Those who’ve watched “The Godfather” and its awesome follow up “The Godfather II” inevitably draw comparisons between the old Vito and the new Michael Corleone. Who was the better Don? Everyone seems to agree that Michael was a more successful Don in terms of money and power. But was he a better one? Let’s look at some differences.
Vito was Personal while Michael was Business
The classic opening scene of The Godfather starts with the undertaker asking the Godfather to mete out justice for his daughter and Don agrees only on the condition that the undertaker accepts him as his friend. He doesn’t ask for payment – in fact he takes offence at the talk of money. He says that one day (and that day may never come,) the Don may ask him for a favor. That’s it. An undertaker. Not a man with power or assets. What service could an undertake render the Don? But Vito doesn’t care. He’s not interested in money.
Similarly on his daughter’s wedding, the Don painstakingly grants personal favors to various people in friendship.
Michael on the other hand has no friends. He couldn’t care less about an undertaker’s daughter and no undertaker would ever come to him asking for help. Instead in the opening scene of part II, there is a ceremony like the first part with Michael taking care of “business.” But his business is about high powered deals with Senators and expanding his business interests in the state. To me, nothing illustrates the difference between the two Dons than the first 20 minutes of each movie.
Vito had friends. Michael only had enemies
In the first part, when Vito was in the hospital after the assassination attempt, the baker’s son dropped by with some flowers. This in itself is amazing. You can be sure that if Michael was in hospital in part II, not a single real friend would have come to see him. Furthermore, on learning that Vito’s life was again in danger, the baker’s son offers to stay and help saying “For your father.” This is a don whom people love and respect. Not one who is obeyed out of fear.
Vito built a family. Michael lost his
Vito’s was a death which everyone desires to have. He lived to a nice old age, and died amongst his tomato plants while chasing his grandson around. His family was with him and he wasn’t bitter despite having lost his eldest son. He had his loving wife, his children, and adopted son.
Michael on the other hand loses his entire family despite seeming to try harder. He regularly asks his wife if she feels her son will be a boy, and shows an obsessive interest in continuing his family line. He could never adopt a son like Vito had merely out of the goodness of his heart. He drives his wife away by lying to her and not giving a shit about how she feels, has his own brother murdered, and the rest of his siblings hate him. He also tried to alienate Tom – the only person who really stood by him all through.
So though Michael’s tenure as Don was marked by a great expansion in business – both geographically and monetarily, he was never a real success. He dies alone and abandoned. We’re reminded of the words “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Ill say Vito is the best, but I love Pacino :p
The one who really I think gave a big impact to the family is Clemenza. He cooks, he knows the toys, and the flashbacks that was portrayed in GodfatherII how he and Vito started everything together from nothing was just amazing.
Vito was a friend, while Michael is a business man. But on the other hand I also love how cruel and how heartless Michael became after he became the Godfather. !
in my opinion vito had an better life than micheal
By far Vito. He started the Corleone family and accomplished much more, where as Michael just inherited the the power really. He was smarter than Michael and the scene in part II where he kills Ciccio is a classic. In part II Michael is falling and is no longer a strong man, Vito only became weak when he got shot. Vito was also more of a family man, where as Michael shut out his wife and ordered to have his brother and brother in law killed.
your missing the fact that Michael Corleone volunteered for Marine Corps and won medals so even though he became heartless after becoming the godfather he was once a good guy and did help in world war 2 even though his father Vito Corleone didn’t want him to
In reply to G
That was the beginning of his downfall. Vito wanted Micheal to become a Senator, Governor, etc and Vito had started working on it. Michael fled away from that. You can see at the end of Part II, Michael remembers this event.
i think vito corleone was more wiser and smart . He gained many things in his life and stayed at top
On the other hand michael lost everything and then stayed at top , so thats sad and that i think is because of his bad decision making
His family was with him and he wasn’t mad regardless of having lost his eldest child. He had his adoring wife, his youngsters, and embraced child. Michael then again loses his whole family notwithstanding appearing to invest more energy. My opinion is he frequently inquires as to whether she feels her child will be a kid, and demonstrates a fanatical enthusiasm for proceeding with his family line. He could never receive a child like Vito had simply out of the integrity of his heart. truth be told he takes offense at the discussion of cash. He says that one day (and that day might never come,) the Don might approach him for some help.
While its incredibly easy to shit on Michael for his spiritual downfall and the fracturing of the family at his hands, I think that one must look at the immense weight placed on Michaels shoulders by his fathers legacy. We must remember that in part one Michael was hesitant, even reluctant to enter the family business in the first place. He and Fredo could be considered the least outspoken of the siblings and had it not been for Sonny’s death, Michael may have never taken up the mantle. It was in my opinion, the expectation of greatness being passed down from Vito to Michael that he simply could not achieve. In his manic frenzy to be as great as his father, Michael became even better in terms of expanding the business, but it was the pressure to succeed that inevitably made him fail as a true leader, distinguishing from his father, who was more of a pillar of the community than a CEO.
Vito created his empire from scratch. Michael inherited it.
So Vito was not only the better Don but also the more successful one. How can anyone say different?
Vito has wit. And SOUL.
Can’t beat that.
As an Italian i would like you to look at these aspects as well:
•In the opening scene of the Godfather I, Vito was obeying the Sicilian law of respect, where a father of a respected family can not refuse a request from a friend.
•For the mafia, family is everything. Michael had a week link that was his wife. With Apollonia, Michael would have never had the cultural clash and stress he had with Kay. Kay thought she had married a Michael she met before the shooting of Don Vito.
These two points should be considered carefully. Because the only reason Michael failed to create his own family is Kay.
In reply to Alexander
I totally agree apollonia knew the laws she would never have questioned michael’s decisions and i don’t think the family accepted kay but whose going to challenge the don