Giovanny The Godfather (giovannythegodfather)

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Marlon Brando is Vito Corleone, also known as "The Godfather", who is head of one of the most powerful mafia families in America. Don Vito is a fair but ruthless man who runs much of his business by doing favours and expecting favours in return. The Corleone family are drawn into a bitter and violent war with other mafia families over their refusal to participate in the lucrative but dangerous drug trade. Don Vito is shot but the attempt on his life does not succeed - he is seriously injured rather than killed. While Don Vito is in hospital, control of the family passes to his eldest son Sonny (James Caan). Sonny is a hot-head, and with his contributions the war continues to escalate. Don Vito's youngest son is Michael (Al Pacino). He has stayed outside the family business, and his father had aspirations of him holding some legitimate position of power, perhaps through politics. When Don Vito is shot, however, Michael returns home to do what he can to help the family through the crisis. He protects his father against the killers trying to finish what they have started. Michael starts to show promise in this violent world. He takes his revenge against those trying to kill his father, shooting them during a meeting at a restaurant. Ultimately, Sonny is shot and now it is Michael who finds himself with all the responsibility. It may not be possible for a film to be faultless, but this certainly comes close. The ensemble cast are wholly convincing, and there are a string of well-known names involved who weren't at all familiar until this film. The story progresses at perfectly measured pace, moving almost gently between moments of calculated violence. The cinematography and direction are picture-perfect, with immaculate attention to detail. Every aspect of life in those turbulent times is faithfully recreated with great accuracy. "The Godfather" is a credit to all involved.

This second part to the epic tale of the Corleone crime family stars both Robert De Niro as young Vito Corleone and Al Pacino as his son Michael, in two separate storylines set in different times. Michael's story starts after the events of "The Godfather". Now becoming an ever-more-capable crime boss, he is attempting to expand his family's influence in Las Vegas, Hollywood and revolutionary Cuba. Problems emerge when there is an attack on Michael and his family, and it appears that the family were betrayed by Michael's older brother Fredo (John Cazale). There are also the inevitable conflicts with other crime bosses to deal with. Michael has been trying to make the family business legitimate, which is what his wife Kay (Diane Keaton) wants, but that is not easy. And now Michael has to find out who really was behind the attack on him Looking back into the past, Vito's life before the events of "The Godfather" is that of an immigrant trying to make good. Family business in Sicily when Vito is a small boy results in the killing of the rest of his family. The boy immigrates to America, though it is hard to see how he could survive - he is a sickly child on arrival. However, even as a boy Vito is resourceful and learns to get by. Soon he is being noticed by many of the people in his ghetto neighbourhood - they know him as someone who can do almost any favour for those prepared to do him a future favour in return. It is extremely rare for a sequel to be as good as the film on which it is based, especially when that film may be one of the greatest ever made, but "The Godfather - Part II" very nearly does so. The twin threads of Michael and Vito's stories, which could have been confusing, are each distinct and coherent due to strong direction. The two stories are both interesting, and fill in the background to the Corleone family as well as show the changes life has wrought on Michael. Like its predecessor, it is beautifully made with immaculate attention to detail, and once again the strong cast give the story depth and substance. It may be that "The Godfather" pips this one to the post, but only by the narrowest margin.