Originally posted by goombah:
They answered this in the movie when Tom said, "Roth played this one beautifully." Roth engineered the attempted hit on Frank Pentangelli, but made it look like it was Michael. Remember, in an earlier meeting, Michael asked Roth for permission to kill Pentangelli. So Roth instructed the button men to say "Michael Corleone says hello" when they attempted to kill Frankie. Even though the attempt to kill was unsuccessful, Roth fooled Frankie into thinking that Michael tried to have him killed. This triggered Frankie testifying against Michael to the Senate Committee.
This totally makes sense! It coincides with the plot and the dialog. Frankie is worth more alive and angry with the Corleones than dead because of a disagree with small street crimes with the Rosatos. Roth was after Michael, not Frankie. The Rosatos cannot do anything without Roth's appoval.
This is the same point I have made a few months earlier, so natually I am going to agree with you. Its a lot easier for me to believe that improptu lines flows with the plot than not. Actually, I think its ridiculous to ignore lines just because these lines do not coincide with a plot theory, or reading outside information in attempt to understand a scene. Its all there on screen.
