MICHAEL CORLEONE

'Michael Francis Corleone' is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novels, ''The Godfather'' and ''The Sicilian''. He is also the main character of the film trilogy that was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, in which he was portrayed by Al Pacino. Corleone, as portrayed by Pacino, was recognized as the 11th most iconic villain in film history by the American Film Institute^[1].

Contents

Family

The Godfather (Part I)

Parallel story: The Sicilian (novel only)

The Godfather Part II

The Godfather Part III

Sequel novels

Family Members

References

Family

Michael is the youngest son of Don Vito Corleone (played by Marlon Brando in ''The Godfather'' and Robert DeNiro in ''The Godfather Part II''). He becomes the new Don of the Corleone crime family towards the end of ''Part I'', when his father retires.

The Godfather (Part I)

Michael Corleone's ascension to the head of the Corleone crime family is portrayed in Puzo's novel and the first film.
Michael initially wants nothing to do with the Corleone's "family business," and enrolls at Dartmouth College in order to escape it. After the United States' entry into World War II, he enlists in the Marines and fights in the Pacific Theatre. For his bravery, Michael is featured in ''Life'' magazine in 1944. Michael is discharged as a Captain to recover from wounds in 1945. He later re-enters Dartmouth, where he meets his future wife, Kay Adams (Diane Keaton).
When his father is nearly assassinated in 1945, he volunteers to murder the men responsible, Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo (Al Lettieri) and Captain McCluskey (Sterling Hayden), a police captain who was acting as Sollozzo's bodyguard. After committing the murders, Michael flees to Sicily under the protection of Don Tommasino and stays in hiding for two years. While in Sicily, he marries a young woman named Apollonia (Simonetta Stefanelli), but she is killed by a car bomb intended for Michael.
While in Sicily, he learns that his older brother Sonny (James Caan) had been murdered, and he returns to New York in 1950. There, he reluctantly becomes involved in his family's criminal enterprises, taking over for his deceased brother as head of the family under Vito's supervision. He marries Kay a year later. Michael tries to buy out casino owner Moe Greene's stake in the casino, intending to move his family to Nevada. After his father's death in 1955, he becomes official Don of the Corleone crime family. Before his death, Vito had warned Michael that after he was gone, the head of the rival Barzini family would make an attempt on his life under the pretense of organizing a meeting in order to make peace between the two families. After his father's ''caporegime'', Sal Tessio (Abe Vigoda), inadvertently reveals that he had conspired with Emilio Barzini against him, Michael arranges the murders of the leaders of the New York Mafia's other ruling families: Dons Emilio Barzini, Philip Tattaglia, Carmine Cuneo, and Victor Stracci. Also targeted are Greene, Tessio, and Carlo Rizzi (Gianni Russo), his brother-in-law, who beat his sister Connie (Talia Shire) and sold out Sonny.

Parallel story: The Sicilian (novel only)

During his two-year exile in Sicily, Michael is eager to return home to his family in New York, but is told by his father to escort Turi Giuliano safely back to America with him. As he learns more about the reputation and exploits of the legendary Giuliano, Michael becomes extremely intrigued to meet him, but due to Giuliano's later death, is unable to do so, much to his distress.

The Godfather Part II

By the time of ''The Godfather Part II'', Michael has tried to remove all criminal ties to his family, and made Peter Clemenza (Richard S. Castellano) head of the Corleone family in New York. His efforts at redeeming the Family are largely unsuccessful, however, as his many enemies keep him involved in the crime underworld. He begins to work out a deal with business partner and rival Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg) over control of casino operations, but Roth manipulates Michael's brother Fredo (John Cazale) into unwittingly providing him with information used to arrange an attempt on Michael's life.
Michael and Roth travel to Cuba under Fulgencio Batista in order to forge a partnership with the Cuban government, allowing them to be free to conduct their operations in Cuba without interference from the authorities. In the midst of the chaos of the revolution of 1959, Michael discovers that Fredo had betrayed him.
Back in the US, Kay reveals she had aborted Michael's child because she does not want to bring another son of his into the world. Michael divorces Kay and severs ties with her, forbidding her to take care of the children.
Following the death of their mother, Michael orders Fredo's murder to be carried out, an act he would regret for the rest of his life and eventually - in Godfather III - confess to a priest who would become Pope John Paul I.

The Godfather Part III

By the time of ''The Godfather Part III'' (the late 1970s) Michael has taken great steps to making the family legitimate; he is preparing to hand over his interests in gambling to the other Mafia families, setting up a charitable foundation, and is even being recognized by the Vatican for his good works. This new connection to the Church gives Michael the opportunity to purchase a controlling stake in the large property conglomerate, Immobiliare. He also begins to rekindle his relationship with Kay, as well as taking Sonny's illegitimate son, Vincent "Vinnie" Mancini-Corleone (Andy Garcia), under his wing. He finds himself pulled back into the underworld, however, when almost the entire Mafia Commission is wiped out by an assassin as Michael prepares to hand over his criminal interests. Vinnie responds to this new threat against the Family with brutal violence, publicly gunning down Michael's rival, Joey Zasa (Joe Mantegna), who was thought to have ordered the hit on Michael. Vinnie also begins a relationship with Michael's daughter, Mary (Sofia Coppola), a romance Michael strongly disapproves of.
At the end of the film, weary of the bloody, lonely life of a Don, he retires and makes his nephew the new head of the family, on condition that he end the relationship with Mary. Realising that powerful interests in Italian politics and business were working to prevent the family's takeover of Immobiliare, Michael, with Vinnie's assistance, once again prepares to move against his enemies. This wave of murders takes place as Michael watches his son Anthony perform in the opera ''Cavalleria Rusticana''. That same night, however, Mary is inadvertently killed in an assassination attempt on her father. Devastated by this loss, Michael retires to Sicily, where he dies years later (1997) of a stroke, alone.

Sequel novels

Michael returns in Mark Winegardner's sequel novels ''The Godfather Returns'' and ''The Godfather's Revenge''.

Family Members

★ Vito Corleone — Father; played by Marlon Brando in ''The Godfather'', and by Robert De Niro in ''Part II''

★ Carmela Corleone — Mother; played by Morgana King in ''The Godfather'' and ''Part II'', and by Francesca de Sapio in ''Part II''

★ Tom Hagen — Adopted brother & Consigliere; played by Robert Duvall

★ Santino 'Sonny' Corleone — Eldest brother, Underboss to Vito; played by James Caan in ''The Godfather'' and ''Part II'', and by Roman Coppola in ''Part II''

★ Costanza 'Connie' Corleone-Rizzi — Sister; played by Talia Shire

★ Fredo Corleone — Elder brother, Underboss to Michael; played by John Cazale

★ Apollonia Vitelli-Corleone — First Wife, played by Simonetta Stefanelli

★ Kay Adams — Second Wife; played by Diane Keaton

★ Anthony Corleone — Son; played by Anthony Gounaris in ''The Godfather'', by James Gounaris in ''Part II'', and by Franc D'Ambrosio in ''Part III''

★ Mary Corleone — Daughter; played by an uncredited actress in ''Part II'', and by Sofia Coppola in ''Part III''.

★ Vincent "Vinnie" Mancini-Corleone — Nephew and succeeding Don; played by Andy Garcia.

★ Andrew Hagen — Adopted nephew, son of Tom Hagen; played by uncredited actors in ''The Godfather'' and ''Part II'', and by John Savage in ''Part III''

★ Michael Rizzi — Nephew, son of Connie; played by Sofia Coppola in ''The Godfather''

References

1. AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains