The Godfather: Part II

Summary

“You broke my heart.”

Paramount Pictures has recently released The Godfather Trilogy on the 4K UHD format. This release coincides with the fifty year anniversary for the first film. These films are considered some of the greatest films ever made, and the work that Paramount has put into the UHD releases of the Trilogy is some of the most impressive that I have seen. Francis Ford Coppola’s work with Mario Puzo on the first two films remains one of the greatest collaborative efforts between a novelist and a filmmaker. In anticipation of rewatching these films, I read the novel upon which the first two films drew material. I have previously reviewed the first film’s UHD release, and I recently viewed the second film in the series with my wife. 

For the second film in the series, Coppola and Puzo decided to have the film’s plot unfold simultaneously in two different eras. The film picks up where the prior film had left off as Michael (Al Pacino) moves his family business to Nevada. Half of the film details the numerous trials and tribulations that beset Michael and his family as he works to build the future of the family’s enterprise in the casinos of Las Vegas. Along the way, Michael begins to lose his humanity and question the ideas of just how far he would go to protect his family and its reputation. The film also does something incredibly interesting – it goes back in time to tell the story of young Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) as he escapes from murderous gangsters in Sicily as a child and establishes himself in America. The movie shows the steps that Vito took in order to become an Olive Oil magnate and eventually the well respected Godfather in New York. The stories move along parallel to one another as they unfold.

The Godfather: Part II was released in 1974. It is one of the most critically acclaimed sequels ever made. The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II remain the only film-sequel duo to ever win the Best Picture award. The two screenwriters worked diligently to craft a script that managed to be every bit as ingenious as the film that had come before. The film’s portion that follows Vito Corelone’s immigration and rise to prominence is drawn directly from The Godfather novel. This portion of the novel had been too long of a story to factor into the original film, despite the material’s excellence. The portion of the film that continues the story of Michael and his family was written by Puzo and Coppola in collaboration and is not featured in The Godfather novel. Impressively, both of these stories are every bit as compelling as the story of the Corleone film in the first picture. The film is a more difficult picture than the prior because many of the actions taken by characters in Part II are morally unjustifiable and much darker than what had come before it. In the prior film, the men that Michael has killed all seemingly deserve their fates. He was the protector of the family in that film and while a gangster, he was only killing people that endangered his family. This is not the case in the sequel. Puzo labored against some of the ideas that Coppola brought to the table as being too hard or out of character, but he eventually realized the emotional heft that Coppola’s ideas would bring to the characters. 

This is a film about transformation. Vito transforms from a hard working impoverished youth to a respected and feared business man. Michael transforms from a loving war hero college student to a Machiavellian gangster who will do anything to carry on the family business and maintain the respect of the Corleone name. The transformation of Michael that began in the first film is completed in the second film, and it can be difficult to watch. The film pulls absolutely no punches as Michael is corrupted by the power he holds. In the realm of cinema, it is hard to point to two films deservedly heralded as masterpieces more so than the first two pictures in the trilogy. They are both incredible achievements on their own, but as a whole they are something even greater.

Like the film before it, the cast of Part II is incredible. Al Pacino, John Cazale, Robert De Niro, Dianne Keaton, and Robert Duval are all in top form in the picture. Al Pacino turns in a performance as Michael that is even more impressive than the performance he turned in for The Godfather. By the end of the film, Pacino has become truly chilling. His icy demeanor and the subtle ways in which Pacino reveals Michael’s intelligence allow Pacino to shine on the screen. It is one of his greatest performances in a career full of wonderful roles. Just as importantly, Robert De Niro turns in an exceptional performance as Vito Corleone. Largely speaking in Italian for the duration of the film, De Niro makes Vito come to life. The section that details the rise of Vito Corleone is one of the greatest parts of The Godfather novel, and it is incredible to watch it come to life in the film. It is an amazing immigration story and a story that is uniquely American. It is about the ways in which people pursue the American dream, and there is not a single shot in the film that is not meticulously designed. The imagery in the Vito sequences really sticks with the viewer. De Niro and Pacino were early in their careers, but these performances rank as some of their absolute best. Robert Duvall is similarly excellent as Tom Higgins. Dianne Keaton is wonderful in the film, in which she delivers one of the most emotionally stirring monologues of the series. She is given more depth than in the prior picture and rises to the occasion. John Cazale is absolutely heartbreaking in the film as Fredo. Cazale was a tremendous talent and it is a shame that he was only in seven films before his tragic death from cancer at a young age. He was wonderful.

Once again, Coppola worked alongside the iconic cinematographer Gordon Willis. Willis created some of the most amazing imagery in cinematic history for the film. This is not hyperbole – it’s a fact. I am not trying to oversell how beautiful the imagery in the film is. Every single frame of the film could be framed and displayed in an art gallery. The movie is absolutely gorgeous. The budget is larger and the scale of the picture is grander. I believe that the second film transforms the series into an epic. There are hundreds of extras for numerous scenes in the film and at any moment there is just so much to take in. The fireworks during Vito’s sequence, the large gatherings at Lake Tahoe and in Reno – the filmmakers swung for the fences and it is rapturous to watch. Coppola is a genius. This film is genius. This is a film that continues to stand the test of time and continue to be a case study for young and old filmmakers. There is a good reason why these two films are held up as classics.

Video

Like The Godfather restoration that preceded it, the new 4K HEVC/H.265 transfer from Paramount Pictures of The Godfather: Part II is astonishingly beautiful. The HDR is used brilliantly to bring out the very best of the cinematography of Gordon Willis. Fine detail is extraordinary and grain is very well resolved. The intensive restoration work done for this release has paid off in one of the most beautiful transfers on the UHD format. This is the best the film has ever looked by far. I can not praise this new transfer highly enough. 

Audio

Paramount Pictures have included a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track and a newly restored lossless Mono track. While the film is definitely dialogue heavy, there are numerous sequences that feel truly immersive – especially the sequences that revolve around Vito’s story.  Clarity is excellent and the usage of the surround and LFE channels is well designed. It’s a perfect representation of the sound design for the film.

Supplements:

The supplements aside from the commentary are only found on the bonus Blu-Ray disc included in the Trilogy box set. The special features on the bonus disc are the same special features that were included in the original Blu-ray set. The score used for this review only reflects the amount of supplements included on the actual UHD disc.

• Audio Commentary: Director Francis Ford Coppola

Overall Scores: 

Video – 5/5

Audio – 5/5

Supplements – 1.5/5

Overall – 5/5

The Godfather: Part II is the rare sequel that is every bit the equal of its predecessor. This film is not a cash-in on the prior film’s success; it is an extension of the themes from the prior film that stands as an equally important and visionary artistic statement on its own terms. Puzo and Coppola wanted to explore even more deeply the ideas of success in America and the themes of power and moral decay. It is a colder and tougher film than the first picture, but it gives viewers an abundance of ideas to ponder over the three hour runtime. Every sequence in the film is vividly filmed thanks to the artistry of cinematographer Gordon Willis in collaboration with Coppola. I can’t imagine anyone considering the film anything less than a masterpiece. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are exceptional in their portrayals of two generations of Corleone men. The 4K UHD Blu-ray features another beautifully restored transfer that is a huge leap in quality from the Blu-ray. The 4K UHD transfer is an absolutely astounding piece of work. While the UHD does not feature many supplements, the included bonus disc in the Trilogy box set carries over all of the supplements from the prior Blu-ray release. This release earns our very highest recommendation.