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The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton. Cinematography by Gordon Willis. Edited by Barry Malkin, Richard Marks, and Peter Zinner. Produced by Francis Ford Coppola. Written by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
The saga of the Corleone crime family continues. The picture shifts back and forth seamlessly through time as it documents Don Michael’s (played by Al Pacino) evolution as the leader of the family in 1950’s and Vito Corleone’s (played by Robert De Niro) immigration to America in the 1910’s. At his Lake Tahoe estate, an attempt is made on the life of Michael which leads him to Cuba to confront the man he assumes is responsible.
One by one he wipes out those who have betrayed him until he discovers that one of the conspirators rests within his family. Meanwhile, two generations ago, Vito has landed in New York’s Little Italy and finds that the promise of a better life is far from the truth. The streets are hard and he must fight every day to survive.
Though he was initially resistant to take the project, The Godfather earned Francis Ford Coppola acclaim and riches beyond what anybody could have possibly anticipated. So when the predicable discussions began about a sequel, Coppola wanted to make sure that he didn’t tarnish his hard earned reputation by producing something that would be an embarrassment to the first film. In fact, he saw a Godfather sequel as an opportunity to take more risks, be more ambitious, and display more creativity than what he did with its predecessor.
Part of his agreement with Paramount Pictures was that he would not only direct the picture but also produce it as well, giving him complete artistic freedom. So when the largely already established cast was assembled, Coppola and his team packed up and shoot on locations all over the globe. Starting in Lake Tahoe, the crew then moved to the Dominican Republic, then to Sicily, and finally back to the United States to shoot the Manhattan sequences. The film took nine months to shoot and when Coppola finally compiled all of his footage the initial cut ran for almost five hours. He finally trimmed it down to a slender three and half and The Godfather: Part II was released to its eager public.
Some degree of financial success was to be expected, but never before had a sequel been so well received critically. The first Godfather film had already become one of the most well respected films in history, and audiences were soon referring to the sequel as a better picture. The Godfather: Part II was showered with praise and given countless awards.
It even went on to become the first sequel to win the Oscar for best picture. The success of The Godfather: Part II quickly made Coppola one of the most powerful young filmmakers in the industry. It also earned him the money that he used to purchase over fifteen hundred acres of the Inglenook Estate in Napa Valley, California. There he joined his name with that of master winemaker Gustave Niebaum, who previously owned the property, to create the Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery which now produces some of the most incredible wines to come out of the state.
Budget: $13,000,000
Total US Gross: $57,300,000
Genre: Crime
Runtime: 200 Minutes
US Release Date: 12/20/74
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Awards:
Academy Awards:
Won for best art direction/set decoration, best original score, best supporting actor, best adapted screenplay, best director, and best picture.
Nominated for best costume design, best supporting actor for Michael V. Gazzo, best supporting actor for Lee Strasberg, best supporting actress, and best actor.
Golden Globes:
Nominated for most promising male newcomer, best original score, best actor, best screenplay, best director, and best picture.
Directors Guild of America:
Won the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures.
Writers Guild of America:
Won for Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium.
American Film Institute’s Top 100 Lists:
100 Years… 100 Movies (#32)
100 Years… 100 Heroes and Villains (#11 Villain – Michael Corleone)
100 Years… 100 Movie Quotes (#58 – “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.”).
Tagline: none
Quote: “I don't feel I have to wipe everybody out, Tom. Just my enemies.”
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