Winner '74:
First Saw It:		 The Godfather Part II
I have no record and can't recall
Bridesmaids: Alfie, Chinatown, The Conversation, Lenny, The Towering Inferno
My Vote: Chinatown, by the slimmest of margins over Conversation. Godfather II is a superb bronze medalist.
Overlooked: A Woman under the Influence, Claudine, Hearts and Minds, Badlands, Scenes from a Marriage (ineligible)


The Godfather Part II
Most recently screened in June 2016
Director: Francis Ford Coppola. Cast: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, John Cazale, Michael V. Gazzo, Robert Duvall, Richard Bright, G.D. Spradlin, Lee Strasberg, William Bowers, Talia Shire, Gastone Moschin, Bruno Kirby, Francesca De Sapio, Abe Vigoda, Joe Spinelli, Maria Carta, Morgana King, Marianna Hill, Giuseppe Sillato, Mario Cotone, Frank Sivero, Dominic Chianese, Gianni Russo, Carmine Caridi, Danny Aiello. Screenplay: Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo (based on the novel by Mario Puzo).

 Twitter Capsule: Gobsmacking production of a colossal personal and social vision. Maybe too sprawling and self-aggrandizing.

VOR: ⑤  Even if I can't help feeling Godfather II overreaches, its aesthetic, narrative, and political ambitions virtually bust every available measure in Hollywood. Indispensable.


Photo © 1974 Paramount Pictures

Not yet reviewed in full. Grade: A–

Academy Award Nominations and Winners:
★Best Picture
★Best Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Best Actor: Al Pacino
Best Supporting Actress: Talia Shire
★Best Supporting Actor: Robert De Niro
Best Supporting Actor: Michael V. Gazzo
Best Supporting Actor: Lee Strasberg
★Best Adapted Screenplay: Mario Puzo & Francis Ford Coppola
★Best Art Direction: Dean Tavoularis; Angelo P. Graham & George R. Nelson
★Best Original Score: Nino Rota & Carmine Coppola
Best Costume Design: Theodora Van Runkle

Golden Globe Nominations:
Best Picture (Drama)
Best Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Best Actor (Drama): Al Pacino
Best Screenplay: Mario Puzo & Francis Ford Coppola
Best Original Score: Nino Rota
Most Promising Newcomer, Male: Lee Strasberg

Other Awards:
Directors Guild of America: Best Director
Writers Guild of America: Best Adapted Screenplay, Drama
National Society of Film Critics: Best Director; Best Cinematography (Gordon Willis; also cited for The Parallax View)
British Academy Awards (BAFTAs): Best Actor (Pacino; also cited for Dog Day Afternoon)
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