The Godfather Part II Turns 52 on December 20, and Coppola's Sequel Still Has Its Own Heart

Illustration: AI-generated with Pollinations (FLUX), free to use

The Godfather Part II opened in US cinemas on December 20, 1974, so it turns 52 this month. Francis Ford Coppola directed and co-wrote the film, which continues the story of the Corleone family from the first film and moves between Michael's rise and the earlier life of his father, Vito.

Photo: Gorup de Besanez, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Al Pacino returned as Michael Corleone, now the head of the family and a man who is becoming more isolated with every decision. Robert De Niro played the young Vito Corleone, and his scenes in early twentieth-century New York give the film its second storyline.

Photo: Kindly granted by Thomas Schulz, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and De Niro won Best Supporting Actor for his role. It is one of the few sequels to win the top award, which is why many critics still discuss it alongside the first film.

Photo: White House, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The structure of the film is one of its strengths. The two timelines are cut together so that each one comments on the other, and the story of the family's growth in one period shadows the story of Michael's decline in the other.

Film still: Paramount Pictures, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Which film do you prefer, the first or the second? The answer often says a lot about what you want from a crime drama.x