"The Godfather Part II": Soberly Alone

01

"The Godfather Part II" is both a sequel and a prequel. It is an epic masterpiece of gangster movies. While he was telling the entrepreneurial history of Vito Corleone, he was also telling the entrepreneurial history of Michael Corleone.

Compared with the morality and friendship of friends of the first generation of godfathers, the second generation of godfathers are more modern, violent and bloody. He expanded his family's business to such an extent that he even tried to bribe senators.

After being assassinated by a rival, he decided to take revenge. On the one hand, he wanted to put an end to evil and legitimize the family business. On the other hand, he was pushed by an invisible hand to go on the road of evil and never return.

He took revenge on his enemy Rouse, who had almost no power to fight back. He made Frank, who had betrayed him, commit suicide, and even sent someone to kill his own brother.

He pretended to be strong and maintained the family business, but in the end he ended up betraying his relatives.

02

Compared with the first-generation godfather Vito, Michael was forced to take over his father's business out of his own sense of family responsibility and honor. He originally received an American education, and his wife is also a pure American, which is extremely inconsistent with his Italian immigrant family.

He never thought that one day he would be in charge of his family business, but this day came without warning. The father is old, the eldest brother was plotted and killed, and the second brother is weak and stupid. Only he can support the family.

Unlike his father Vito, Vito relied on his own abilities and interests to build his kingdom step by step. Although he did many illegal things, he was more of a warmhearted person. exchange of benefits between friends. Michael himself was disgusted and resistant to these practices, so he wanted to change and promised his wife to legalize the family business within five years.

However, reality always develops in the opposite direction, and the wife finally chooses to leave. This accelerated his darkness and loneliness, and killing his biological brother made the film more tragic.

03

The film depicts and reveals that the two generations of godfathers had different results due to their different personalities, different eras, and different circumstances.

After a lapse of two years, director Coppola has a shining aura and sufficient investment, and the filming process is smoother.

It recreates the Italian neighborhoods of New York in the early 19th century and the art of the era, as well as the slow, low and slightly sad soundtrack, creating a melancholy and moving emotional tone for the story.

This film received multiple Oscar nominations, and its achievements even surpassed the first "The Godfather" and eventually won the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Director and other awards. As an epic gangster movie, some of his classic shots and lines give people food for thought and enlightenment.

The ending of the movie tells us that many times, the trajectory of our lives is always far from our original expectations and dreams. It's just that reality is often too cruel.

Michael always wanted to change, stop, and look back, but he was pushed forward by invisible hands. He hated his own powerlessness, but he was still powerless. This plot created a sense of helplessness. Breathing, the recurring sense of fate.

Michael eventually became a defender of underworld ethics, and at the same time became a ruthless and lonely king.

These underworld ethics that uphold justice and love have no way to reconcile conflicts with human nature.

At the end of the story, we see Michael sitting alone under a tree with fallen leaves, feeling lonely and desolate. At this time, he has fewer and fewer relatives, and he will also face many complicated and perhaps dark and sinful struggles in the family.

There is nothing we can do about the kindness and tenderness that gradually disappears from his face. When we understand that evil cannot stop evil, we understand the true meaning of this movie.