I think the most tragic part was the GF2 ending, but not the very last scene. It is the Hail Mary scene followed by the flashback to Sonny, Tom , Freod, Carlo , Tessio, connie and everybody. Wat a family it was at the beginning of GF and what it ended up with at the end of GF2
To me the message was never "crime doesn't pay" (sorry turnbull!), but "every man has but one destiny", as mentioned in the novel (look, I like the novel ). Coppola says that it was a tough job to resurrect a dead michael. He was really dead, he had no soul left. GF3 did dilute that image, but I don't think that was the only way GF3 could be made. They could have shown michael's goal to redeem a little more subtly.
). Coppola says that it was a tough job to resurrect a dead michael. He was really dead, he had no soul left. GF3 did dilute that image, but I don't think that was the only way GF3 could be made. They could have shown michael's goal to redeem a little more subtly.