as good of time as any to look back on this film’s impact and whether it still holds up to the first film.

The Godfather Part II follows the new powerful Don of the Corleone family, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) and includes flashbacks to his father Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) who immigrated from Italy to New York in the 1900s and began his rise to Don of his own Corleone crime family in the 20s. The film plays out like two movies in one as it splits between the past and the present, a bold decision at the time which delivers the story well.

The story of Vito Corleone is nicely tied to the story of Michael as we see the similar paths they both take, but also the difference between Michael and his father Vito in running their crime organisations and their families. Vito rises to a powerful and respected leader who has given his family a wealth and a good life, while Michael has become more rich and powerful, but in doing so he has sacrificed his family, and we begin to see the downfall of the Corleone’s. It’s a deeply fascinating and somewhat tragic story which juxtaposes the two different philosophies of our main characters.

The acting is on par with the first film, with Al Pacino returning and showing his growth as an actor in his character Michael, who has gone from a quiet man to a serious and respected leader who rules with fear. Pacino was nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars, and he gives an incredible performance which feels real. We see his silent rage boil over into violence when things don’t go his way.

One of the more memorable parts of the first film was Marlon Brando’s iconic performance as Vito, but for Part II they would replace Brando with a younger Robert De Niro. De Niro would go on to win Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars, and deservedly so as his portrayal of a young Vito could have merely come off as an impression of Brando, but De Niro instead gives a subtle approach to the character, making you believe he will one day become the version of Vito we see in the first film.

Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part II. Credit: GettyImages

Other stand out performances were from John Cazale as Michael’s older brother Fredo and Diane Keaton as Michael’s wife Kay. Both characters become afraid of what Michael has become and play a vital role in to Michael’s destruction of his own family.

The direction from Francis Ford Coppola is excellent, he makes this world come to life and brings realism to the screen in letting the actors play out against each other in long unbroken scenes. With nearly a three and half-hour run time Coppola keeps the viewers engaged from start to finish.

Although this film didn’t leave as a big of an impact as the 1972 Godfather, Part II still has made an impact on the quality and quantity of sequel films that have released over the last 50 years. Part II was in some ways more successful than the original Godfather, with it being nominated for 11 Academy Awards, of which it won six, including Best Picture. Although the movie did have its critics, it’s one of the more successful sequels and some, myself included, believe it’s a better movie than the first film.

The Godfather Part II: 50th Anniversary Review