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The Godfather Part II movie storyline. The continuation of the Godfather saga with two focuses: the ongoing story of the Corleone family, and Michael in particular, and Vito Corleone’s (Michael’s father) backstory. Regarding the ongoing Michael Corleone story, it is about seven years since the events that concluded The Godfather.
With the murders of the heads of the other four New York / New Jersey families, the Corleone family has unassailable control in New York. The move to Nevada went smoothly and Michael Corleone controls several hotels and casinos in the state. Frank Pentageli, the man who runs Michael’s interests in New York, comes to Michael, asking if he can take out the Rosato Brothers as they are infringing on Pentageli’s turf and business interests.
However, the Rosatos are backed by Hyman Roth, a business partner of Michael’s and a long- time ally of Michael’s father, Vito Corleone, and Michael refuses. An attempted assassination attempt is then carried out on Michael’s life, in his own home. Michael investigates who is trying to kill him, and suspects that there is a traitor in his family.
Meanwhile. Michael and Hyman Roth fly to Cuba to finalise some business deals there. The Cuban trip reveals all. In a story interwoven with the present day, we see the backstory to Vito Corleone. From how his parents and brother were murdered by a Don in their home town of Corleone in Sicily, to his escaping, as a boy, to New York, his adult life and his rise to Don Corleone.
The Godfather Part II is a 1974 American epic crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from the screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo, starring Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Talia Shire, Morgana King, John Cazale, Mariana Hill, and Lee Strasberg. It is the second installment in The Godfather trilogy.
Partially based on Puzo’s 1969 novel The Godfather, the film is both sequel and prequel to The Godfather, presenting parallel dramas: one picks up the 1958 story of Michael Corleone (Pacino), the new Don of the Corleone family, protecting the family business in the aftermath of an attempt on his life; the prequel covers the journey of his father, Vito Corleone (De Niro), from his Sicilian childhood to the founding of his family enterprise in New York City.
Following the success of the first film, Paramount Pictures began developing a follow up to the film, with much of the same cast and crew returning. Coppola, who was given more control over the film, had wanted to make both a sequel and a prequel to the film to tell the story of the rise of Vito and the fall of Michael.
Principal photography began in October 1973 and wrapped up in June 1974. The Godfather Part II premiered in New York City on December 12, 1974, and was released in the United States on December 20, 1974, receiving divided reviews from critics but its reputation, however, improved rapidly and it soon became the subject of critical re-evaluation. It grossed between $48–88 million worldwide on a $13 million budget.
The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards at the 47th Academy Awards and became the first sequel to win for Best Picture. Its six Oscar wins also included Best Director for Coppola, Best Supporting Actor for De Niro and Best Adapted Screenplay for Coppola and Puzo. Pacino won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Some have deemed it superior to The Godfather. Both Part II and its predecessor remain highly influential films, especially in the gangster genre, and are considered to be among the greatest films of all time. In 1997, the American Film Institute ranked it as the 32nd-greatest film in American film history and it retained this position 10 years later. It was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1993, being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. The final film in the trilogy, The Godfather Part III, was released in 1990.
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Talia Shire, Morgana King, John Cazale, Mariana Hill, Michael V. Gazzo, Lee Strasberg, Tom Rosqui, Bruno Kirby
Screenplay by: Francis Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo
Production Design by: Dean Tavoularis
Cinematography by: Gordon Willis
Film Editing by: Barry Malkin, Richard Marks, Peter Zinner
Costume Design by: Theadora Van Runkle
Set Decoration by: George R. Nelson
Art Direction by: Angelo P. Graham, John Dapper
Music by: Nino Rota
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: December 12, 1974 (New York City), December 20, 1974 (United States)
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