Top 12 Godfather Moments/Storylines Across 3 Movies

The Godfather Parts I and II are both masterpieces and while Part III would've been a great film elsewise, I think the audience wanted to see the Corleone family fight and win, and as Michael is the family personfied, his downfall and death in that movie is something no one wanted. 

Starting off with Part III 

12 Connie's All In 

In Part I, Connie was in a dysfunctional marriage with Carlos Rizzi. Carlos beats Connie to lure Sonny to his death. When Michael kills Carlos, Connie confronts him she tries to spit on him, you can hear it in the audio. They kept that in from the book 

In Part II, Connie is a bit of a prodigal daughter. She tries get money from Michael to marry a guy named Merle and later comes back to her family. After her mother dies, Connie fills the void Carmela left and will be caretaker in the family. This is richly shown in how she begs for Michael to forgive Fredo, even though she may not know the extent of the offense Fredo has committed. What is even more powerful in the scene, is when she kisses his hand in submission to Michael as head of the family 

In Part III, she's all about the family business. She defends Vincent and appears to be a consigliere to Michael though that wouldn't happen in real life. She believes that Fredo drowned and backs up her brother 1000%. She even kills Don Altobello (he plotted against the Family) and my favorite moment is when she goes to see the results of her handiwork, poisoning his cannoli

If there was any moment I thought Talia Shire needed some recognition it is THAT one. She wasn't just some traditional Sicilian woman, she never was...and she showed that in some ways, she could be like Michael

11 Confession

Michael had to order the death of his brother, his Father's son. In Part II Michael was set on the fact that he had to kill Fredo, but not while his mother was alive. In Part III there are two moments that come to mind; the Storm where he calls out for Fredo and when he confesses to a Priest. It is a poignant scene showing us that this is indeed an Epilogue to Michael Corleone's life as he fights for redemption in his later life.

 10 Zasa you Son of a B****h! 

Joey Zasa represented the next generation. Every single group of people has to face the up and coming. Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras faced Patrick Rafter and a young Roger Federer. The old generation has to prove they still got it while fending off the young upstarts. So here it was, Joey Zasa the up and comer, likely based in part of John Gotti and Joseph Columbo. After a gathering of bosses to settle all accounts as Michael tries to get out of the gambling business, Zasa has in his estimation not gotten what he deserves. He leaves in a rage with Don Altobello following him. 

A short time later, the table begins to shake, oranges falling from the table (a harbinger of death according to fan theory) and the mad dash begins as they realize it's a hit. Michael gets out unscathed and one of the dying Dons (most of them are older) says "Zasa you son of a bitch" as last words

We find out that Altobello and Zasa were in this together and had backing of a Don in Sicily, who is killed with his own glasses at the end of the film 

Zasa gets his comeuppance in a much more flashy way that parallels and contrasts another moment on this list. Zasa is most likely modeled after Joe Colombo and John Gotti 

9  Respected vs feared

Vito Corleone had a way of doing business. He'd do for you, you'd do for him when he needed you to. It was a two way street, the building of good will. Michael Corleone had another way of doing business, by ruthlessly squashing all competition. At Don Tommasino's funeral he asks "Why were you respected while I was so feared?" and says he will sin no more 

Michael sees the people around him as businessmen that will do things in their own self interest. Considering that and his ruthlessness as we've seen all his enemies taken out in the final act of each film...we can clearly see why 

Godfather Part II 

8 Vito 86's Fanucci

Fanucci was a local mobster that worked alone to exploit the Italian immigrants. When he was attacked by three boys and hurt, he killed one of the boys and accepted a bribe from the other two families to forswear vengeance. Vito, having seen that real mobsters would NEVER forget an insult like that, knew Funucci had gotten lucky. Also, Fanucci proposed a cut of their monies (Vito, Tessio and Celemenza monies made from robbing garment trucks) and threatened them with police, again pointing to his being an impostor. 

The last straw was when Fanucci accepted $100 instead of the $600 he demanded. Fanucci wasn't a made man, just an actor faking the funk...

After that meeting, Vito climbed the roofs and waited for Fanucci in the hallway of his apartment. Upon Fanucci turning the light on, it revealed Vito with a towel wrapped around his gun to muffle the sound (this is about 1930ish). it took all of three shots and he did it during a Parade which was loud enough to cover any noise he'd make 

After this, Vito Corleone becomes Don, but he HELPS the Italian immigrants rather than exploiting them. That is part of the rise of the Corleone family

7 That's yo A$$ Fredo

Fredo was NOT meant for mob life, we saw it in Part I when he dropped his gun while his Father was  shot and then cried on the curb while the ambulance was on the way. In the book, he didn't even draw his gun. 

While the war with the Five Families raged under Sonny, he was shipped out to Las Vegas under the protection of Moe Greene, based on Bugsy Siegel. Fredo chastises Michael and defended Moe for slapping him around. Why? He was out of control and sleeping with cocktail waitresses two at a time

In Part II, his wife flirts with another man in front of him and berates him until she's pulled off the floor. He is a mess, and it hadn't changed. Fredo is revealed to have unknowingly helped Johnny Ola and Hyman Roth set up a hit on Michael. While in Cuba, Fredo lets slip that Johnny Ola introduced him to the club they're being entertained at. 

After the cat's out of the bag, Michael gives Fredo the Kiss of Death and reveals that he knows. 

Fredo was the mole in the family and must be killed, but not while his Mother is alive. 

             The look that sealed Fredo's fate 

Now that their Mother is gone, it's time to handle business. Michael's very presence and his all seeing unblinking eyes show that he doesn't have to do much to order the death of Fredo, just a glance at Al Neri is enough as he knows what he has to do It is probably the most shocking scene, set at twilight as Fredo is saying a Hail Mary. Al waits for him to finish before completing the job. As it is done, Michael's head bows as if he is praying for Fredo's soul having just killed him and realizing his own soul is completely hollow

 6 Vendetta 

The year is 1901

The backdrop of Vito Corleone, born Vito Andolini. Antonio Andolini told the local mafia Don Ciccio to go to hell or something like that 

So Ciccio says "you first" and murders him. Paolo, his son (and Vito's brother) swears revenge and is killed at his Father's funeral. Mama Andolini has had enough, she knows who to go to and begs for Vito's life. 

Don Ciccio is having NONE of it. He knows words won't hurt him, but one day he'll be a big strong man and come for revenge, so no...he has to eliminate all Andolini males to preclude that from happening 

After he refuses to hear her pleas, she picks up a nearby knife and holds it to Ciccio's throat warning Vito to run before she is killed by Ciccio's men. Vito is hidden in a sack and taken down to a boat to America 

Once grown, he goes back to Corleone to see Don Ciccio. He has gifted the Don with some olive oil with an entrée of revenge! 

Ciccio: Who was your Father 
Vito: Antonio Andolini

Ciccio: Lean closer, my hearing isn't what it used to be 

Vito: My Father's name was Antonio Andolini...AND THIS IS FOR YOU! 

5 Nothing to Do with Business

While Hyman Roth is in Cuba, he is expecting $2 Million for his partnership in a big deal with the Cuban government. When Michael investigates who gave the order to have Frank Pentangeli killed Roth claims the Rosato Brothers, but they have to clear it up the chain of command. Michael didn't give the order 

So Roth counters paraphrasing "When Moe Greene turned up dead, I didn't ask who gave the order because it had NOTHING TO DO WITH BUSINESS" He pauses "I'm going to take a nap, if I wake up and see the $2 Million I know I have a partner, if it isn't I'll know I don't" 

This scene's intensity tips Roth's hand a little bit. We know Michael suspects he's the one that set up the hit on his house, and at the end of the scene it's quiet as Roth had already let out his venom. 

HM Cen'tanni! 

In a Movies Explained For Review of Godfather Part II...that youtube deleted...damn you YouTube, Jeb esxplains the deterioration of the Corleone family from Part I to Part II. Okay I wanna do Jeb proud so I'll try to use his TM wit  and humor 

                       

  

Connie went from getting beat to dating and marrying boring men and being an absentee mother. After the toast, she says "We'd be prosperous for 100 years if my Father was alive" Yes, I DO see that Michael's at the table, why do you think I said it?  

Mama Corleone is as stately as ever from her days in Part I, but peeps all the angles 

Fredo married Dina that wants every guy BUT Fredo and is dragged off the dance floor when she's talking reckless 

Michael surrounds himself with more business people than family all in the name of family 

So they're pretty much as MEF put it "gutter...trash" It's showing "Boy Michael, your family has let themselves GO!"

Now that we've got the last two, let's look at the one that started it all 

4 "You gotta answer for Santino" 

After settling all family disputes one is outstanding. Carlo pointing out Sonny for murder. Michael kept him at the mall, and even elevated him knowing he wanted him close, never letting on that Carlos would have to answer for his betrayal 

Notice that Michael doesn't say Sonny, but he says Santino. No other family member called him Santino during this film. 

This shows Michael is now claiming the family he once wanted no part of. He plays it cool, patient and demands to know who approached Carlos with the plan to lure Sonny out. It was Barzini 

Michael declares Carlos out of the family business and with ticket in hand, he goes off to the big casino in the sky

3 Bonasera

What makes this scene interesting is the juxtaposition of an Sicilian-American being more Americanized and trusting in justice. When it let him down, he went back to the "more Sicilian" side of things. Contrasting the American vs Sicilian in a great way we see how the Father says "they made her drink whiskey but she didn't give up her honor" one doesn't know if she took the drink willingly or not, but one thing is certain: He is straddling two worlds and one is winning out. 

The Godfather is mentioned before he is seen and the actor's performance shows that he DEFINITELY knows the power Don Corleone wields as he says "For justice, we must go to Don Corleone" Until now, we saw him in silhouette and all he did was wave a hand to offer him a drink/ His power is seen in the subtlety in which he operates in the shadows (Fun fact: Marlon Brando didn't remember his lines so they had to hide cue cards, but it still works)

Next, we see the sides of Bonasera and Don Corleone. Bonasera wanted to be a law biding citizen but went to shady side once the law failed him. We see a duality as Bonasera has connections to Carmela as she's Godmother to his daughter. Vito asked him "You haven't had me over for coffee" and later "if you offered your friendship those people would be suffering this very moment" 

Finally, when Don Corleone calls Bonasera for a favor, in a deleted scene, we're let into his private thoughts

We are introduced to The Godfather not as a crime boss, but as a man that values friendship, is deeply loved and admired, a man of fierce loyalty that never forgets to return a favor. He's a good man that appears to be refined, smart and cunning. We're introduced to a man with flaws, but a man many would like to emulate

2 Baptism 

Two baptisms happening at once. Michael baptizing his godson and being baptized as The Godfather of NYC. The cinematography, the music brings the action to a higher level than it would've been without it

1 Closing the Door 

The film started out memorably, and ended in a similar fashion. In this scene, Clemenza finally calls Michael Don Corleone having earned his respect with the power move at the baptism. Two other men pay tribute by kissing Michael's hand as Al Neri comes by and shuts the door,  shutting Kay out. 

So this was my 12 Godfather moments across three movies. I know there are a lot of moments I've included and left out as I wanted to do something other than a standard review of the film. I wanted to bring something new to how we see The Godfather. I know I've missed many great moments, but there are so many! 

Include them in the comments!