A chilling and unforgettable final shot, The Godfather II is all about Michael Corleone's (Al Pacino) ascent as the new Don of the Corleone crime family, and how this causes him to become a more ruthless human being. This culminates in one of the movie's final moments and an all-time shocker, as Michael has his own brother Fredo (John Cazale) murdered while out fishing on the lake. We then cut to a flashback sequence from 1941: it's Vito's birthday, and just as he knocks at the door, everyone but Michael gets up to greet him. The image of Michael alone at the table fades into an image of him as a young boy, waving from a train, before fading again into the iconic final shot, of Michael alone at his home, pensively looking into the distance, as both he and the audience get to reflect on how Michael has changed over the course of the movie, and how isolated he truly is now. The lighting, the framing and Pacino's solemn expression all add up to make for an extremely tense and thought-provoking concluding image. Did we miss any of your favourite closing shots of beloved movie characters? Let us know in the comments!
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
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