10 Most Shocking Betrayals In Movie History

5. Fredo Corleone - The Godfather: Part II

Fredo Corleone: I'm your older brother, Mike, and I was stepped over! Michael Corleone: That's the way Pop wanted it. Fredo Corleone: It ain't the way I wanted it! I can handle things! I'm smart! Not like everybody says ... like dumb ... I'm smart and I want respect!

As the second son of Vito Corleone and elder brother of Don Michael Corleone, Fredo feels understandably sidelined within the family business and is treated as the most weak and unintelligent of the Corleone brothers. It's these feelings of inadequacy that drive Fredo to go against the family by trying to arrange a deal with an agent of rival mobster, Hyman Roth, the details of which are scarcely mentioned in the film.

What we do know is that as a result of Fredo's betrayal, Roth's men are able to make an assassination attempt on Michael's life at his family home. While Fredo was acting out of jealousy and ignorance, the severity of his treachery is such that Michael eventually decides that he should be assassinated.

After all, betrayal is taken very seriously within the Mafia, and when it's coming from your own brother, innocent and stupid as he may be, it's considerably worse.