Winner of six Academy Awards, including Best Picture of 1974, the continuing story of the Corleone family is equally as riveting and cinematic as its precursor. Both a prequel and a sequel, the film depicts young Vito Corleone’s journey from Italy to New York during World War I and his introduction to a life of crime. Then in the 1950s, Vito’s son Michael (PCFF 2011 guest Al Pacino in another unforgettable performance) continues with the family business following his father’s death. The promising young man of the previous film has fallen into the life of crime led by his father, leading to tragic consequences. Writer-director Francis Ford Coppola found making this film considerably easier than the previous film, mostly because of the added flexibility Paramount allowed after the first film’s success. This added freedom shows. — Jack Fields
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