In this scene cut from The Godfather Part II we see Sonny’s daughter Francesca and her partner Gardner visit Michael to seek his blessing for their engagement.

While the scene was reportedly cut because Francis Ford Coppola thought Michael smiled too much which didn’t fit with his overall cold demeanour for the rest of the film, we still get to see the calm persuasiveness of Michael. There are some great lines and moments here, further highlighting the brilliance of the Godfather movies. Even the scenes that were cut are still better than what makes it into most other movies.

Personal favourites are how Michael tells Gardner not to be ashamed of his family’s wealth and his “suggestion” that he study business administration as well as his fine arts degree. It’s all loaded with intent, barely concealed behind a veil of warmth.

Also of note is the moment when Fredo interrupts and is ushered out of the room, not required to be part of this “family matter”. It again highlights how he is the perennial outsider of the Corleone’s.

Let us also not forget the look on Kay’s face at the end as Francesca speaks so favourably of her uncle.

Perhaps most interesting here is how this scene contrasts to a similar moment when Connie and Merle appear before Michael demanding money so they can marry. These two scenes play out very differently, but having both in the movie may have still felt unnecessarily repetitive.

What do you think of this scene? Should it have been left in the final cut? Let us know below.

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