The Godfather Part II

1974.

#32 / #32

Winner of 6 Academy Awards.

THE GODFATHER PART II follows Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) roughly a decade after the events of the first film. Michael has consolidated the Corleone crime family and moved its headquarters to Nevada. After an attempt on his life, he maneuvers U.S. politics and international business while dealing with a traitor in his own family. The film also chronicles Don Vito Corleone's (Robert De Niro) childhood in Sicily and immigration to New York, where he quickly establishes himself as the godfather.

Eddie: This is the highest ranked sequel on the AFI list, and it easily deserves the honor. THE GODFATHER PART II is just as good as the first one, although this one is far, far darker than its predecessor. While the first film is a movie about family, this one is about power. Michael has made a Faustian bargain, selling his soul for the American dream. Al Pacino turns in the best performance of his career, and Robert De Niro brilliantly balances Brando's portrayal of the Don with his own take on the iconic role.

The performance that steals the show, though, is that of John Cazale, who reprises his role as Fredo Corleone. Cazale plays Fredo with honesty and vulnerability, making him the complete antithesis to his younger brother, Michael. If THE GODFATHER PART II were King Lear, then Cazale's Fredo is Cordelia. (Oops. Spoiler alert.)

Sarah: I don't like this movie as much as the first one. I mean, it is great, and Eddie is right about it, but to me the focus should always be on the family. (My Italian heritage is showing.) The family dynamic is what makes the movie great, and when these parts do come up, I am totally engaged. The rest just reminds me of things I wasn't allowed to ask about when I was younger, for fear of being hit by a wooden spoon.

Why You Should See It: "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners..." Bang.

The Deer Hunter

1978.

#79 / #53

Winner of 5 Academy Awards.

Four hometown friends undergo the horrors of war during their time in Vietnam, developing a macabre fascination with Russian roulette and a harrowing distance between themselves and their daily lives back home.

Eddie: We just finished this movie for the first time, and I'm still burdened by the weight of this film. The long takes and quiet soundtrack make the film seem eternally long, but don't get me wrong: it's still great. Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken turn in perhaps the best performances of their careers. There are few things to say about this movie besides it's incredibly heavy and deceptively simple.

If I could change one thing, though, I would've shortened the first act - a drawn-out wedding scene back home. I understand that it serves to contrast the four main characters' lives with their experiences in the war, but it's soooo long and torturous. The Viet Cong should have used the first hour of this movie on loop as torture, rather than a game of POW Russian roulette.

Sarah: Yes! That wedding scene was torturous. For the first thirty minutes of the film I was hating life and hating AFI for putting this on the list. But after that, the movie won me over. The situations are so overdramatized that now I think it was a bit ridiculous, but I didn't think that at the time. I was too busy holding my breath.

I also really admired the cinematography. There is a strong motif of reflections. We see characters reflected in lakes, in car windows, and sometimes the scene itself is a reflection, and then the camera pulls out to reveal we've been watching through a mirror. It's such a smart way to hint at the bigger themes in the movie. Good and evil and real-life vs. war life. Plus, spot the reflections makes a fun drinking game.

Why You Should See It: Any of the Russian roulette sequences. It's only a movie, but the stakes are so high, you can't help get caught up in the suspense.