MOVIE NEWS – Al Pacino has weighed in on the Godfather movie debate, giving his opinion on whether the original 1972 gangster film is better than the 1974 sequel.

The debate continues over which The Godfather movie is better. Now the star himself, Al Pacino, has spoken out on whether the second Godfather movie is superior to the original 1972 film. Francis Ford Coppola’s acclaimed crime film trilogy centres on the struggles of the Corleone crime family as they assert their legal and criminal rule over 1940s New York. Pacino stars as Michael Corleone, the youngest son of family patriarch Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando in The Godfather and Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part II), who succeeds Vito as the new head of the family.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Pacino, when asked if The Godfather Part II will surpass The Godfather, reflected on his experience filming The Godfather trilogy.

Pacino explained that he did not want to deny the merits of either film. The actor was adamant that he did not think the 1974 sequel was a better film than the 1972 original. He feels that The Godfather offers more layers for audiences to discuss than The Godfather Part II.

“No, I don’t. I really think it’s more – what would you call it – artistic or something, I don’t know. I don’t mean to play it down and be overly modest because I star in it with Bob de Niro, but at the same time, it’s a different film.”

“You see, The Godfather is more entertaining. Godfather II is this study, this personal thing for Francis [Ford Coppola], Godfather I, I saw it recently, it’s always got two or three things going on in a scene. You’re always in the story, you’re going. You don’t know what’s going to happen next, it’s storytelling, it’s really storytelling at its best. Godfather II sort of linearizes, and [it’s] kind of different, somber, moves slowly. But it’s a great movie, I have to say.”

How did Godfather II become one of the best sequels?

The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are both highly influential and celebrated works. The debate is simply about which film is better. The Godfather Part II, however, is described as one of the few sequels that surpasses its original predecessors. While The Godfather is based on Mario Puzo’s 1969 novel of the same name, The Godfather Part II is based on Coppola and Puzo’s original screenplay. This significantly expands on what happened to Michael. It also covers the events that led to Vito’s rise to power between 1901 and 1923.

The sequel takes on the difficult task of filling in these story threads while adding further context to Vito’s arc after he dies in the first film.

While there is still a debate about whether The Godfather or The Godfather II is the better film, the opinions were unclear initially. Upon its release in 1974, critics debated whether the sequel’s dual narrative would make for a coherent film. Reviews ranged from praise to harsh condemnation. Some felt the film was patchy and uneven. Subsequent critical reappraisals hailed the film as a worthy sequel. It delivered powerful performances and a unique approach to storytelling that led to the issue we are discussing today.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter