Originally posted by Don Cardi:
He knew that a man's uncontrolled sexual desires were a weakness that one's enemies could eventually use against him and cause downfall... That is exactly how he broke Senator Geary,
Michael was too smart to ever put himslef in a position of vulnerablility by playing around with woman and cheating on his wife. He would give anyone the opportunity to use it against him, the way that he used it against Geary.
Now that is a very good point. Sicilian Babe said something like that in a long ago post about Michael's maintaining control and discipline. I remember the clever sentence she used: "Michael would not be caught with his pants down, figuratively or literally."
Because of your post, Don Cardi, I have to partially let go of my cherished belief that Michael never had affairs, casual or otherwise, because of love and fidelity. Now it turns out that it isn't ALL due to that. It was a fixture of his disciplined personality. He had an ulterior motive: to focus on the business at hand and maintain control.
But I don't think it displaces the importance of faithfulness or of being a soulmate to Michael. It's part and parcel of family, to which he seems to attach so much importance. I think of young Vito in the theatre with Genco. When Genco comments on the beauty of the girl in the play, Vito replies that for him, there is only his wife; and this was before Vito had any reputation as a mafia bigwig. Maybe (or so I like to think) some of this attitude rubbed off on Michael.
Then, in GF2, there is the scene where Michael checks on Anthony during the night. On that basis of their interaction, I think he aspired to be a family man like Vito. If Michael weren't rushing off to do business here and there and if he weren't so enmeshed in the criminal life, I think he had the potential to be a very good father (and husband). You can see his shortcomings (in terms of his absences, etc.) begin to trouble him when he returns home from Cuba and ponders the little red car sitting in the yard.
You also wrote that
"Michael was very business oriented. And being the focussed person that he was, who put business before pleasure..." I see he didn't choose "
business instead of pleasure."
And I mention that because I think that a wealthy, powerful man in his position could have anything he wanted: If he wanted a mistress, he would have one. He would have it arranged so he would be in control: where she would be ensconced, when they would meet, etc. Heck, he would probably have his men check the perimeter of the house (or wherever) for spies and sweep every room for recording devices. It would be safer than meeting up with strangers in various hotels.
But we don't see any evidence of a mistress in the movie, so I'm going to guess that Michael, as well as being a controlled and guarded man, was also a faithful one. If Michael were still married to Apollonia, I can see him remaining faithful to her very easily. I think that's just the way he is.
