QWhy did Roth betray Michael?
AThere are several possible reasons. Though not explicitly stated, it is implied that Roth wanted revenge for the death of Moe Greene (Alex Rocco), a friend of his who was assassinated on Michael's orders in the previous film. He is visibly angry with Michael when they are discussing Greene. A second reason might be that Michael is getting too much power and influence at the expense of other powerful mobsters, including Roth himself, so they try to kill him. When that fails, Roth tries to cripple Michael's business through Pentangeli's testimony at the senate hearing. Lastly, Michael is reluctant to invest in Roth's Cuban business, whereas Fredo seems much more interested. Just as in the first film, killing the Don or otherwise removing him from his seat of power, will make his next in line Don -- in this case, Fredo -- who seems much more inclined to continue business with Roth and who can be easily controlled and manipulated.
QWhy did Vito secure a deal with Fanucci if he already had the intention to kill him?
AProbably just to see if he could. Vito eventually turns out as the head of his own crime organization, because he is the one to realizes that power cannot only be based on violence alone; it depends as much on persuasion, gaining respect and loyalty. He knew that Fanucci's (Gastone Moschin) reign was primarily based on bluffs and intimidation, rather than a large, strong organisation backing him (there was even a deleted scene showing Fanucci getting attacked and wounded by a group of street kids, which showed how weak Fanucci actually was). Killing Fanucci would solve most of his problems, but it would be the easy way out. Vito wants to see if he can bargain with Fanucci, and persuade him to cut down on his demands. In other words: he does not simply want to give in to Fanucci's intimidation tactics, but prove that he dares to stand up to him from a vulnerable position. The tactic works, as Fanucci respects Vito's candor and boldness. It also has the advantage of giving Fanucci a false sense of security, making it easier to catch the Don off guard for the assassination. In case there would have been a police investigation, Vito could easily claim (and the people present in the restaurant could be witnesses) that he and Fanucci had a truce and, therefore, had no motive to kill him. Since the murder was committed during the fireworks ceremony and Vito had properly disposed of the gun, there would be no way that he would have been caught.
AThe movie ends in a montage that shows the sequence of events following Mama Corleone's funeral. (1) Roth returns from Israel and is taken into custody by the police. Rocco Lampone (Tom Rosqui) shoots Roth dead. In turn, Rocco is shot dead by the police while trying to escape. (2) Frank Pentangeli is found dead in his bathtub, having slit his wrists. (3) Neri, Fredo, and Anthony are about to go fishing when Michael calls Anthony back, leaving Neri and Fredo to go out alone. As Fredo says a 'Hail Mary,' Neri shoots him in the head when he gets to the part about 'pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of death.' The final montage has Michael reflecting back to 1941 as the four Corleone children plus Hagen are planning a birthday party for their father. Sonny (James Caan) introduces Connie (Talia Shire) to her future husband Carlo Rizzi (Gianni Russo). Michael announces that, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he has joined the Marines, shocking everyone, especially after the strings Vito had to pull to get him a draft deferment. Vito then arrives and everyone except Michael rushes off to greet him. In the final scene, Michael sits alone in the family garden at Lake Tahoe.
Share this