SOURCE: "The Godfather, I and II: Patterns of Corruption," in Film Criticism, Vol. III, No. 1, Fall, 1978, pp. 35-44.

In the following essay, Ambrogio traces the imperfect repetitions between The Godfather Part I and II and asserts that they demonstrate the breakdown of the Corleone family and its criminal organization.

NBC's 12-15 November 1977 telecast of Godfather I and II in reedited, almost strictly chronological form, padded by the addition of scenes previously cut, provided some insights into and confirmations of elements in the original films but didn't improve upon the initial structure of the pictures, particularly the point-counterpoint of Godfather II. The "complete novel for television" received disappointing ratings and even provoked some unfavorable critical reassessment of the original films.¹ This lukewarm reception contrasts sharply to the rave reviews Godfather I and II received when first released in 1972 and 1974, respectively. In fact in 1974, many critics proclaimed II even better...