Spoilers · the ending
The Godfather Part II: the ending, explained
Francis Ford Coppola · 1974
This page gives the ending away. Not seen the film yet? Its spoiler-free guide is here.
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Spoilers · the ending
Francis Ford Coppola · 1974
This page gives the ending away. Not seen the film yet? Its spoiler-free guide is here.
What happens
Michael has Fredo killed on the lake after their mother dies, having already destroyed Roth and survived the Senate. He has won every fight, and the film shows what that left him: his wife, his brother and his family gone.
The last image
Michael sits alone and still, remembering the 1941 family dinner, when his brothers were still around him.
What it says
The film ends on Michael's victory so you can see its price. Protecting the family has cost him the people in it. The memory of that dinner is the standard he is measured against, and he cannot return to it.