Wow TB, this is quite interesting.
1. He asks Tom, “Where’s my brother?” [emphasis added.] The last time we saw them together (after the Tahoe shooting), Michael was telling Tom he was his “brother,” and affirming his love and admiration. He could have said, “Where’s our brother?” or “Where’s Fredo?” I think this is FFC’s way of showing us that Tom’s back in the family-lawyer mode—no more brother-buddies because Michael no longer needs him to look after things while he’s gone.
Although I believe that the previous posts (concerning Michael's selfish nature) may be correct, I think the ultimate reasoning behind Michaels address of Fredo as "MY BROTHER" is he is being fecicious because of his obvious new-found unbrotherly feelings towards Fredo; not any resentment between he and Tom.
2. Tom doesn’t answer Michael’s question. Instead he tells Michael that Roth had a stroke, got out in a boat, is in a hospital in Miami, will recover; and that the bodyguard is dead.
--Why didn’t Tom answer Michael’s question about Fredo? Was he embarrassed for Fredo because he knew Fredo (another of his “brothers”) was the traitor? Trying to protect Fredo (and if so, why)? Afraid to admit that he didn’t know what happened to Fredo?
--How come Tom, who didn’t know that Pentangeli had survived the Rosato brothers’ attack, knows, within 48 hours, all about what happened to two guys in Cuba whose business with Michael was kept away from him?
-- I believe that Tom didn't answer his question because (and I may be mistaking, as I haven't revisited this scene) he is interrupted by Michael, thus being annoyed by Michael's rude behavior.
-- he knows this information maybe simply because we, as the audience, need to know what happened to them, at this point, and that's how FFC could get it in (although this is definately, a good question, because, if he's that "good" then he'd definately have to know about Pentangeli)
3. When Michael presses, Tom says, “Uh, I think he got out. He must be somewhere in New York.”
--How did Tom know he got out, and was in New York? Guessing (probably)? Or did Fredo contact Tom (Michael implies this when he tells Tom to “get in touch with Fredo…tell him everything’s all right…”).
Good question... could it be from the same mystery source where he got the information about Roth???
3. Does all of this suggest that there was more to Tom’s relationship with Fredo than meets our eyes when we watch GFII?
--If so, was it part of Michael’s resentment toward Tom that led to the coldness between the two in that scene, and Michael’s viciousness toward Tom in the penultimate scene?
Your thoughts?
yes... I believe so. It has always seemed, to me, that Tom has a soft spot for Fredo and thinks he get's a "bad rap" (as do I to some extent, as most people who are familiar with me, on here know). It seems as though there is always tension between Tom and Mike, on the other hand.
