week five - the godfather part II

How were young filmmakers in the late 1960s and early 1970s different from previous generations of filmmakers in terms of the following: how they broke into commercial filmmaking, how their films were financed, and who was in charge of the studios?

young filmmakers in the late 1960s and early 1970s were different than previous generation of filmmakers mainly due to the fact that they were college graduates who had actually studied film. and, they were young. due to the successes of bonnie and clyde and the graduate, studios began to realize the potential of using the young filmmaker to connect to the younger audience. and, it worked. they also realized that spending tons of money didn't make tons of money. easy rider, for instance, was made on a shoe string budget and was a huge hit, grossing $19 million. so once this formula for success was put together and understood, the studios capitalized and began hiring fresh, young, educated people to come in and make movies cheaply. corporate conglomeration! (thats who was in charge of the studios)




Give two specific examples of how Part II disappoints the viewer (according to Berliner) and how these disappointments “work” for the film.

according to berliner, two specific examples of how part II disappoints the viewer are the murders and the new godfather. marlon brando's absence is looming throughout the whole movie, so the audience, much like the family, is missing his presence, and michael is just not a fulfilling substitute. the murders, berliner says, are also a bit of a disappointment, since they are portrayed so non-chalantly and therefore seem less important.

berliner suggests that these disappointments were calculated and purposeful, using its role as a sequel as an end to the means that no sequel is ever quite as good as the original. instead of giving you more of the same of what you loved in the original, this one leaves you hanging and desperately craving the novelty that is long gone.

maybe it was a plot to get you to appreciate the first one more. who knows?