On this day in 1974, the second Godfather was released

"The Godfather: Part II" is a clear example of how arbitrary awards and reviews are in cinema. Admittedly, the second film in the gangster saga was initially poorly received by critics – sitting through three and a half hours in a theater, with the action split into two eras, shuffled like cards in a deck, was not easy.

Furthermore, Coppola, buoyed by the unexpected success of the first "Godfather," became a self-confessed master and said that the second film was not so much about gangsters as about "the path to power" in general. As for the form, he decided to combine the plots of two films in one – the rise of Vito Corleone's empire in his youth and the attempt to maintain its influence during Michael Corleone's reign.

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This "cutting edge" with its jumps from one era to another was no longer based on the laws of audience perception, but on Coppola's whim. It was, firstly, incomprehensible, and secondly, boring. Moreover, there were occasional lapses unforgivable for a screenwriter and director—for example, to understand how Michael Corleone learned of his brother Fredo's betrayal, the audience had to catch a quiet line during a noisy nightclub performance. Moreover, to not only hear it but also understand it, the audience had to know the content of this episode in advance—and yet, among the six Oscars for The Godfather II, there was also a prize for the screenplay.

Again, perhaps Robert De Niro, who played Don Corleone in his youth, was worthy of his Oscar (opinions vary), but the appearance and demeanor of Vito Corleone in his youth (De Niro) and in his old age (Marlon Brando in the first film) never gelled together in the audience's perception as one person.

Meanwhile, "The Godfather Part III," an absolute masterpiece in terms of professionalism in many ways, failed to win a single Oscar...

Photo: from open sources