Two of the greatest movies ever

I could watch that scene all day and not tire of it. It is simply perfect.

 

I could watch the scene when Michael realizes it was Fredo who set him up on continuous loop. That's definitely my favorite scene. For years, though, the montage showing the deaths of the heads of the 5 families was my favorite.

I also love the flashback scene at the end of II where Michael reveals he's joined the Marines. It shows how much the family has disintegrated. Michael has gone from having 2 (really 3, when you count Hagen) brothers and lots of other family around him to sitting by himself.

 

I think the end of GFII is haunting. Michael is staring at the water, alone. Kay's gone. Sonny and Fredo are dead.

He won the war, saved his family, but doesn't have anyone to savor the riches with.

 

I liked Duvall's explanation for not appearing in GIII: If they're only doing it for the money, then I want my fair share. Damn right -- and it's as good an explanation for why it isn't as good a movie, at its heart, as the first two.

 

One thing that I never understood was how exactly did Fredo betray Michael? I mean, did he let somebody into the compound or did he push the curtains back, or what? I guess it's not really important to the story -- he worked with Johnny Ola (Uncle Jun!) in some way -- but it never really explains how.

Is it explained in the book? Or did I miss something?

Also, why did Hyman Roth's man say "Michael Corleone says hello" right before he tried to kill Frank Pantangiali. Michael never OK'd or ordered the hit. In fact, Michael was upset that Roth carried it out. ("I never asked who gave the order!")

 

"I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart."

 

The Fredo betrayal isn't explained in the book -- in fact Hyman Roth was written for the movie. This is the major flaw in II and pushes it below I in my mind.

On the second part, FFC said that the would-be killer (a young Danny Aiello) ad-libbed the line. I can't believe that happened. The only reasons for the line were either a) it was so that the bartender would think that Michael set up the killing; or 2) that they knew that the cop would come in and that Frankie Five Angels would live and would rat out Michael.

 

If it's the same version they edited together for TV, almost all of the scenes are on the DVDs. About 20 years ago, that version with everything in chronological order was available on VHS; my mother bought it and I watched it many times.

Some of the scenes were young Vito stuff from the book that fleshed out a few more things (including a nice murder of a Don Tommassino thug with an oar!), but there is one major glaring omission to me that was on DVD deleted scenes and in that complete saga but not in the films. After Appolonia's death, Michael asks them to "Get me Fabrizio." In a deleted scene from Part II, they find Fabrizio as an owner of a pizza place, and they blow up his car. A bit of vengeance I think was necessary, showing that Michael hasn't forgotten those brif days in Sicily even as he has raised a family with Kay.

 

According to the book "The Godfather Companion," Fredo gave Johnny Ola the floor plan to Michael's house, specifically the location of Michael's bedroom.

Also from the book, in a section titled "Loose Ends and Unanswered Questions":

Q. Is it Fredo who opens the bedroom curtains in Michael's bedroom?
A. We assume so, but we don't know.

Q. Is it Fredo who kills the two hit men after the attempt on Michael's life?
A. Michael tells Hagen it's an inside job, but we never find out.

The book is filled with fascinating stuff about all I, II and (shuddder) III.

 

There is no way Fredo kills the hitmen. Two hitmen? Killed by sniveling, timid, weaselly Fredo? Getthefuckouttahere.

 

By far, Michael in the scene you referenced.

 

Muchas cervezas, por favor, el feo.