Gia Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Kill his brother for his betrayal?Would you have spared him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thin White Duke Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 (edited) Of course. Family is family. You just don't fuck with it. Edit: Of course he needed to kill him, that is. Edited March 27, 2014 by Thin White Duke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Drama Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Self evident wasn't it? Michael's goal is to help his family grow, yet no one destroyed everything like did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDRE Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 No. He should have just scared him. Michael's biggest mistake imo.....Interesting thread. Over the past few days, I've been watching The Last Don mini that CBS did back in the 90's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgy Zhukov Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Michael needed to consolidate his power after his cunning victory over Roth. No doubt others would have challenged him (and they did) so he had to do whatever he can to protect his family and that means getting rid of the weak link and unfortunately that meant killing Fredo.Fredo being the older brother wanted more than he can handle, so Roth easily sueded him to his side. Michael cannot afford Fredo to do it again. After Fredo finally openly resents Michael for being stepped over, he was sure Fredo would betray him again.Vito would have never done it, then again, Vito was responsible for showing weakness through Sonny in front of Barzini which got them in the mess in the first place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsh327 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I think some people would have said to keep Fredo and just have him work some bullshit job where he's out of the way. He might as well have killed his sister. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Drama Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I think some people would have said to keep Fredo and just have him work some bullshit job where he's out of the way. That's what got him in the mess with Fredo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoSoRose Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Michael didn't have to kill Fredo, but he did it anyways. It is to show how dark he went. Kind of like Walt turning into Heisenberg.He eventually showed remorse for what he did in part III, but the deed was done. Michael went to the point where redemption was impossible in part II.Masterpiece of a film! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bran Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Michael needed to consolidate his power after his cunning victory over Roth. No doubt others would have challenged him (and they did) so he had to do whatever he can to protect his family and that means getting rid of the weak link and unfortunately that meant killing Fredo.Fredo being the older brother wanted more than he can handle, so Roth easily sueded him to his side. Michael cannot afford Fredo to do it again. After Fredo finally openly resents Michael for being stepped over, he was sure Fredo would betray him again.Vito would have never done it, then again, Vito was responsible for showing weakness through Sonny in front of Barzini which got them in the mess in the first place.this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GivenToFly Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I think in that kind of world you live on ruthlesness and strength alone and reputation equals power so you can't afford to show weakness at any point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JONEZY Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 No need for spoiler alerts, the movie is 40 years old. Anyway, Michael had to whack Fredo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgy Zhukov Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Michael didn't have to kill Fredo, but he did it anyways. It is to show how dark he went. Kind of like Walt turning into Heisenberg.He eventually showed remorse for what he did in part III, but the deed was done. Michael went to the point where redemption was impossible in part II.Masterpiece of a film!Fredo was weak, he would have betrayed Michael again, probably would have gotten farther away first. Fredo probably would have ended up being a rat. At the time, in real life, there was a top mafia member that ended up going to the feds, the first time any Made Man have gone, and Fredo could have been it.III was completely unnessecary, we already knew Michael felt remorse in Part II, he just did because he felt it was right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Drama Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 You think he felt remorse in II? It just came across like he was dead inside by the end with no one left by his side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val22 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 It is the mob way. Yes, Fredo was weak and stupid. He was always sick as a kid and used the Corleone name to screw every girl in Vegas. He was bad for business and Michael had to kill him.Fredo didn't have a chance from birth. he should have never gotten in the business. Michael put him in Vegas to keep him out of trouble, but he still screwed up. If Sonny were alive, Fredo would have been killed from the get go. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Len B'stard Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 (edited) Yes he did. And the fact that he would is whats wrong with him. The moral confusion is what elevates the piece, because the distinction between good and evil is what morality is based on....and this is a conundrum that totally distorts that distinction, it's distorting morality because looking out for and protecting your family is a moral duty...but killing your sibling, wow, it's like one step down from original sin, it's Cain slaying Abel, it's among the gravest of transgressions. Thats why it's so enduring, it's just irreconcilable, it's difficult to divorce yourself completely from your affection for the character but also impossible to forgive that sin, it's an irreconcilable conflict, which is whats at the heart of all great tragedies. And thats what The Godfather Saga is, a massive massive tragedy, you should weep when those end credits roll cuz Michael and Vito achieved nothing. They both destroyed what they loved on some level, none of what they really worked for happened. It really is a classic gangster movie in the truest sense in that all those movies were essentially cautionary tales. It's operatic for a reason too. In fact i offer The Godfather Saga to anyone who claims that popular cinema can't reach the hallowed heights of high art, it really is profound in a deeply enduring sense, everyone that hears the story of Michael Corleone (which is essentially what The Godfather Saga is) and absorbs it will remember it for as long as they live, it is that enduring. Edited March 27, 2014 by sugaraylen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val22 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 when you're in the mob, you have to be strong and do what's best for the business. Fredo had no business sense at all. Michael just gave him a job because he was his brother.Sonny if he lived would have made a bad leader because he was too hot headed and emotional. That's what got him killed.Michael was perfect because he had the business sense and he could be ruthless when he needed to be.that's the way you need to be when you run the mob.that's why Gotti's business got screwed up, his sons were too stupid to run it when he went to jail and Victoria continues to deny he ever was the "Velcro don". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgy Zhukov Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 No need for spoiler alerts, the movie is 40 years old. Anyway, Michael had to whack Fredo. There are people who try to be cool and not watch the Godfather. So it be a spoiler for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nosaj Thing Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 If my brother pulled that shit on me or my family I would kill him myself.So yes, Michael did the right thing. In the way they all saw "loyalty", the murder of his brother was a must-do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyTron Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 The most important aspect of Michael killing Fredo is that he regretted it and it hung over him. Remember, when he falls into a diabetic coma he calls out his brother's name. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDRE Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 The most important aspect of Michael killing Fredo is that he regretted it and it hung over him. Remember, when he falls into a diabetic coma he calls out his brother's name.Yep. It was basically the beginning of the end.You can't whack family...you just can't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val22 Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Well I'm sure Michael had some guilt but he knew he had to kill Fredo for messing up.It was just sad that Michael inherited his father's empire because he really didn't want it in the first place. I guess family loyalties are too strong to resist and with Sonny already dead and Fredo being a dummy, Michael had to take over. Part of it was probably guilt also for letting Fredo go with his father to the fruit stand and Vito getting shot in the first place.I'm sure not every mob guy feels guilty, but Michael was one with a soul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgy Zhukov Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Fredo was partially responsible, he failed to act. Instead they just say Paulie was paid off to stay home sick. Not sure if it was ever proved if Paulie was in on the assassination attempt. Then again, they could have found someone else besides Fredo. Someone from Sal or Clemenza.Even though Moe Green has "straightened Fredo out" Fredo was showing signs of loyalty to him, because at least outside the family, he was able to find someone who "respects" him. He gets respect in his own family, but no real position. Green would have him do important stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgy Zhukov Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Fredo was a guy who just did not belong there. He should have been put up for adoption. He likely did not know that Johnny and Roth were going to put a hit on Mikey even though it was painfully obvious, he was just a fool.He would have been better off if Vito chose an honest living over crime. Sonny would likely have been a criminal since he is the biggest sociopath of Vito's children and Michael who's own sociopathic nature is more controlled could have gone either way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NGOG Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 (edited) Mafioso have a very strict policy when it comes to grave betrayal.Being a rat - even if not in the conventional sense - revokes your bloodline. Edited March 28, 2014 by NGOG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NGOG Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 I don't agree with the analysis that Sonny is more sociopathic than Michael. Sonny is just a passionate lug who acts in accordance with his feelings; whereas Michael is calculated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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