One interesting topic that I'd like to get opinions on is at the end of Godfather 1 when Kay and Michael are alone in the study. When Michael says, "arlight, this one time I'll let you ask me about my affairs" and Kay follows by saying "Is it true..."

Notice how when she says this, the camera then flashes back to Michael's face to almost show that he is thinking of what to say (or at least this is my interpretation, some of you may think that his face is still cold and emotionless and he does that on purpose to confirm to Kay that is isn't true) but I feel like in this scene he is thinking of what to say. I feel like at this moment he really does consider telling Kay the TRUTH, which would without a doubt alter thier relationship forever.

However, but when the camera then flashes back to Kay's face and she grimmaces and says "is it?" I think that at that point Michael decides to lie because he does not want hurt her hurt and crush her emotions (obviously for the rest of the relationship but also time in particular because they are making "the move to Nevada", which is difficult for Kay and the kids)

Do you guys agree with this? Do you think Michael made the decision on the spot by reading Kay's facial expressions? Or do you think that he was going to lie to her the whole time about Carlo's death?

No. His telling her that she can ask him about his business this one time to me is a clear indication that he intends to lie. He's setting things up to deceive her. When you think about it, is it realistic to believe that he is going to admit to ordering Carlo's et al murders?

It's possible. Don't forget Tom's trip to New Hampshire in the novel. He didn't pull any punches.

This leads me to the question: Was she blind?
I mean, she's asking him about whether it's true that he killed his brother in law. And his answer is: "Don't ask me about my business."
If he hadn't ordered the killing of Carlo, how cold must he have been to consider the death of Carlo "business".
Well, it took Neri to make her understand, just by closing the door.

Interesting.
There was no way that Michael was going to tell Kay the truth about what he had done and what he had become. He didn't want to lie to her or hurt her but she sort of forced the issue.

In the novel Michael speaks of the relationship between his parents and tells Kay something along the lines of (paraphrasing) "Maybe after you've been married to me for thirty years, I'll tell you some things you really don't want to hear anyway".

The women in the family know more than they let on. Kay just hadn't been around long enough at that time to know how to read between the lines. The character was also incredibly naive.

In the novel, Tom went up to New Hampshire to talk Kay into returning to Michael after she left him because she figured out he lied to her. The film did portray her as naive. It served as quite a contrast with her catharsis in II when she asks about Pentangeli, etc.

As Lilo says, Mike wasn't going to admit murder to Kay. What wuld be the percentage in it? Besides, By itself, it would be hearsay, but it could be used in a criminal prosecution.

Michael never intended to tell her the truth.
Was she blind? We've often discussed that point. I believe the consensus is that she wasn't so dense as to be unaware of what he was doing, but she had a blind faith in her ability to change him. At Anthony's party, when she and he are dancing, she pretty well summarizes her growing disbelief in him. Then, in the scene after the Tahoe shooting, when she's clutching Mary, note the look she gives Michael. If looks could kill...

Of course he never intended to tell her the truth. Michael was always lying to Kay about his busiess and how close he was to legitimacy just to get her off his back. Since the film did not go into the whole New Hampshire business, let alone Kay's conversion to Catholicsm (which BTW may have made certain partsof the plit of GFII impossible) , we are left with Kay fetching a drink and seeing Clemenza, Rocco and Neri come in and pay tribute to their new Don, and unceremoniously close the door in her face.

She was no idiot. She knew he killed Carlo, but chose to cover the moon with her hand, perhaps believing she could change him, or perhaps just staying in some state of denial the way wives of abusers and alcohlics do.