"The Godfather" introduced to pop culture the inside of a fictional mafia family that many drew connections. The big secret is that GF II better's the original. It may be the only sequel in movie history to accomplish this feat (The Empire Strikes Back is debatable). For three hours and twenty minutes we are shown a two prong plot where Michael Corleone must deal with his current enemies while at the same time driving a wedge between his family. The other plotline is the rise of Vito Corleone. This is well played by Robert DeNiro, who received an Oscar for his performance. The movie viewer has a complex soap opera that does not disappoint. It's deep and dark. It shows that unlike his father, Michael has to sacrifice his wife and children to hold the family name. Meanwhile, Vito shows his ability to lead by taking out the local boss and establishing his own racket. Michael is seen as the tragic figure, the one member of the family who wanted to be legit and turns out to be more ruthless than his father. It's a shame this wasn't the original Godfather. Many love to mimic Brando's great performance, this movie is pure genius.