Originally posted by The Hollywood Finochio:
What is your favourite De Niro moment from Part II?
Mine has to be the moment just before Vito kills Ciccio.
As Tommasino is explaining to the Don who Vito is..Vito can be seen in the background just looking on with one of the best examples of concealed rage I have ever seen, the man ahead of him killed his Mother, Father and Brother...but he must remain calm until the right moment, but the way he is looking on...You'll never see the wise and reasonable Don Corleone ever look so mad...yet calm. Wonderful acting
I actually have a tie for first place.
1) The scene where a neighbor, who we later find out is Clemenza, tosses a sack across the alley to Vito and asks him to watch it for him; and Vito takes the sack to the bathtub and opens it to find that it's a stash of guns. That look where he pauses and hides his mouth with his hand was priceless; a combination of "WTF???", "sonofaBITCH!" and "OK, I'm doomed..."
2) "You've got balls, young man" scene in the cafe; De Niro's eerie coolness still resonates after a million viewings; add to it a great performance in this scene by Gaston Moschin. Then the little touch after Fanucci pinches Vito's cheek and Vito almost disgustedly wipes at his cheek.
