閱讀電影：教父Ⅱ.

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　　The Godfather Part II presents two parallel storylines. One involves Mafia chi Michael Corleone in 1958/1959 after the events of the first movie; the other is a series of flashbacks following his father, Vito Corleone from 1917 to 1925, from his youth in Sicily (1901) to the founding of the Corleone family in New York.

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　　The film begins in 1901, in the town of Corleone in Sicily, at the funeral of young Vito&aposs father, Antonio Andolini, who has been murdered for an insult to the local Mafia lord, Don Ciccio. During the procession, Vito&aposs older brother is murdered because he swore revenge on the Don. Vito&aposs mother goes to Ciccio to beg for mercy, but he ruses, knowing that nine year old Vito will seek revenge later in life. The mother takes Ciccio hostage at knifepoint, allowing her son to escape, and Ciccio&aposs men kill her. They search the town for the boy, but he is aided in his escape by the townspeople. Vito finds his way by ship to New York, and at Ellis Island an immigration agent chooses Vito&aposs hometown of Corleone as his surname, and he is registered as "Vito Corleone".

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　　In the late 1950s, in a scene similar to the opening of the first film, Michael Corleone, Godfather of the Corleone family, deals with various business and family problems during an elaborate party at his Lake Tahoe, Nevada compound to celebrate his son&aposs First Communion. He meets with Nevada Senator Pat Geary, who despises the Corleones, to discuss the price of the gaming licenses for the hotel/casinos the Family is buying.

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　　Michael deals with his sister Connie, who, although recently divorced, is planning to marry a man with no obvious means of support and of whom Michael disapproves. He also talks with Johnny Ola, the right hand man of Jewish gangster Hyman Roth, who is supporting Michael&aposs move into the gambling industry. Belatedly, Michael deals with Frank "Five Angels" Pentangeli, who took over Corleone caporegime Peter Clemenza&aposs territory after his death, and now has problems with the Rosato Brothers, who are backed by Roth. Pentangeli leaves abruptly, after telling Michael "your father did business with Hyman Roth, your father respected Hyman Roth, but your father never trusted Hyman Roth."

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　　Later that night, an assassination attempt is made on Michael, which he survives when his wife Kay notices the bedroom window drapes are inexplicably open. Afterwards, Michael tells Tom Hagen that the hit was made with the help of someone close, and that he must leave, entrusting all his power to Hagen to protect his family.

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　　The action then switches to 1917, where the adult Vito Corleone works in a New York grocery store with his friend Genco Abbandando. The neighborhood is controlled by a member of the "The Black Hand," Don Fanucci, who extorts protection payments from local businesses. One night, Vito&aposs neighbor Clemenza asks him to hide a stash of guns for him, and later, to repay the favor, takes him to a fancy apartment where they commit their first felony together, stealing an elegant rug.

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　　The film flash-forwards to Michael&aposs time. Michael meets with Hyman Roth in Florida and tells him that he believes Frank Pentangeli was responsible for the assassination attempt, and that Pentangeli will pay for it. Traveling to Brooklyn, Michael lets Pentangeli know that Roth was actually behind it, and that Michael has a plan to deal with Roth, but he needs Frankie to cooperate with the Rosato Brothers in order to put Roth off guard. When Pentangeli goes to meet with the Rosatos, he is told "Michael Corleone says hello," as he is attacked from behind but the attempted murder is accidentally interrupted by a policeman. Pentangeli is lt for dead, and his bodyguard, Willie Cicci, is struck by a car.

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　　In Nevada, Tom Hagen is called to a brothel run by Michael&aposs older brother Fredo, where Senator Geary is implicated in the death of a prostitute, and Tom offers to take care of the problem in return for "friendship" between the Senator and the Corleone family.

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　　Meanwhile, Michael meets Roth in Havana, Cuba, in late 1958, at the time when dictator Fulgencio Batista is soliciting American investment, and communist guerrillas are trying to bring down the government. At a birthday party for Roth, Michael mentions that there is a possibility that the rebels might win, making their business dealings in Cuba problematic. The comment prompts Roth to remark, privately, that Michael has not delivered the two million dollars to firm their partnership.

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　　Fredo, carrying the promised money, arrives in Havana and meets Michael. Michael mentions Hyman Roth and Johnny Ola to him, but Fredo says he has never met them. Michael confides to his brother that it was Roth who tried to kill him, and that he plans to try again. Michael assures Fredo that he has already made his move, and that "Hyman Roth will never see the New Year."

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　　Instead of turning over the money to Roth, Michael asks him who gave the order to have Frank Pentangeli killed. Roth avoids the question, instead speaking angrily of the murder of his old friend, Moe Greene, which Michael had orchestrated (as depicted at the end of the first film).

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　　Michael has asked Fredo, who knows Havana well, to show Senator Geary and other important officials and businessmen a good time, during which Fredo pretends to not recognize Johnny Ola. Soon after, at a sex show, Fredo comments loudly that Johnny Ola told him about the place, contradicting what he told Michael twice earlier, that he didn&apost know Roth or Ola. Michael now realizes that the traitor is his own brother, and dispatches his bodyguard to deal with Roth.

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　　Johnny Ola is strangled, but Roth, in a delicate state, is taken to a hospital, where Michael&aposs enforcer is shot trying to kill him. At Batista&aposs New Year&aposs Eve party, at the stroke of midnight, Michael grasps Fredo tightly by the head and kisses him: "I know it was you Fredo; you broke my heart." When guerillas attack, the guests flee, but Fredo ruses to go with Michael, despite Michael&aposs pleas that Fredo is still his brother and that it&aposs the only way out.

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　　Michael returns to his Lake Tahoe compound, where Hagen tells him that Roth escaped Cuba after suffering a stroke and is recovering in Miami, that Michael&aposs bodyguard is dead, and that Fredo is probably hiding in New York. Hagen also informs Michael that Kay had a miscarriage while he was away.

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　　In New York of 1917, Don Fanucci of the Black Hand is now aware of the partnership between Vito, Clemenza and Sal Tessio, and wants his share. Clemenza and Tessio agree to pay, but Vito is reluctant and asks his friends to leave everything in his hands so Fanucci will accept less and indeed, Vito manages to get Fanucci to take only one sixth of what he demanded (100 of 600 dollars). Immediately afterwards, during the neighborhood festa, Vito murders Fanucci. With Fanucci dead, Vito earns the respect of the neighborhood and begins to intercede in local disputes, operating out of the storront of his Genco Pura Olive Oil Company (named after his friend Genco Abbandando).

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　　In Washington, D.C., a Senate committee, of which Senator Geary is a member, is conducting an investigation into the Corleone family. They question disaffected "soldier" Willie Cicci, but he cannot implicate Michael, because he never received any direct orders from him. When Michael appears bore the committee, Senator Geary makes a big show of supporting Italian-Americans and then excuses himself from the proceedings. Michael makes a statement challenging the committee to produce a witness to corroborate the charges against him. The hearing ends with the Chairman promising a witness who will do exactly that.

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　　Frank Pentangeli, who did not die in the attack by the Rosato Brothers, has made a deal with the FBI, and will testify against Michael. Tom Hagen and Michael discuss the problem, observing that Roth&aposs strategy to destroy Michael is well planned. Michael&aposs brother Fredo has been found and persuaded to return to Nevada, and in a private meeting he explains to Michael his betrayal: upset about being passed over to head the family in favor of Michael, he wants respect and his due. He helped Roth thinking there would be something in it for him, but he swears he didn&apost know they wanted to kill Michael. He also tells Michael that the Senate Committee&aposs chi counsel is Roth&aposs man. Michael then tells Fredo: "You&aposre nothing to me now. Not a brother, not a friend, nothing", and privately instructs Al Neri that nothing is to happen to Fredo while their mother is still alive.

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　　At the hearing in which Pentangeli is to testify, Michael arrives accompanied by Pentangeli&aposs brother, whose presence causes Frank to recant his previous statements about Michael. When Pentangeli is pressed, he claims that he just told the FBI what they wanted to hear. With no witness to testify against Michael the committee adjourns, with Hagen, acting as Michael&aposs lawyer, loudly demanding an apology.

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　　At a hotel room afterwards, Kay tries to leave Michael, taking their children with her. Michael at first tries to mollify her, but loses his temper and hits her violently when she reveals to him that her recent "miscarriage" was actually an abortion to avoid providing another child into Michael&aposs criminal inheritance.

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　　While visiting Sicily, Vito is introduced to the elderly Don Ciccio as the man who imports their olive oil to America, and who wants his blessing. When Ciccio asks Vito who his father was, Vito says, "My father&aposs name is Antonio Andolini, and this is for you!", cutting the old man&aposs stomach open with a knife, avenging the death of his father, mother, and brother.

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　　When Carmella Corleone, Vito&aposs widow and the mother of his children, dies, the whole Corleone family is reunited. Michael is still shunning Fredo, who is miserable, but relents when Connie implores him to. Michael and Fredo embrace, but at the same time Michael signals to his capo that Fredo&aposs protection from harm, in fect while their mother lived, has now run out.

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　　Michael, Tom Hagen, and Rocco Lampone discuss their final dealings with Hyman Roth, who has been unsuccessfully seeking asylum from various countries, and was even rused entry to Israel as a returned Jew. Michael rejects Hagen&aposs advice that the Corleone family&aposs position is secure, and killing Roth and the Rosato brothers for revenge is an unnecessary risk. Later, Hagen pays a visit to Frank Pentangeli on a military base and suggests that he take his own life, in the manner of unsuccesful ancient Roman conspirators who, in return, were promised that their families would be taken care of after their suicide.

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　　With the connivance of Connie, Kay visits her children, but cannot bear to leave them and stays too long. When Michael arrives, he coldly closes the door in her face.

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　　The Godfather Part II reaches its climax in a montage of assassinations and death, reminiscent of the end of The Godfather. As he arrives at an airport to be taken into custody, Hyman Roth is killed by Rocco Lampone disguised as a journalist, who is immediately shot dead in his turn. On the military base, Frank Pentangeli is found dead, having followed Hagen&aposs instructions and committed suicide. Finally, Fredo is murdered by Al Neri while they are fishing on Lake Tahoe - while Fredo is saying a Hail Mary to help catch a fish.

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　　The penultimate scene takes place in 1941, and the Corleone family is preparing a surprise birthday party for Vito. Sonny introduces Carlo Rizzi, Connie&aposs future husband and betrayer of Sonny, to his family. They all talk about the recent attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, and Michael shocks everybody by announcing that he has just enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Sonny ridicules Michael&aposs choice, and Tom Hagen mentions how his father has great expectations for Michael. Fredo is the only one who supports his brother&aposs decision. Sal Tessio comes in with the cake for the party, and when Vito arrives, all but Michael leave to greet him.

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　　The final scene in the film is Michael sitting by himself at Lake Tahoe, in silent contemplation.

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　　在西西里，少年時代的維托為報父仇，襲擊了當(dāng)?shù)睾谑贮h首領(lǐng)唐?喬奇。在母親的掩護(hù)下，維托得以逃脫，并來到了美國。這已經(jīng)是1901年的事了，第二代教父回憶起父親的青年時代，不由得深深感到了創(chuàng)業(yè)的艱辛。

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　　邁克和妻子凱為兒子托尼舉行了圣餐儀式和慶?；顒印５驮诋?dāng)夜，邁克遭到了襲擊，凱受了傷。面對接管家族后所遇到的種種困難，邁克又回憶起了父親唐?維托到美國后的“奮斗”歷程。

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　　邁克爾一步步進(jìn)行著復(fù)仇。同時他也在不斷拓展家族的勢力。通過與吉爾參議員勾心斗角的明爭暗斗，邁克爾終于又控制住了一家大飯店，并開展了賭博生意。就在邁克爾擴(kuò)大家族的勢力時，一名叫羅斯的黑道人物又闖了進(jìn)來，企圖占領(lǐng)邁克爾的地盤。雙方在暗地里展開了較量。邁克爾不滿足于在國內(nèi)已有的勢力，他的手又伸到了古巴。然而革命的爆發(fā)卻使他的計劃受到了嚴(yán)重的挫折。

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　　羅斯收買了邁克爾的哥哥弗雷多為他提供情報，企圖暗殺邁克爾。但邁克爾也已對羅斯采取了暗殺行動。邁克爾含淚處置了弗雷多，卻不禁回憶起當(dāng)年父子兄弟間其樂融融的情景。邁克爾的不法行為終究為他招來了麻煩。政府展開了對他的調(diào)查。邁克爾受到了一系列的指控。然而借助權(quán)術(shù)，邁克爾又一次轉(zhuǎn)危為安，逃脫了法律的制裁。 (弗雷多是在電影的結(jié)尾才被處決的)

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　　邁克爾成功地對付了政府的調(diào)查，但他的妻子凱卻再也受不了這種充滿了暴力、暗殺和罪惡的生活。她去做了人工流產(chǎn)，含淚離開了邁克爾。親人的離去和兄長的背叛使邁克爾深受打擊。金錢和權(quán)勢并未給邁克爾帶來幸福。他孤獨地坐在湖邊的住宅外，茫然地望著遠(yuǎn)方……