355: What Would Pop Do?/I'm Smart, Not Like Everybody Says — The Godfather Part II (1974)

We take a deep dive into Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather Part II”, which is really two movies in one. Robert De Niro stars as young Vito Corleone, who comes to America and learns how to become The Godfather. And Al Pacino stars as Michael Corleone, trying to live up to the standard set by his father in the first film. We discuss its overarching themes, the two-timeframe approach, a peculiar congressional hearing, Fredo’s ultimate betrayal, Vito’s revenge, and the widening chasm between the approaches Vito and Michael take to being the head of a crime family. [This episode was originally two episodes, 355 and 356. It’s been rejoined into a single, double-length episode.]