Godfather Part II
Yelling at Pentangli
By Amir Faress • 12/25/19
Something just does not feel right about the scene where Michael meets with Pentangeli in New York after the failed attempt on his life. It might be because Michael starts off by yelling in what could be described as an accusatory tone of voice. The problem is that Michael, by all indications, does not believe Pentangeli was behind the attempt. He blames Roth. In fact, the purpose of this meeting is for Michael to elicit Pentangeli’s help in his move against Roth. The events that follow, furthermore, make it abundantly clear that Michael is sincere in his discussions with Pentangeli. So why does he start off by yelling? Even if he is harboring suspicions against Pentangeli (which he is not), yelling at him only undermines the purpose of his visit, which is to bring Pentangeli on board with his scheme.
My reading of the scene is that Michael is just venting his frustration, and he does not mean to accuse Pentangeli of anything. But yelling the way he does adds an unnecessary level of confusion to the scene, especially when viewed for the first time.