The novel provides a small but significant nuance on that scene:
In the novel, Hagen's the one who proposes that Johnny sign contracts to appear, with his show-biz pals, at Corleone owned or influenced hotels in return for points in the hotels. And he visits Johnny before Michael returns from Sicily. Johnny immediately senses that there'll be strings attached, so he says something like, "If the Don wants me to do something, he has to ask me. I won't take it from Sonny, y'know?" Hagen immediately recognizes the good sense of this answer--the Don asking Johnny for a favor is one thing, the hotheaded Sonny quite another. He replies, "Your Godfather would never ask you to do anything that you wouldn't volunteer to do yourself without his asking." Nice touch!

Heh heh heh . I meant am I going crazy about The Godfather?

... well, when I put it that way, I guess I just answered my own question.

Which just goes to show two things:

1. Johnnie was loyal but not stupid ; and

2. Tom WAS a good peacetime consigliere.

yeah, apparently I cannot afford the slightest lack of concentration!

The end of Godfather III, when Mary is killed and Michael screams in agony.

That scene itself should have one a couple oscars. Unbelievable. You can't help but tear up for thet scene, because (if you have scene the two movies before) you know how much he's struggled to keep his family safe. Especially, within the first 45 minutes of the third film, he states "I would burn in hell to keep you safe", directly to Mary. And then, when she dies, he notices he's lost. He's lost his first wife, Appolonia, and Kay, his second wife and finally his daughter, Mary. He lost the three women, the only women, he really ever loved. That scream was unbelievable. Also, the memory of those three women that he's ever loved are brought back to us immediately after the scream showing us that he failed all of them.

I replay that scream all the time and always tear up. Amazing scene.

The flashback scene at the end Gf2 and the ending of GF3

Part 1:
- Most parts of the wedding, especially Vito & Bonasera and Vito & Luca Brasi;
- The shooting of the Don;
- Sonny's death and Tom telling the Don that Sonny is shot, very powerfull acting by Brando and Duvall;

Part 2:
- Vito following Fanucci atthe rooftops and killing him;
- The scenes of Vito and Sr. Roberto, the scenes are a bit "lighter" to watch, always enjoying them.
- Vito killing Don Ciccio, very powerfull scene to me.
- EDIT: forgot the scenes with Pentangeli in it, watched all of them more then 10 times...

Part 3:
No scenes I watched over and over again, just watched the movie 3 times I think, against the >10 times I've watched part 1 & 2.

Most of my favorite scenes throughout the trilogy are all in Part II:

- The flashback "Surprise Party" scene at the end of the film
- The flashback story of young Vito (all the scenes, actually)
- The scene where Michael tells Fredo he "broke his heart"
- The scene where Kay tells Michael that she is leaving him
- The scene where Kay leaves

But I think those are just "current favorites" because I just saw Part II last night and I still have to refresh my memory about the other two films.

My favorite scene is in GFII --- but the only movie it's in is the "Godfather Saga" when they show everything in time sequence. It's the scene where Al Neri goes to the casino and runs out Klingman. In case you haven't guessed, I'm a big Al Neri fan.

I have played it over and over. I have the GF trilogy DVD set which has a bonus disc with the extra scenes.

Mine would have to be when Kay is describing to Michael her plans on leaving him.
She starts off by simply belittling, or trying to belittle, Michael by basically calling him stupid saying she tricked him. she then continues by telling him it was an abortion, something that she certainly knows is unforgivable. she then "pushes" even more, seemingly, with the pure intent of malice. you can see, so vividly, the morphing of Michael's moods; from remorsefull, to consoling, to disgust, to pure anger. it is brilliance at its best. i can't get enough of it.

and also the scene of the trial when pentangeli has his "change of heart"... when he says "Yeash... sure"... classic

the scene with the helicopter in the godfather part 3 and there is the bang bang bang zaza scene.

Hard to pick one, but one of my favorites is Vito at the meeting of the Don's in GF1. I love it when he says that he forgos any vegeance for the death of Santino, but that if anything should happen to Michael, ANYTHING, that is something he will not forgive.

Also love the final scene of GF3. I tell you, it just breaks your heart. So how old do you think Michael was in that last scene, 60 maybe?

From the looks of it, he's probably closer to 80. A brkoen old man. But nonetheless, it was a good movie.

1st has to be Michael's flashback to 1941 at the end of GFII. Apart from resurrecting so much and reconstructing the characters to be almost unblemished, not to mention creating a wholesome scene, it also grants the user a sight into Michael's soul at the moment Fredo is killed. We believe he has done so coldly and callously, and here we are seeing a man fully aware of what he has just done and the moral burden that goes with it. However, the sheer power and significance of this scene is such that it takes the viewer back to the logical beginning. This is the very moment from which Michael's life diverged and started the long path to where he was now - utterly alone.

2nd has to be the opening dialogue in GFI between Bonasera and Vito. We simply see Brando the colossus giving us a brief but telling glimpse into most if not all facets of the Don's character. Bonasera is genuinely offensive at times but what we see is someone who is able to measure his aggression and dispense his power carefully. He also displays protocol and the utmost courtesy. We are being led into the culture, in other words.

3rd is the alienation of Kay from Michael. In fact, the scene is utterly dominated by Kay's revelation of her abortion and, of course, the visible changes in emotion in Michael's face. It quite takes the breath away and just shows how not saying anything often demands more from the actor. Of course, the final explosive outburst is the final time we see any revealing from Michael until the flashback scene at the very end of the film.

That is a great post, Horse's Head. Those are all great scenes, and you pinpointed what makes them so resonant. But that description of the flashback scene at the end of GF2 -- exquisite! You captured it: After all those years of blindness to what he had become, Michael finally has his eyes opened in that one irreversible moment; and, as you said, he becomes "a man fully aware of what he has just done and the moral burden that goes with it."

For me its the scene with Sonny's body in Bonasera's funeral parlor...its one of the few times we see Don Corleone feel any sort of regret for the life he's chosen to lead. It stands in direct contrast to the scene in the garden w/Michael "I refused to be a fool..,etc."

It starts when he walks in...notice the utter numbness with which he says "Well Bonasera, are you ready to do me this service?" (the look on Bonasera's face is priceless, he's absolutely terrified) But its really when he says "Look how they massacred my boy..." that you really, I think, get a sense of guilt. There's the obvious heartbreak of losing a son...Brando's so good he only needs one line to convey this feeling. But pay close attention to Brando's facial expressions afterwards...the way he raises his eyebrows, as if he disbelieves the words coming out of his own mouth. Its as though he's thinking "'They' massacred him? I did. It's my own fault, who am I kidding." Amazing what a good actor can do with a pair of eyebrows.

Absolutely right - Brando could convey more expression with only a part of his face than many other actors could with their entire body. See also the scene where Tom Hagen tells him of Sonny's death (in the Don's study). Brando was absolutely a master of this craft.

And a great big welcome to Eddie Levine of Newport.

Signor V.