Look How They Massacred My Boy: The 10 Saddest Scenes In The Godfather Trilogy
The Godfather trilogy may be known for being a violent gangland tale, but it also has its fair share of tragic moments.
In the last five decades since its release, The Godfather has been used as an example of perfection in cinema. This series has brought aspects of all kinds in its storytelling, whether it has to do with emotional depth, gangster tropes, and heartbreaking moments.
Much of the sad scenes have to do with the topic of death, but The Godfather never limited itself just to this. There are many other occasions where interactions between characters are such that you have to feel for them due to the air of relatability. That said, it’s worth checking the saddest of the bunch across the whole trilogy.
Mary’s death is so fitting in the matter of poetic justice that it also lands in the list of best kills. The scene is filled with a sense of melancholy right from the start, as it counts down the final minutes in The Godfather series as a whole.
What truly makes this so saddening is watching Michael react to his daughter’s death. After having been so numb with his emotions for decades, Michael lets out an Earth-shattering scream as all of his pent up grief and trauma is let out while he can do nothing but see his daughter die in front of him.
Appolonia’s death was sad in itself, with her getting blown up in a car that was meant to kill Michael as well. However, a tearjerker of a scene arrives much later in Part III. Here, Michael found himself thinking of his long-deceased wife while listening to his son’s musical performance.
Michael couldn’t control his emotions, as tears started rolling down his eyes. His son’s voice reminded him of the time he fell in love at first sight, and was simultaneously flooded with the realization that he’d become so ruthless because his wife’s death had killed a part of him as well.
In a trilogy filled with amazing dialogue and quotes, Michael claiming that Fredo “broke (his) heart” has become one of the best in the entire trilogy. Still, that scene was scarier than anything else. What was sad was watching Michael cut Fredo from his life, with Fredo realizing just how helpless and alone he’s become. This doesn’t just mean Fredo’s luxurious lifestyle is over, but that he’s fair game for anyone and everyone in the underworld — including the Corleones.
This was the first time Fredo found his voice and told Michael how he felt he’d been stepped over. And yet, Michael coldly dismissed his own brother by verbally lashing into him. After seeing these characters talk so much about family, it’s hard to see brothers become estranged to such a degree.
Fans love to know about the behind-the-scenes facts from the films, with one concerning oranges as these were always present someone either got killed or was close to death. Vito’s shooting featured them as well, although the viewer is more inclined to notice Fredo.
As soon as he saw his father lying bloody and near death, Fredo broke down in tears. It signified what a helpless man he truly was, to the point where you just feel bad for him. Seeing Don Vito in such a situation also adds to the heaviness of the scene.
His descent into becoming cold and ruthless made the formerly relatable Michael the scariest character in the series. Without a doubt, his most devilish act was having Fredo killed in Part II, which is something that ended up haunting him for the rest of his life.
This scene in Part III had Michael appeal to Cardinal Lamberto and confessing his guilt of Fredo’s death. Michael finally seems just as small as he’d been making others feel for years, breaking down and hoping against hope to be redeemed. Despite all the bad he’d done, it’s hard not to feel bad for how broken Michael is here.
