I also don't believe I cried while watching any of the Godfather films. But that doesn't mean it lacked scenes that were deeply emotional or heartbreaking. I think the first two Godfathers are films that appeal to both heart and mind. I may not have cried while watching them, but the scenes that got to me linger longer and have a greater resonance and complexity than those I've seen in most other movies -- particularly the average Hollywood fare that employs intense but fleeting emotion to generate viewer reaction.

The scene that got to me the most, hands down, is the hug between Michael and Fredo during Mamma's funeral. And it's more saddening with repeat viewings because you know what's coming next. Fredo believes he's forgiven and back in the fold, while Michael gives the silent signal to his brother's executioner.

The end of Part II, Michael alone with his memories, was also heavy with melancholy. The moral nexus of the film, it elevated the Godfather movies to the level of classic tragedy.

I also felt sad at the end of Part III when Michael died alone, albeit it was a decidedly tainted sadness. It arose less from the scene itself as an event within the film and more from a wistful nostalgia for 1972 & 1974 and the mastery of The Godfather and Godfather Part II, which are, alas, never to be repeated. How did the filmmakers think they could top the ending of Part II for sheer tragic imagery? I mean, yeesh, did they have to have Michael keel over like a keystone cop in a silent movie? You'd think he was dead already, rigor had set in, and the wind just knocked him over.

Yes, Part III makes me sad, not for what's in the film (well, not for the most part) but for memories of what was and what could have been. If only Part III introduced talented unknowns who would go on to become today's great actors. If only Al Pacino could look exactly the same as he did in 1972 and 1974. (If only we could all pick a time when we looked and felt our best and remain that way throughout the years. *Sigh * why do things have to change?) And if only the Academy Award committee would discover an error made in the vote-counting of 1974 which reveals that Pacino actually did win the Oscar that year.

So while Part III didn't make me cry, if I think about it too much it sure does make me depressed.