The Godfather Part II (1974) Paramount Pictures 📢 Director: Francis Ford Coppola 💰 Producer: Francis Ford Coppola 👫 Cast: Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Talia Shire, Morgana King, John Cazale, Mariana Hill, Lee Strasberg. 🏆 Awards ceremony: -47th Academy Awards: April 8, 1975. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, California. 🎭 Other films nominated for Best Picture this year: -Chinatown. -The Conversation. -Lenny. -The Towering Inferno. 📕 Plot summary: A prequel/sequel to the original Godfather film, this film interweaves two stories: the growth of Vito Corleone from a child into a young man (played by Oscar-winning ROBERT DE NIRO); as well as the bulk of the story centering around Michael Corleone's (AL PACINO) journey as he grows in power as the head of the Mafia outfit. 💥 Standout scene(s): There were several: -The opening scene with Vito's mother threatening Don Ciccio with a knife; -The rather humorous sequence where Signor Roberto, a landlord of Hell's Kitchen, realizes who Vito is and pays him a visit in his store; -The short-lived anticipation of Michael seemingly forgiving Fredo whilst at their mother's funeral; -Vito taking out Don Fanucci; -But the most dramatic scene comes when Kay confesses to Michael that she had an abortion rather than a miscarriage of their son. Really well handled and acted by both Diane Keaton and Al Pacino. 🔑 Facts: -The 47th Academy Awards. -Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, it won 6: Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Robert De Niro), Screenplay (adapted), Art Direction, Music. -First Best Picture to feature Robert De Niro. He received 4th billing and makes his first appearance after 43 minutes. -First movie sequel to win the Best Picture Oscar. -Second of three Best Pictures for John Cazale (The Godfather, The Deer Hunter). -Second of three Best Pictures for Talia Shire (The Godfather, Rocky). -As the years would pass a big deal was made over the fact Al Pacino and Robert De Niro both starred in the same film except for the fact they did not share any scenes together due to the timeline of the story. However, there are two brief moments during the film where a fade-out and a fade-in involving both actors were merged onto the screen at the same time. Screenshot 1 and Screenshot 2. It wouldn't be until 1995 (in HEAT) when the two actors would finally appear in a movie scene together. 🙂 Personal opinion: Slightly above average. It really helps the story to have a significant number of important actors return from the original movie to play their characters here. However, the editing of the film leaves a lot to be desired. Definitely one of the more baffling of all the Oscar wins for Best Picture. To enjoy a film you have to be invested in the story. I guess I just wasn't that invested. Some of it was confusing and there were some scenes that felt really stretched. Admittedly there were some outstanding scenes and great moments and overall I'd say I was moderately satisfied with the finished product. Certainly not the best movie of 1974 and not a film I would care to admit to loving very much. And to prove I am not biased, I am a huge fan of Robert De Niro and I don't think he deserved his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this either (despite the background work he put into the character). Did it deserve the Oscar? ❌NO. 1974 was a strong year with some great movies, including my absolute favourite movie being released. When I think of 1974, I think of THE TOWERING INFERNO which I find much more interesting and much more watchable and likely to be seen with repeat viewings. It has a better cast and doesn't require the viewer to be familiar with a previous film in order to understand the storyline. BUT nothing comes close to my all-time favourite movie... THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE. ⭐️6/10

Review date: 22 March 2025