The ultra-dimwit Fredo is a creature of the films. In the novel, Fredo is described as loyal, a crutch to his father, the kind of son Italian mothers dream of...but "without that personal magnetism, that force" that would make him a leader of men. I've always felt that the film Fredo's faults and mistakes were too broadly drawn, too buffoonish, for credibility. But then again, his portrayal makes his betrayal of Michael--and especially the boathouse outburst, all the more impactful.


Ntra la porta tua lu sangu � sparsu,
E nun me mporta si ce muoru accisu...
E s'iddu muoru e vaju mparadisu
Si nun ce truovo a ttia, mancu ce trasu.