Hey there fellow GF lovers...

One question posed to you for debate -- do you think in GFII that Fredo knew that Neri was going to kill him in the end?

I ask this because Fredo and Michael embraced at Mama Corleone's funeral and we (the audience) know Michael gave the look of death to Neri over Fredo's shoulder but Fredo didn't see that. Fredo actually thought Michael forgave him. Especially in the following weeks Fredo is living at the house and taking Anthony fishing a few times.

Then that last time that Fredo and Anthony plan to go fishing at the end -- when Connie calls out for Anthony as he and Fredo are getting ready to get in the boat -- she says Michael is taking him to Reno -- I think Fredo says "sh*t"

But do you think he knew? He didn't try and put up any plea for mercy or run away?

What do you think?

I dont think so, keeping in mind that Fredo was basically dimwitted, and not much of a thinker.

Welcome, Starchild, we hope to see many good posts by you.
You'll find that many basic questions or ideas have been discussed extensively before--including the one you posted. If you use the "search" functon, you can usually find previous discussions. Here's a link to a discussion of this topic last year:

http://www.gangsterbb.net/threads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=29051&page=0&fpart=1

Starchild, there's nothing wrong with asking a question that's been asked before--we often get new insights. But by searching, you might benefit from previous insights and ideas.

Thanks Turnbull for the tip. Forgive the newbie mistake...
That is an interesting thread. I have always wondered this and it has bothered me.

Welcome to the boards Starchild.


I've never believd that Fredo knew. When he realized that Michael found out what he had done, while they were in Cuba, Fredo probably ran from Michael more out of embarressment than out of fear. Yes, Fredo was definitley afraid for his life, but I think that he was more ashamed for what he did.

After Michael tells him "Your nothing too me now," it probably crushed him to no end. But when Michael went and hugged him at his mother's funeral, it gave Fredo the idea that Mike was finally forgiving him and that now everything would be the way that it once was between the brothers. I really believe that Fredo loved Mike and looked up to him. I believe that Fredo really thought that by getting involved with Ola and Roth that he was finally doing something good for the family, and that if it worked out, Mike would finally be proud of him. There is no doubt in my mind that Fredo lived with the guilt of not doing anything when his father was shot, and he therefore spent the rest of his life looking for his brother's approval in everything that he attempted to do. Here was Fredo, involved in his father's business, part of the Corleone business, who could not do a thing about his own father being shot by their enemies. And along comes Michael, the "all american" younger brother, who was not involved in the family business, who never wanted to be involved in the family business, now taking full control of the family business and avenging his father's death. Stepping all over his older Brother Fredo ( "I was stepped all over"). Don't you think that this ran through Fredo's mind? Don't you think that Fredo lived with this feeling of being useless and living in Mike's shadow for the rest of his life? Deep down fully knowing that he ( Fredo ) was not ever and would never be capable of doing things like his "kid" brother Michael was able to do? And now, a deal that sounds good comes along, one that could help the family, one that will finally show my brother that I am capable of doing something for this family, one that will make him proud of me, doing something on my own! That's how deep Fredo's love for Michael was! Fredo really loved Mike and in his twisted way thought that he would be helping Mike. And once Mike made him believe that he was forgiven, Fredo would never think that the brother that he loved so much and looked up to would ever have him killed! . Poor Fredo.

As much as I love the Michael Corleone character and Al Pacino as an Actor, I despise him in two scenes, the first being when he hugs Fredo and gives Neri "the look" and the second being when he is looking out over the lake after having Connie call Anthony back to the house, fully knowing that Neri would be assasinating his own brother. Cold Bastard! Two times that Pacino make's the viewer despise Michael. That's what makes Pacino such a great actor!

You don't despise him DC when he slaps Kay upside her head?