tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610074516299275060.post3117054884683749433..comments2024-01-21T11:18:54.087-05:00Comments on Lost in the Movies: The Godfather and The Godfather Part IIJoel Bockohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11238338958380683893noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610074516299275060.post-35310366451270255772011-11-29T20:32:36.239-05:002011-11-29T20:32:36.239-05:00Vulnavia, I agree about the ending of Part III. Wh...Vulnavia, I agree about the ending of Part III. While it doesn't quite gel with the other two movies in a lot of ways, the conclusion packs a wallop (I'd say it's maybe the most powerful moment in all three films, except maybe when Michael embraces Fredo at the funeral and then looks out at Al Neri with that cold expression - it's really close anyway). And it is the logical, tragic finale to the saga. I like the fact that it transposes the action to Sicily too. All in all, I would say Part III is underrated.<br /><br />As for the double bill, who knows? It may have actually happened since they came out within a few months of one another. Someone out there must have a blog/book of such incidents, hypothetical or otherwise...Joel Bockohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238338958380683893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610074516299275060.post-88214915796316972212011-11-29T12:45:27.091-05:002011-11-29T12:45:27.091-05:00I generally rank Part II higher than Part I in my ...I generally rank Part II higher than Part I in my own mental canon. But both are up there. I find I have the opposite reaction to Brando's performance - it exists so completely on its own terms that I don't think of the actor at all while watching, just Don Vito.Joel Bockohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238338958380683893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610074516299275060.post-59337792270041107252011-11-29T10:59:20.334-05:002011-11-29T10:59:20.334-05:00I really like The Godfather III, which is a minori...I really like The Godfather III, which is a minority opinion, I guess. I think it's necessary, however flawed it may be. I mean, the end of Part II is kind of calculated and cold, not at all the conclusion of a Shakespearean tragedy. If Michael Corleone's tragic flaw is that he loses his conscience, how tragic is it? What does a shark feel for his actions? Tragedy demands more. <br /><br />Also: The Godfather III makes a terrific double bill with Not Without My Daughter, on a marquee, anyway...Vulnavia Morbiushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04722740955194993451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610074516299275060.post-60081271457175228642011-11-29T10:54:20.349-05:002011-11-29T10:54:20.349-05:00Wonderful and thorough essay Joel. I of course, pr...Wonderful and thorough essay Joel. I of course, prefer Part II, but the first one is the most iconic of course. I equate them usually like this:<br />The Godfather:Star Wars as The Godfather Part II:The Empire Strikes Back. Only one film can stand on it's own in my opinion, but it's the second in each case that have more depth, greater scope etc. Furthermore, in Part II, Pacino's performance outweights Brando's from the first. Brando has been parodied so much from that film that it's almost hard to watch without distractions when watching him.Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10656287096270976604noreply@blogger.com