The man who plays Hyman Roth is LEE STRASBERG, long considered the GODFATHER of modern acting coaches who has taught some of Hollywood's best one of which was Al Pacino. It was Pacino who lobbied the producers to cast Strasberg as Roth and you can see the chemistry between the two is AUTHENTIC.. A bit like watching Yoda and Luke!
The old don always said that he entered the Mafia business in order to provide his family and "a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man"; Michael destroys his own family in order to expand the business. The character of Frank Pantangeli was originally supposed to be Clemenza, who was the old Godfather's oldest friend and the guy who introduced him to crime in the scenes when they are young (they steal the carpet together); in the first movie, Clemenza is the guy who supplies Michael with the fingerprint-proof gun he uses to kill the police captain and tells him that his father is proud of him. But the actor wasn't available, so they re-wrote the character into Frank. But the movie loses a lot with the re-write; if you imagine that the character is Clemenza, it makes his betrayal in this movie that much more powerful -- Michael has strayed so far from his father's values that he pushes out Tom Hagen, murders his own brother, and his father's oldest and most loyal friend turns against him and Michael forces him to take his own life. The change, though necessary, also interferes a bit with the symmetrical structure of the movie: the reason the movie cross-cuts between the past (the old don) and the present (Michael) is that each scene is supposed to contrast what the father stood for and what the son now stands for: every scene where the old don acts with honor and helps his family and friends (including Clemenza) is preceded and followed by a scene where Michael acts dishonorably and turns on his own friends and family. Even the last two scenes of the movie are a contrast: the flashback of the old don coming home to be greeted warmly by his family, and the final shot of Michael sitting alone on a bench, with no family or true friends.
Something to note: it was not because the actor was “unavailable”, he demanded that his girlfriend write all of his lines of dialogue, Coppola and Paramount disagreed with this so they replaced him
I don't think the scene juxtaposition is to contrast Vito's honor and Michael's dishonor, but rather how Vito's actions foreshadow Michael's downfall, and how his relatively more innocent and understandable crimes, taken in response to legit hardship, set a pattern for his family that eventually devolves into the sad state Michael, Fredo, Kay and Connie are in by the end of this movie., acting out of resentment or merely seeking profits. For instance, Vito's decision to murder Fanucci, rather than go to the authorities, is basically buying into the whole omerta concept, and he does not end the oppression of strong arm thugs in the neighborhood, he simply replaces them, becoming the new thug. Vito loses his job, because the mobster wants his own relative to a get a job, but the first mafia action we see Vito take in the original movie was basically the same thing. Only bloodier. Some other actor lost his job, so Johnny Fontane could get the part. Some other actor lost his chance at a big break, because Vito wanted to do for his godson what Fanucci did for someone at his expense. It starts with helping to conceal a crime for Clemenza. Clemenza then inveigles him into a burglary and makes the Corleones accessories to his criminal lifestyle (almost certainly on purpose - Vito held the guns, Vito knows he is up to no good, but what can Vito say, now that he has profited by Clemenza's criminality?) From there, Vito turns to more crime, ostensibly only to feed his family, but that is what brings Fanucci down on him. Vito bought into the system with small steps, and Michael is just living the end of the road Vito started to walk. That's why he was so distraught in his last conversation with Michael, because he knew where it leads, he remembers the old Don in Sicily who had got to the point where he was ready to kill a child, just because of the near-certainty that the kid would grow up to be a threat, and that's where Michael was heading.
Remember that, is such a shame they couldn't get Clemenza [the actor] back. The replacement is acted great but it loses a lot of the weight the betrayal of Clemenza would have brought and the his eventual taking of his own life would have brought if done as intended with him.
@@Dr_Kubrick The character of 'Clemenza' no doubt would have been an addition to an already great movie, but word had it that Richard Castellano who played 'Clemenza' demanded too much money and Coppola & Paramount said "Nope."
You could also tie it to the French Revolution. A bunch of rich businessmen/“nobles” who are discussing ways to make themselves richer woefully unaware of the the actual situation in Cuba.
I don't think Cassie understood the political context of the Cuba stuff. That was the Cuban revolution led by Fidel Castro to topple the US-backed capitalist regime that was plundering the country for the benefit of ghouls like Roth and Michael. Which is a shame because the movie relies on the viewers foreknowledge of this pivotal event, the same way movie set in 1939 Europe relies on the viewers knowledge of the impending WWII despite the characters obliviousness.
I'm surprised you skipped the entire S&M scene where Fredo unknowingly admits to being the inside link to the family and Michael's betrayer while Michael is standing right behind him without him knowing. It's really the point at which the entire premise of GFII comes together and shows how perfectly Michael masterfully played Roth and Pantangeli both against each other and with Fredo so he could find out who the real betrayer is.
I’ll be honest, I think of myself as a pretty smart guy, but I had to watch this movie at least three times before I finally understood everything that happened in Michael’s half of the movie.
@@matthewganong1730 I personally thought some of the key plot points were left ambiguous, not on purpose but due to negligence. These were: 1. What exactly did Fredo do for Roth and Olla? I guess what he did was open the curtains, but what that doesn’t explain is however stupid Fredo is, why wouldn’t he think this was gonna be a hit? 2. It’s pretty clear that Roth orchestrated the fake botched hit on Frank to turn him against Mike, but I’d preferred if Tom explained it a more than just a partial sentence like an afterthought. 3. Rocco doesn’t seem like a Usain Bolt type of athlete. There was no way he’d have shot Roth in public and gotten away with it. Why was he and Tom okay with this suicide mission? Unless he was suspected of collaborating with Fredo and Mike knew it and Rocco knew that Mike knew it, and willingly took on the job to redeem himself so his family would be cared for.
Could be that Rocco was in on it, and he opened the drapes (and killed the two gunmen), but Michael didn't deduce this until later, and offered the suicide mission to him, so his family would be taken care of, meeting with the theme of the end of the movie...this is why Rocco actually stopped and turned around after killing Roth, ensuring he would be shot and killed...
Though my favorite of the series is the first Godfather, The Godfather Part II is a masterpiece; easily one of the best films ever made. The way they parallel Vito and Michael’s journeys is brilliant.
Hyman Roth was played by the great Lee Strasberg. Not only a wonderful actor, but arguably the greatest acting coach ever. Google the actors who studied with him.
Yes, from the first frame that captures half his image obscured by a door frame all eye are on Hyman Roth. You are aware this is a pivotal character just by the gavitas Strasberg brings to him. Roth is portrayed near death so Strasberg hardly moves from the chair. When he stands to confront Michael it's shocking and seems to drain his life out before our eyes, yet he is determined to WALK away...almost a different man. THAT's why Strasberg was nominated for the Oscar.
This is an utter masterpiece and achievement in filmmaking. The writing, the acting, the production, and the authentic look and feel are without peer. It's Al Pacino''s most measured and impressive performance.
I found this channel TOTALLY by mistake! I'm off for the first time in 3 weeks this weekend, and I am SO gonna watch your reviews! I love movies and, based on what I've' seen so far, your choices are superb!
When Vito arrives in NYC he arrived at the immigration center at Ellis Island. Once the passengers disembarked they were checked by medical personnel for any immediate signs of disease so they could determine how long to keep them in quarantine. You gotta remember that medicine back in 1901 was a lot different than medicine today.
The guy that helps Vito steal the rug in the fancy house in the flashback is Clemenza, the guy that later taught Michael how to shoot the police Captain and Sollozo in the restaurant and the "take the cannolis" guy. Tessio, the guy that comes to Michael at the funeral and is the traitor at the end of part 1, is also in the flashback where Vito is sitting at his table in his apartment and tells the guys he's going to give Fanucci an offer he can't refuse.
The thing with Vito the original Godfather's era is that the "legit" system was so corrupt that any version of sucessful involved breaking the law. There was no such thing as true legitimacy.
WOP stands for without papers. When the ships came to New York with Italians mostly, and they didn't have the proper paperwork on people and the ship, WOP was painted on the side of the hull and the shop would wait in the harbor to unload until cleared.
Ok, there were two traitors, which gets lost in translation. One was Fredo the other was Rocco, which is why he got the suicide mission to kill Roth. The Black Hand is a collection of gangs who worked violently in conjunction with selected nobility/political movements. Wop comes from the Italian word ‘guapo’ which means loosely handsome, but is also a term for a pimp or Italian lowlife. Don Fanucci was based on two people, Don Vito Cascioferro and Giosue Galluci.
@@MrGittz Who do you think opened the curtains? It sure wasn’t Tom, Neri, or Fredo. Fredo may not be bright, but he’d been in the game long enough to know that trick.
@@jaydouglas8845 unfortunately I did the research on it. It actually was slang from handsome that got used as a derogatory term for a pimp. It is similar to the French calling a pimp a ‘maquereau’ which comes from their pronunciation of mackerel, the fish. But as stated before, somethings get lost in translation.
The OGGF, as you called him was a very good man. He never wanted anything from anybody accept respect and favors. He wasn't like the black hand that came before him. He did deeds for the people, like helping that poor lady keep her dog and stay in the apartment. He helped Clemensa when he tossed him his guns and said, "Hide these for me." He loved his family and took good cae of them. The height of their power was at Conney's wedding. When the war broke out, he called a truce and respected the other families. One of Michael's first actions as Godfather was to have all of his rivals killed during his nephews baptism. He even killed Conney's husband, who did set up Sonny. He was ruthless and in the end he was sitting in a room all by himself. Compare that to Vito's birthday part contrasted when Michael joined the Army to fight in WWII. All those people are gone. Frank Pantangali is supposed to be Clemensa, If I recall. They couldn't get the actor to agree to another movie, so they said he had a heart attack and Frank Pantangali is supposed to be Clemensa's right hand man that took over the business. Havana was bigger than Las Vegas in Cuba....before Fidel Castro, which is the revolution you see happening.
This was the first sequel that, in my opinion, was better than the original film. Given how spectacular The Godfather was, that really says something about the quality of this film. BTW, anyone else recognize 'Johnny Ola' as 'Uncle Junior' from the Sopranos?
The hymen Roth character is supposed to be Meyer lansky who originally started modern-day organized crime with Lucky Luciano and the commission. It was Meyer lansky and Lucky Luciano that created the 5 families and the rules for the mafia
@@Jim-pc5vz yeh, the structure of the mob wasn't created by arnold, but he apparently came up with the money making schemes the mob would be famous for, like fixing games.
To give some context to the Cuban scenes: the film is set in 1958/1959, against the backdrop of the Cuban revolution. Before 1959, Cuba was ruled by the corrupt right wing dictator Batista who made Cuba a haven for the Mafia and US corporations. However, betweem 1952 and 1959, armed resistance against Batista coalesced around the Communist guerillas led by Fidel Castro (with Che Guevara as one of his best leaders), gradually growing in strength by conducting guerilla attacks in the Sierre Maestra mountains. In December 1958, Che Guevara delivered a decisive victory against Batista's troops in Santa Clara, prompting Batista to leave Havana that night (with much of Cuba's money). Therefore Fidel entered Havana the next day on the 1st January 1959, declaring victory. So the scene with the new year's party where Michael tells Freddo he knows it was him is set during that fateful time when Batista fled and the Communists entered the capital.
The character Frankie Five Angels was supposed to be Clemenza. Unfortunately the actor who played Clemenza wanted too much money so they had to invent this new character. (In the book "The Sicilian" Clemenza visits Michael when he is hiding in Sicily and mentions things about himself that they use for Frankie in this movie).
That story is hilarious. It wasn't just money. According to Coppola Richard Castellano (Clemenza) wanted his wife to write all of his dialogue, which is pure lunacy. Talk about being hen-pecked.
The movie is so much more powerful if you think of the character as Clemenza, who was the old don's oldest and most loyal friend (they steal the carpet together in that scene as young men). If you imagine that the character is Clemenza, it makes his betrayal in this movie that much more powerful -- Michael has strayed so far from his father's values that he pushes out Tom Hagen, murders his own brother, and his father's oldest and most loyal friend turns against him and Michael forces him to take his own life.
Michael is doing his investigation so he tells different people different things to judge their reactions, to see what they'll do next, ect . He's not letting it go . In the mafia retalliation is a matter of respect . If it doesn't all the other crime bosses will see him as weak .
the tradition of waiting in line as clients to see the don or patron began in ancient Rome- your clients would show up in the morning and pay their respects, ask for a favor, return a favor, etc. Julius Caesar did this- he had thousands of clients.
To me the Godfather is like a giant greek tragedy, with the betrayals, the hubris, the element of an innescapabble (sorry for the typo, not english) fate surrounding the protagonists, and the looming shadow over the family, like a curse, unfolding as they evolve into darker, wicked versions of themselves. Edit : the scene where Michael kisses Fredo, perfectly encapsulate this
This sequel is my favorite one , great to see how Corleone family and their empire had came to the world , youngsters like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro look so great in their characters , especially Robert , this role brought him not only to the fame , but also his first oscar in main role as young Vito Corleone. Can't wait to see The Godfather part 2 [2/2] 🙂
A top, top reaction from you as always. This is such a good film and I could understand why you were a little confused sometimes with all that was happening and with all the different names. It will take you a couple or more watched to fully get to grips with it. Sad when you were talking about revisiting the franchises again and you didn't include the Jaws films :(
The actor John Cazale who played the part of michaels brother Fredo Corleone was also in another movie with Al Pacino movie called " Dog Day Afternoon " . That's a Must watch movie. And also in another movie called " The Conversation " & " The Deer Hunter " . The movie " The Deer Hunter " also stars Robert De Niro. Another great movie from Al Pacino is " And Justice For All ". And also in " Dick Tracy ".
I have watched the Godfather movies so many times and read so much I wish I could explain more of what's going on and the parallels to real life historical events.
The film's emphasis on the cake (which is a picture of Cuba) is a symbolism for how these American businessmen and criminals are sitting down to discuss "carving up" Cuba between them.
For those who do not speak Italian, you will hear Frank Pentangeli also referred to as Frankie Five Angels. Penta = five, like Pentagon. Angelli is plural form of angels. This was an awkward casting swap because Clemenza who he replaced in the story (Leave the gun, take the cannoli) is being portrayed by Bruno Kirby in the 1890's flashbacks Buona fortuna!
"Penta = five, like Pentagon" Me: Looks at thread, like Eddie Murphy looks at the screen when the Duke Brothers try to explain bacon... as in a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich.
I recently read someone's argument that the Vito scenes in this are being imagined by Michael as a psychological defense of his own horrific actions - building up a fictitious heroic backstory for his father. I doubt that that was Coppola's (or Puzo's) intent here but I actually think that this interpretation really enriches the overarching story and themes of the trilogy.
At 18:33 the Miami gangster Hyman Roth is played by *LEE STRASBERG* , founder of The Actor's Studio of New York, and creator of Method Acting, who taught Al Pacino how to act. 😁
Hey so many people don’t know but there was an edit of all the god father movies put in chronological order. As in all the flash backs from all the movies we’re out in the correct order. It’s magnificent. It aired on tv a long time ago
I'm a Sicilian American from the Bronx. The portrayal of the Corleone family is right on the money. DeNiro didn't speak Italian, and he had to learn, and moreover, in the Sicilian dialect. Perfect. It was a great challenge for a relatively unknown actor to play a younger version of Don Vito, which had been the amazing Marlon Brando in GF1, but DeNiro aced it.
The meeting of all the Mafia leaders in Cuba actually took place in 1946. However, some "creative license" changed it to right before the Cuban revolution at the end of 1958.
One of the great ironies....Vito, and then younger Vito's partner, the original Clemenza, started in one of the funniest movies ever. Called, The Freshman, it is a parody, of Brando playing himself, as a local mob boss, the Clemenza guy is his main helper, and the freshman is played by Matthew Broderick, Ferris Bueller!
Hyman Roth's real name was Meyer Lansky, a real-life Mafia guy living in Miami. Most of the characters were real people in this series, with names changed. The author of the book which gave inspiration to the movie knew these characters well. Thanks for the review.
Cassie, you asked what immigration officials were doing checking people as they exited the ship. Often times the immigrants because most were poor like in the movie scene had sickness or a disease that could spread so they separated and quarantined them until they were cured or died.
Recall the scene when young Vito was processed through Ellis Island. So many Italians and other nationalities came through that port that that became a shared experience for many immigrants. Due to poverty and governmental corruption many Italians fled to America. Those that arrived lacking documentation were labeled WOP - With Out Papers and wore a card with those block letters visible as a label while at the Immigration facilities on Ellis Island. So many were from Italy that ‘wop’ became a derogatory term for an Italian immigrant.
The actor who played Clemenza in the first film, Richard Castellano, wanted too much money to appear in Part II, so he was replaced by Michael V. Gazzo in the role of Frankie Pentangelli. The actor playing Connie’s boyfriend Merle Johnson in the early scene is one-time teen heartthrob Troy Donahue. Donahue’s real name: Merle Johnson.
the guy who played Hyman Roth is an actor call Lee Strasberg. Who is one of the most influential and top American acting teachers of the 20th century. He taught many of the greatest film actors.
One thing that I didn't catch the first time I saw this but is really a nice little touch is that Vito would never accept a gift given out of charity or pity....but he would gladly accept a gift given out of respect
Dear Cassie you're surprised to see so much violence. here in italy Cosa Nostra did the worst since 20's and it wasn't a movie. Mafia here is the worst virus created by men. "But it is an human fact and as human it will have an end..." Giovanni Falcone quote
@25:30 - Hyman Roth is played by Lee Strasberg, one of the founding members of the Actors Studio in NYC, developer and practitioner with Stella Adler and Elia Kazan of method acting, and the man who taught many of the actors on these films, including Pacino himself. Method acting gets a bad rap for being self-indulgent and dumb, mostly due to people misapplying it or using it to cover up their shortcomings, but whenever I as a former drama student want to cite a good example of it, *this scene* is what I point to.
Michael was supposed to give Two Million to contribute to the Hotel Ownership in Cuba. Back in the day, Cuba was a haven for alot of folks until 1959. As a Canadian I can go but not an American. Also the Men who spent time with roth were "Investors".
@08:30 Fankie Pantangeli was a last minute replacement for the GODFATHER PART 1 character Peter Clemenza (the one who asked "Mikey" in the first film, "why didn't you tell that girl you loved her?" The actor playing Clemenza, Peter Castellano, was insisting that he be allowed to rewrite all his dialog. A thing that )obviously) Coppola was never going to agree with, and as a result the character was killed off and Frankie was given his story. @23:12 The cake is a metaphor. These men are literally carving up Cuba for their own consumption. This of course was prior to the Castro revolution, which is also depicted in the film.
The line... I'll make him an offer...Vito invented here but its remembered from the first. The thing in this movie is, Roth was the master manipulator. He got Fredo, Frankie, the rosatto brothers, all to see things how he wanted them to be seen. And he almost got Michael on his side also. But after Michael met him at his house, he knew Roth was behind everything. Promised Fredo a hotel and crew, promised the rosatto brothers New York territory, told Frankie no, said it was Michael, told Frankie, anything in Miami Nevada or New York all Michaels idea. So he knew Fredo would crap on Michael, Frankie would hit Michael, and he wouldn't have to be partners with Michael, in Cuba. He almost pulled it off. But when Michael went to his house, told him Frankie tried to hit him, and Roth said it was the brothers, Michael knew right there. Cuz Frankie didn't know who said no about New York territory, but Michael did, and he knew franki doesn't do a hit without permission. And Michael knew Roth was lying about the brothers. He just didn't know Fredos involvement, until he yapped his big mouth about knowing Johnny Ola, in Cuba.
I must say, you are one of the top Reactors; I SO appreciate how you watch, listen to, and absorb a film; instead of yakking non-stop through every scene like some of what's on YTube.... Thank you.
![[2/2] THE GODFATHER PART II | FIRST TIME WATCHING | MOVIE REACTION](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3mZqKn3wA7Q/mqdefault.jpg)
![[2/2] THE GODFATHER PART II | FIRST TIME WATCHING | MOVIE REACTION](/img/tr.png)
"It really tied the room together." That's why I love you, Cassie. You're turning into a real film buff.
That's what I thought, too! Nice move, Cassie!
"Did i urinate on your rug sir?" Mr Lebowski dixit
I knew I wasn't the only one. She's starting to quote movies. Good Sh*t!
And she was glad they were guns, not a baby, in that sack!
So sweet.
Solid reference.
The man who plays Hyman Roth is LEE STRASBERG, long considered the GODFATHER of modern acting coaches who has taught some of Hollywood's best one of which was Al Pacino. It was Pacino who lobbied the producers to cast Strasberg as Roth and you can see the chemistry between the two is AUTHENTIC.. A bit like watching Yoda and Luke!
A perfect sequel and prequel to watch a least once in your life. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are mobster legends.
Yes! In my opinion it's a classic. Some Godfather Buffs watch it over and over, and discover nuances.
The old don always said that he entered the Mafia business in order to provide his family and "a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man"; Michael destroys his own family in order to expand the business.
The character of Frank Pantangeli was originally supposed to be Clemenza, who was the old Godfather's oldest friend and the guy who introduced him to crime in the scenes when they are young (they steal the carpet together); in the first movie, Clemenza is the guy who supplies Michael with the fingerprint-proof gun he uses to kill the police captain and tells him that his father is proud of him. But the actor wasn't available, so they re-wrote the character into Frank. But the movie loses a lot with the re-write; if you imagine that the character is Clemenza, it makes his betrayal in this movie that much more powerful -- Michael has strayed so far from his father's values that he pushes out Tom Hagen, murders his own brother, and his father's oldest and most loyal friend turns against him and Michael forces him to take his own life.
The change, though necessary, also interferes a bit with the symmetrical structure of the movie: the reason the movie cross-cuts between the past (the old don) and the present (Michael) is that each scene is supposed to contrast what the father stood for and what the son now stands for: every scene where the old don acts with honor and helps his family and friends (including Clemenza) is preceded and followed by a scene where Michael acts dishonorably and turns on his own friends and family. Even the last two scenes of the movie are a contrast: the flashback of the old don coming home to be greeted warmly by his family, and the final shot of Michael sitting alone on a bench, with no family or true friends.
Magnifico! Grazie.
Something to note: it was not because the actor was “unavailable”, he demanded that his girlfriend write all of his lines of dialogue, Coppola and Paramount disagreed with this so they replaced him
I don't think the scene juxtaposition is to contrast Vito's honor and Michael's dishonor, but rather how Vito's actions foreshadow Michael's downfall, and how his relatively more innocent and understandable crimes, taken in response to legit hardship, set a pattern for his family that eventually devolves into the sad state Michael, Fredo, Kay and Connie are in by the end of this movie., acting out of resentment or merely seeking profits.
For instance, Vito's decision to murder Fanucci, rather than go to the authorities, is basically buying into the whole omerta concept, and he does not end the oppression of strong arm thugs in the neighborhood, he simply replaces them, becoming the new thug. Vito loses his job, because the mobster wants his own relative to a get a job, but the first mafia action we see Vito take in the original movie was basically the same thing. Only bloodier. Some other actor lost his job, so Johnny Fontane could get the part. Some other actor lost his chance at a big break, because Vito wanted to do for his godson what Fanucci did for someone at his expense.
It starts with helping to conceal a crime for Clemenza. Clemenza then inveigles him into a burglary and makes the Corleones accessories to his criminal lifestyle (almost certainly on purpose - Vito held the guns, Vito knows he is up to no good, but what can Vito say, now that he has profited by Clemenza's criminality?) From there, Vito turns to more crime, ostensibly only to feed his family, but that is what brings Fanucci down on him. Vito bought into the system with small steps, and Michael is just living the end of the road Vito started to walk. That's why he was so distraught in his last conversation with Michael, because he knew where it leads, he remembers the old Don in Sicily who had got to the point where he was ready to kill a child, just because of the near-certainty that the kid would grow up to be a threat, and that's where Michael was heading.
Remember that, is such a shame they couldn't get Clemenza [the actor] back. The replacement is acted great but it loses a lot of the weight the betrayal of Clemenza would have brought and the his eventual taking of his own life would have brought if done as intended with him.
@@Dr_Kubrick The character of 'Clemenza' no doubt would have been an addition to an already great movie, but word had it that Richard Castellano who played 'Clemenza' demanded too much money and Coppola & Paramount said "Nope."
The cake scene is / was symbolism. The men at the meeting were carving up Cuba for themselves as you would slice a cake.
You could also tie it to the French Revolution. A bunch of rich businessmen/“nobles” who are discussing ways to make themselves richer woefully unaware of the the actual situation in Cuba.
I don't think Cassie understood the political context of the Cuba stuff. That was the Cuban revolution led by Fidel Castro to topple the US-backed capitalist regime that was plundering the country for the benefit of ghouls like Roth and Michael.
Which is a shame because the movie relies on the viewers foreknowledge of this pivotal event, the same way movie set in 1939 Europe relies on the viewers knowledge of the impending WWII despite the characters obliviousness.
It's always such a disappointment seeing young US viewers being so woefully unaware of such major historical facts...
@@denxeroI think Cassie is Canadian not American.
I'm surprised you skipped the entire S&M scene where Fredo unknowingly admits to being the inside link to the family and Michael's betrayer while Michael is standing right behind him without him knowing. It's really the point at which the entire premise of GFII comes together and shows how perfectly Michael masterfully played Roth and Pantangeli both against each other and with Fredo so he could find out who the real betrayer is.
Good recall 😉 coming from ROM AUGUSTINE eh
it seems she didn't get what happened at that point
I’ll be honest, I think of myself as a pretty smart guy, but I had to watch this movie at least three times before I finally understood everything that happened in Michael’s half of the movie.
@@matthewganong1730 I personally thought some of the key plot points were left ambiguous, not on purpose but due to negligence. These were:
1. What exactly did Fredo do for Roth and Olla? I guess what he did was open the curtains, but what that doesn’t explain is however stupid Fredo is, why wouldn’t he think this was gonna be a hit?
2. It’s pretty clear that Roth orchestrated the fake botched hit on Frank to turn him against Mike, but I’d preferred if Tom explained it a more than just a partial sentence like an afterthought.
3. Rocco doesn’t seem like a Usain Bolt type of athlete. There was no way he’d have shot Roth in public and gotten away with it. Why was he and Tom okay with this suicide mission? Unless he was suspected of collaborating with Fredo and Mike knew it and Rocco knew that Mike knew it, and willingly took on the job to redeem himself so his family would be cared for.
Could be that Rocco was in on it, and he opened the drapes (and killed the two gunmen), but Michael didn't deduce this until later, and offered the suicide mission to him, so his family would be taken care of, meeting with the theme of the end of the movie...this is why Rocco actually stopped and turned around after killing Roth, ensuring he would be shot and killed...
"They're literally really going to take this rug...And it really ties the room together." I love this.
"You're literally going to take his rug? And it really ties the room together." 😂
I feel like Cassie leveled up.
I lost it when she said that lmao
Though my favorite of the series is the first Godfather, The Godfather Part II is a masterpiece; easily one of the best films ever made. The way they parallel Vito and Michael’s journeys is brilliant.
Same
Agreed.
for me it’s A toss up.The first is the main coarse, and the second film is the cannoli’s afterwords.
I agree. I won't mention the third one. Oh wait, I just did. :O
Best line,"and there's a klingon. Michael is going to push him out." Crossing universes over here. Lol 😆 🤣
I love your quote from The Big Lebowski...that hasn't ever popped into my head in the dozen times I've watched this movie.
Hyman Roth was played by the great Lee Strasberg. Not only a wonderful actor, but arguably the greatest acting coach ever. Google the actors who studied with him.
He was nominated for an Oscar for this role.
@@lewstone5430 Thanks, forgot that.
Yes, from the first frame that captures half his image obscured by a door frame all eye are on Hyman Roth. You are aware this is a pivotal character just by the gavitas Strasberg brings to him. Roth is portrayed near death so Strasberg hardly moves from the chair. When he stands to confront Michael it's shocking and seems to drain his life out before our eyes, yet he is determined to WALK away...almost a different man. THAT's why Strasberg was nominated for the Oscar.
Roth was based on Meyer Lansky, who was a close friend of Charles Luciano, who Vito Corleone was based on.
A legendary figure in acting
"But it really ties the room together". Amazing 😂
That movie creeps into your soul, haha
You could put 100 great writers into a room - watching this film - and they would never come up with this perfect line.
The Dude abides
Did it not?
"He had sadness in his eyes." This is the most empathetic response I've heard.
"All thats left is our friendship ".. such a great line and really shows what is their objective
This is an utter masterpiece and achievement in filmmaking. The writing, the acting, the production, and the authentic look and feel are without peer. It's Al Pacino''s most measured and impressive performance.
I found this channel TOTALLY by mistake! I'm off for the first time in 3 weeks this weekend, and I am SO gonna watch your reviews! I love movies and, based on what I've' seen so far, your choices are superb!
nice
When Vito arrives in NYC he arrived at the immigration center at Ellis Island. Once the passengers disembarked they were checked by medical personnel for any immediate signs of disease so they could determine how long to keep them in quarantine. You gotta remember that medicine back in 1901 was a lot different than medicine today.
10:42. "What's a wop?" You're so innocent it's adorable. Never change.
The best prequel sequel you will ever watch. Simply amazing and my favorite of the series. Robert De Niro is amazing in this.
Love Cassie's casual Big Lebowski joke 💀
Totally started laughin hard when she said that
She's come such a long way 👏🙌
People forget how great these 70s movies were. Rocky, GodFather, Taxi Driver, Jaws, Cuckoos Nest, Exorcist… just fantastic deep story telling.
Dont forget Rocky
And The Deer Hunter, Dirty Harry....
The rug-“it really ties the room together.” 😄
The guy that helps Vito steal the rug in the fancy house in the flashback is Clemenza, the guy that later taught Michael how to shoot the police Captain and Sollozo in the restaurant and the "take the cannolis" guy.
Tessio, the guy that comes to Michael at the funeral and is the traitor at the end of part 1, is also in the flashback where Vito is sitting at his table in his apartment and tells the guys he's going to give Fanucci an offer he can't refuse.
This edit makes me want to watch "The Freshman" so badly... You'll get it. "My father thinks Clark deserves an 'A.'"
The thing with Vito the original Godfather's era is that the "legit" system was so corrupt that any version of sucessful involved breaking the law. There was no such thing as true legitimacy.
WOP stands for without papers. When the ships came to New York with Italians mostly, and they didn't have the proper paperwork on people and the ship, WOP was painted on the side of the hull and the shop would wait in the harbor to unload until cleared.
Wrong. It comes from the Italian word ‘guapo’ a loose term for handsome. However it is also a euphemism for Pimp.
Ok, there were two traitors, which gets lost in translation. One was Fredo the other was Rocco, which is why he got the suicide mission to kill Roth. The Black Hand is a collection of gangs who worked violently in conjunction with selected nobility/political movements. Wop comes from the Italian word ‘guapo’ which means loosely handsome, but is also a term for a pimp or Italian lowlife. Don Fanucci was based on two people, Don Vito Cascioferro and Giosue Galluci.
@@mcraiderking5690 What? Where are you getting Rocco is a traitor?
@@MrGittz Who do you think opened the curtains? It sure wasn’t Tom, Neri, or Fredo. Fredo may not be bright, but he’d been in the game long enough to know that trick.
@@jaydouglas8845 unfortunately I did the research on it. It actually was slang from handsome that got used as a derogatory term for a pimp. It is similar to the French calling a pimp a ‘maquereau’ which comes from their pronunciation of mackerel, the fish. But as stated before, somethings get lost in translation.
The OGGF, as you called him was a very good man. He never wanted anything from anybody accept respect and favors. He wasn't like the black hand that came before him. He did deeds for the people, like helping that poor lady keep her dog and stay in the apartment. He helped Clemensa when he tossed him his guns and said, "Hide these for me." He loved his family and took good cae of them. The height of their power was at Conney's wedding. When the war broke out, he called a truce and respected the other families.
One of Michael's first actions as Godfather was to have all of his rivals killed during his nephews baptism. He even killed Conney's husband, who did set up Sonny. He was ruthless and in the end he was sitting in a room all by himself. Compare that to Vito's birthday part contrasted when Michael joined the Army to fight in WWII. All those people are gone.
Frank Pantangali is supposed to be Clemensa, If I recall. They couldn't get the actor to agree to another movie, so they said he had a heart attack and Frank Pantangali is supposed to be Clemensa's right hand man that took over the business.
Havana was bigger than Las Vegas in Cuba....before Fidel Castro, which is the revolution you see happening.
This was the first sequel that, in my opinion, was better than the original film. Given how spectacular The Godfather was, that really says something about the quality of this film.
BTW, anyone else recognize 'Johnny Ola' as 'Uncle Junior' from the Sopranos?
I have Goldfinger on that.
Yeah. "Small hands, that was your problem."
Thank you for everything and I appreciate the Big Lebowski reference regarding the rug, too. 😉
The hymen Roth character is supposed to be Meyer lansky who originally started modern-day organized crime with Lucky Luciano and the commission. It was Meyer lansky and Lucky Luciano that created the 5 families and the rules for the mafia
Don't forget about Arnold Rothstein
@@DistantLights Arnold was a big influence on Lucky& Meyer but Arnold was already dead when they started the five families and the commission
@@Jim-pc5vz yeh, the structure of the mob wasn't created by arnold, but he apparently came up with the money making schemes the mob would be famous for, like fixing games.
To give some context to the Cuban scenes: the film is set in 1958/1959, against the backdrop of the Cuban revolution. Before 1959, Cuba was ruled by the corrupt right wing dictator Batista who made Cuba a haven for the Mafia and US corporations. However, betweem 1952 and 1959, armed resistance against Batista coalesced around the Communist guerillas led by Fidel Castro (with Che Guevara as one of his best leaders), gradually growing in strength by conducting guerilla attacks in the Sierre Maestra mountains. In December 1958, Che Guevara delivered a decisive victory against Batista's troops in Santa Clara, prompting Batista to leave Havana that night (with much of Cuba's money). Therefore Fidel entered Havana the next day on the 1st January 1959, declaring victory. So the scene with the new year's party where Michael tells Freddo he knows it was him is set during that fateful time when Batista fled and the Communists entered the capital.
Okay, the Tango jump scare had me in stitches 😂!
“It really ties the room together”! 😂 😉
23:09 It's a metaphor, literally dividing Havana, everyone gets his piece of the cake.
The character Frankie Five Angels was supposed to be Clemenza. Unfortunately the actor who played Clemenza wanted too much money so they had to invent this new character. (In the book "The Sicilian" Clemenza visits Michael when he is hiding in Sicily and mentions things about himself that they use for Frankie in this movie).
That story is hilarious. It wasn't just money. According to Coppola Richard Castellano (Clemenza) wanted his wife to write all of his dialogue, which is pure lunacy.
Talk about being hen-pecked.
The movie is so much more powerful if you think of the character as Clemenza, who was the old don's oldest and most loyal friend (they steal the carpet together in that scene as young men). If you imagine that the character is Clemenza, it makes his betrayal in this movie that much more powerful -- Michael has strayed so far from his father's values that he pushes out Tom Hagen, murders his own brother, and his father's oldest and most loyal friend turns against him and Michael forces him to take his own life.
"And it really ties the room together"
one of my all time favorite moments ever is when his wife praises the pear he brings home for dinner.
Michael is doing his investigation so he tells different people different things to judge their reactions, to see what they'll do next, ect . He's not letting it go . In the mafia retalliation is a matter of respect . If it doesn't all the other crime bosses will see him as weak .
“but it really ties the room together.” LOL
the tradition of waiting in line as clients to see the don or patron began in ancient Rome- your clients would show up in the morning and pay their respects, ask for a favor, return a favor, etc. Julius Caesar did this- he had thousands of clients.
Cassie "I'm a little lot confused" 😂😂😆 Great reaction Cassie, you had me cracking up!!
You kept the scene when Vito's wife is happy for the pear, most channels do not value it shows her character, great reaction!
We came for the Popcorn, we stayed for the Cannolis. Or was it the other way around?
To me the Godfather is like a giant greek tragedy, with the betrayals, the hubris, the element of an innescapabble (sorry for the typo, not english) fate surrounding the protagonists, and the looming shadow over the family, like a curse, unfolding as they evolve into darker, wicked versions of themselves.
Edit : the scene where Michael kisses Fredo, perfectly encapsulate this
"But the rug really ties the room together"... lol you're officially a movie pro now Cass
This sequel is my favorite one , great to see how Corleone family and their empire had came to the world , youngsters like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro look so great in their characters , especially Robert , this role brought him not only to the fame , but also his first oscar in main role as young Vito Corleone. Can't wait to see The Godfather part 2 [2/2] 🙂
well judging from this reaction now i convinced that The Godfather series are really for the guys.
It really ties the room together. I see what you did there.
A top, top reaction from you as always. This is such a good film and I could understand why you were a little confused sometimes with all that was happening and with all the different names. It will take you a couple or more watched to fully get to grips with it.
Sad when you were talking about revisiting the franchises again and you didn't include the Jaws films :(
The actor John Cazale who played the part of michaels brother Fredo Corleone was also in another movie with Al Pacino movie called " Dog Day Afternoon " . That's a Must watch movie. And also in another movie called " The Conversation " & " The Deer Hunter " . The movie " The Deer Hunter " also stars Robert De Niro. Another great movie from Al Pacino is " And Justice For All ". And also in " Dick Tracy ".
She didn't seem to love the first one that much and it was a while ago. Doesn't seem to be her genre of choice but I'm glad she's doing part 2 though.
I like your intro where you analyze what you feel the films are conveying! More please!
"Are they B-ing and E-ing?" LOL funny
One of the best films ever made with the best display of technical acting of the 20th Century by De'Niro.
Godfather I and II were nominated for 24 Academy Awards. Unbelievable. Both won for best picture among others.
The "OG" ... did what he had to do to provide for his family. Love how GII tells his story.
Michael Corleone is the greatest character in cinema -- his cold and calculating ruthlessness is so icy it can only be measured in kelvin.
One of the few movies where the sequel is better than the original
I love watching you put the pieces of the plot together. Like watching you do a jigsaw puzzle
I have watched the Godfather movies so many times and read so much I wish I could explain more of what's going on and the parallels to real life historical events.
The film's emphasis on the cake (which is a picture of Cuba) is a symbolism for how these American businessmen and criminals are sitting down to discuss "carving up" Cuba between them.
For those who do not speak Italian, you will hear Frank Pentangeli also referred to as Frankie Five Angels. Penta = five, like Pentagon. Angelli is plural form of angels. This was an awkward casting swap because Clemenza who he replaced in the story (Leave the gun, take the cannoli) is being portrayed by Bruno Kirby in the 1890's flashbacks
Buona fortuna!
"Penta = five, like Pentagon"
Me: Looks at thread, like Eddie Murphy looks at the screen when the Duke Brothers try to explain bacon... as in a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich.
Been waiting for you to do this movie. Glad to hear your take on it.
"It really tied the room together." Ha! You're so awesome!
I recently read someone's argument that the Vito scenes in this are being imagined by Michael as a psychological defense of his own horrific actions - building up a fictitious heroic backstory for his father. I doubt that that was Coppola's (or Puzo's) intent here but I actually think that this interpretation really enriches the overarching story and themes of the trilogy.
Love the way you slipped the Lebowski rug line into that scene. You're becoming well versed into the film world sweety 😘❤
John Cazale (Fredo) was only in five movies, and they were all nominated for Best Picture Oscars.
15:01 omg thank you this part killed me 😂😂
I like the original Godfather more than the sequel, but the sequel is also a masterpiece. A definite must see.
At 18:33 the Miami gangster Hyman Roth is played by *LEE STRASBERG* , founder of The Actor's Studio of New York, and creator of Method Acting, who taught Al Pacino how to act. 😁
Al Pacino insisted that his acting teacher was given a role in Godfather II.
Hey so many people don’t know but there was an edit of all the god father movies put in chronological order. As in all the flash backs from all the movies we’re out in the correct order. It’s magnificent. It aired on tv a long time ago
15:07 lmaooo iconic De Niro face is one of my my favorite tropes ever
I'm a Sicilian American from the Bronx. The portrayal of the Corleone family is right on the money. DeNiro didn't speak Italian, and he had to learn, and moreover, in the Sicilian dialect. Perfect. It was a great challenge for a relatively unknown actor to play a younger version of Don Vito, which had been the amazing Marlon Brando in GF1, but DeNiro aced it.
Thanks for this... Feels like my favorites YT creators took the week off. Until now. Thanks again!
The meeting of all the Mafia leaders in Cuba actually took place in 1946. However, some "creative license" changed it to right before the Cuban revolution at the end of 1958.
The inspectors on Ellis Island were inspecting for lice.
It's a crime that this movie tied Lethal Weapon 2. Not that Lethal Weapon is bad, it's just not anywhere close to God Father 2
Cassie, love ya for throwing in the Lebowski reference at 17:55! You've come a L-O-N-G way since the channel started :)
One of the great ironies....Vito, and then younger Vito's partner, the original Clemenza, started in one of the funniest movies ever. Called, The Freshman, it is a parody, of Brando playing himself, as a local mob boss, the Clemenza guy is his main helper, and the freshman is played by Matthew Broderick, Ferris Bueller!
Yeah. The freshman is hilarious
Hyman Roth's real name was Meyer Lansky, a real-life Mafia guy living in Miami. Most of the characters were real people in this series, with names changed. The author of the book which gave inspiration to the movie knew these characters well. Thanks for the review.
You gotta be kidding me…” is this like customs?”….
I know. I’ve cringed watching other reactors confused by this scene. No one’s heard of Ellis Island, I guess.
So funny every time you were confused and trying to guess the plot, you were absolutely right on point in everything.
Cassie, you asked what immigration officials were doing checking people as they exited the ship.
Often times the immigrants because most were poor like in the movie scene had sickness or a disease that could spread so they separated and quarantined them until they were cured or died.
Recall the scene when young Vito was processed through Ellis Island. So many Italians and other nationalities came through that port that that became a shared experience for many immigrants. Due to poverty and governmental corruption many Italians fled to America. Those that arrived lacking documentation were labeled WOP - With Out Papers and wore a card with those block letters visible as a label while at the Immigration facilities on Ellis Island. So many were from Italy that ‘wop’ became a derogatory term for an Italian immigrant.
The actor who played Clemenza in the first film, Richard Castellano, wanted too much money to appear in Part II, so he was replaced by Michael V. Gazzo in the role of Frankie Pentangelli. The actor playing Connie’s boyfriend Merle Johnson in the early scene is one-time teen heartthrob Troy Donahue. Donahue’s real name: Merle Johnson.
the guy who played Hyman Roth is an actor call Lee Strasberg. Who is one of the most influential and top American acting teachers of the 20th century. He taught many of the greatest film actors.
The Godfather Part 2 part 1. How meta.
One thing that I didn't catch the first time I saw this but is really a nice little touch is that Vito would never accept a gift given out of charity or pity....but he would gladly accept a gift given out of respect
Dear Cassie you're surprised to see so much violence. here in italy Cosa Nostra did the worst since 20's and it wasn't a movie. Mafia here is the worst virus created by men. "But it is an human fact and as human it will have an end..." Giovanni Falcone quote
@25:30 - Hyman Roth is played by Lee Strasberg, one of the founding members of the Actors Studio in NYC, developer and practitioner with Stella Adler and Elia Kazan of method acting, and the man who taught many of the actors on these films, including Pacino himself. Method acting gets a bad rap for being self-indulgent and dumb, mostly due to people misapplying it or using it to cover up their shortcomings, but whenever I as a former drama student want to cite a good example of it, *this scene* is what I point to.
Winner of 6 Oscars including Best Picture!
yes and im still pi ssed that AL Pacino didnt win BEST actor, THE silly film wuth ART CArney and his cat gave him the oscar
Michael was supposed to give Two Million to contribute to the Hotel Ownership in Cuba. Back in the day, Cuba was a haven for alot of folks until 1959. As a Canadian I can go but not an American. Also the Men who spent time with roth were "Investors".
@08:30 Fankie Pantangeli was a last minute replacement for the GODFATHER PART 1 character Peter Clemenza (the one who asked "Mikey" in the first film, "why didn't you tell that girl you loved her?"
The actor playing Clemenza, Peter Castellano, was insisting that he be allowed to rewrite all his dialog. A thing that )obviously) Coppola was never going to agree with, and as a result the character was killed off and Frankie was given his story.
@23:12 The cake is a metaphor. These men are literally carving up Cuba for their own consumption. This of course was prior to the Castro revolution, which is also depicted in the film.
The line... I'll make him an offer...Vito invented here but its remembered from the first. The thing in this movie is, Roth was the master manipulator. He got Fredo, Frankie, the rosatto brothers, all to see things how he wanted them to be seen. And he almost got Michael on his side also. But after Michael met him at his house, he knew Roth was behind everything. Promised Fredo a hotel and crew, promised the rosatto brothers New York territory, told Frankie no, said it was Michael, told Frankie, anything in Miami Nevada or New York all Michaels idea. So he knew Fredo would crap on Michael, Frankie would hit Michael, and he wouldn't have to be partners with Michael, in Cuba. He almost pulled it off. But when Michael went to his house, told him Frankie tried to hit him, and Roth said it was the brothers, Michael knew right there. Cuz Frankie didn't know who said no about New York territory, but Michael did, and he knew franki doesn't do a hit without permission. And Michael knew Roth was lying about the brothers. He just didn't know Fredos involvement, until he yapped his big mouth about knowing Johnny Ola, in Cuba.
I must say, you are one of the top Reactors; I SO appreciate how you watch, listen to, and absorb a film; instead of yakking non-stop through every scene like some of what's on YTube.... Thank you.
@ 17:45 "..It really ties the room together.." So proud of you love..
I LOVED the Big Lebowski joke!
15:06 she really did with the hand 🤣🤣🤣 hhahahaha I can't.... "You know this guy 😒🤌"
I do appreciate his loyalty to his friend.