There were several reasons. One, he went against the family (even after being warned in the first movie). Of all the transgressions you could commit, this is the top and utmost THING YOU DO NOT DO! Because of its seriousness, death was the only punishment that could be employed. Second, to show he was a strong leader who was willing to enforce the “code” at any cost, Michael had to make an example of Fredo even though he was his brother. Finally, as long as Fredo was alive, there would always be the possibility he attempt another “coup” or perhaps even go the the Feds. Granted, that didn’t seem likely at the end of Godfather II but why take that chance?
I expect so. Michael wouldn’t kill Fredo while their mother was still alive. But if you watch carefully, it’s at their mother’s wake when Michael gives Al Neri the order to kill Fredo. So he’d obviously had it in mind for a while.
All the reasons NDP gave are good ones. To me, though, killing Fredo (and Roth to an extent) are examples of just how paranoid Michael had got by the end of the film, and just how low he’d sunk. Michael had won, neither of them were a threat, and it was all a matter of pride and punishment than any actual necessity.
How was Fredo not a threat? He already had been involved in one assassination attempt against Michael, resented Michael for his position in the family (the whole “I’m smart and I want respect!”) outburst, and was impulsive and foolish enough to be unpredictable.
Just in case the news didn’t get out of NY City.
Al Neri (Richard Bright) was killed back in February.
Vito was absolutely serious when he made his vow. “I will not be the one to break the peace” and “I will not seek vengeance”. In the Old Testament King David did exactly the same thing- he swore before God he would never seek vengeance for the death of his son Absalom, and he didn’t. He ordered his son Solomon to do it when he was dead. Vito did the same thing with Michael, but the other Dons had known him for many years and knew he was a man of his word and while he lived there would be peace.
Tessio did not know about Vito’s advice to Michael. Vito’s brilliance was being able to put himself into his enemy’s minds and know exactly how they would work; he knew before Tessio knew that either Tess or Clemenza would be approached to betray Michael and that one of them would do it. Tessio did not realize how well Michael had been coached. Besides which, Tessio was between a petro and a hardplace- if he hadn’t betrayed Michael he would have lost everything [including probably his life] to Barzini, plus by this time he hated Michael for not letting them fight back when Barzini was pissing all over his and Clemenza’s territories.
Re: the above- Vito gets furious at Santino because he lets the Turk know what he’s thinking. Vito is the ultimate poker face- when he’s looking at you there’s no way to know if he’s about to come hug you or kill you or just fuhgeddaboutit.
QUESTION ABOUT FANUCCI: Why did Fanucci let Vito get away with giving him the $100? I’ve never understood that- it was utter disrespect, but he actually laughed.
I know from the deleted scenes that Fanucci was not as tough as his reputation (as when Vito saw him get his throat cut by punks with nobody coming to his aid). Also, a truly powerful man would not have been that easy to kill. But even so I’m surprised he let Vito get by with it. (Incidentally, I got the distinct feeling watching that scene that it was not the first time Vito had killed- he was so cool about it; of course he’d seen his family die, but even so.)
My understanding is that in the missing years (I’ve read the first novel but it’s been a long time) it mentions an assassination attempt on Vito. Mama C. mentions it in one of the deleted scenes (or somebody does, that “it’s not the first time” and she calmly asks 'Santino! Did they kill him?"). Brando intentionally played the voice as somebody who has had a serious throat injury, but I’m not sure if this was because of the script or something he himself devised for the character. Either way, it worked.
Like you said, Fanucci was not really as tough as everyone thought. He was skating by on his reputation.
The reason he laughed was I think he admired the guts of Vito to pull such a stunt. It takes some chutzpah to basically slap someone of Fanucci’s supposed power in the face. I don’t recall correctly, but I think Fanucci said that Vito reminded him of himself when he was younger or something like that. It’s kind of like saying “Hey look at this kid here, he’s got some stones don’t he? I used to be like that.” And you laugh.
This is one of the all-time best movie scenes-its like the end of “Bonnie and Clyde”. I’v often wonderd how hard it would be to actually set up such a hit. You would have to watch Sonny and phone ahead (so as to get the tollbooth guard out), and have the car full of Hoods ready. It would be very difficult-and it leads me to believe that the traitor in the family was active on this one. Carlo had to have been in on it-he waited until Connie was ready to kill him, and then challenges her to call her brother.
Again, Tom Hagen seems to have not figured this thing out.
If Hyman Roth really wanted to sucker Michael, he would have intructed Moe Green to sell out to the Corleone family. Of course, Michael makes an “offer hecannot reuse”. That murder scene was gruesome-although Moe should have taken the hint. The real-life Moe Green (Busgy Siegel)-why was he killed?
He owed the Mob for all the cash he borrowed to build up Las Vegas. He didn’t pay up in time. Bam!
Incidentally he was shot through the eye. Now that sounds familar.
Tom wasn’t a wartime consigliori.
In addition to JPen’s explanation, Vito had also told the other two to tell Fanucci that they would pay him in full. So Fanucci figured that Vito already had their money, and not only had the cojones to defy Fanucci, but he was not above pocketing his friends’ money as well. Therefore, a person who could be used in other capacities.