In truth, they were no different in the sense that both became gangsters and made their livings off of the backs and misfortunes of others. Both were cold blooded murderers.

But as far as personality, I have to agree with you both here. Although Michael was the son most like his father, he did not have his father's heart. Vito had a heart that consisted of compassion. Michael had a heart that consisted of coldness.

And the truth of the matter is that Vito could have easily been the one to grow up with a cold heart. As a boy he watched his whole family being murdered and saw his brother and his mother killed before his own eyes. That alone could have been excuse enough for Vito to grow up a cold son of a bitch. But he didn't. Yes he was ruthless when he needed to be, and killed when he had to, but he also had the ability to seperate his coldness in business from his blood family. Vito knew the value of the blood family. Vito cherished it and grew up embracing it because his family was taken away from him as a child. And instead of growing completely cold and ruthless even with his own family, he sincerely appreciated his wife, children and his extended family.

Michael on the other hand grew up in a loving family. He did not grow up without a mother, father or a brother. Yet when he eventually lost those he loved to the evils of the underworld, it made him cold and ruthless with both those he did business with and those in his own family. And I believe that Michael was spoiled. Rebelious in nature and yet, like his father, controlling. But the difference was that Vito was controlling in a way where the person that he was controlling would never realize it. They subconsciencely welcomed it.

Michael, on the other hand, was the type of personality that wanted the person that he was controlling to know that MICHAEL CORLEONE was in control. Vito gracefully controlled the strings. Michael controlled them with attitude.

Vito was about being reasonable. And although he demanding respect, he also gave it back at the same time.

Michael was about being reasonable, but only with what was reasonable to him. And while he demanded respect, he did not always give it.

Michael was about ego. Vito was not.

And we know, by his own self addmission, what Michael desired to have, but lacked that his father had : The ability to say no without offending the person that you were saying no to. Vito was able to do that. Michael was not.

Vito would never have killed his own brother. As a matter of fact he got revenge against those who killed his own brother.

Michael got revenge against his own brother and killed him.

Michael and Vito : Two different sides of the same coin.



Don Cardi