i am confused as to why pentanglia changed his mind to not rat out mike corleone

was it because he thought the corleones would kill his brother or was it because he was embarrassed to rat people out in front of his brother?>

Welcome, Danpit!
The upfront reason that Frankie changed his mind is that his brother's presence at the Senate hearing shamed him into remembering his vow of omerta. Many on these boards believe that his brother's presence also represented a threat: if Frankie squealed, his brother might be harmed. Some here have seen earlier script treatments that suggest that Frankie had family in Sicily that his brother was taking care of, and that they'd be endangered if he went ahead with his testimony.

I believe that seeing the brother there made him not rat out mike to save his honor and not be a rat, and then later with Tom he got the big picture and then decided to kill himself off in the tub then.

To add to what Turnbull correctly said, It was an old Italian thing back in the old country. Had Frankie ratted on Michael and gone through with his testimony, his brother and his family would have been disgraced for the rest of their lives in Italy. It was a matter of honor for his brother and his family. And as Turnbull said, if Frankie followed through with his testimony, his brother or his family may have even been harmed by the people of the town because of the disgrace of a family member breaking the rule of Omerta.


Don Cardi

thank you all for your responses,

i am new here and i am very greatful i have a place to discuss these things, i am a huge GF fan

I believe just seeing his brother, considering his brother was a well respected man of honor in Sicily, that it put back into Pentangelli's head all thoughts of honor and loyalty and of course the creed of Omerta of the old days, and stool pigeons are the lowest kind of life in Sicily so I think he changed his mind real quick when he say him.

I have to agree that it was an honor thing. This is cemented when Tom Hagen says to Vincenzo that the family's honor is intact.

Who would want the shame of turning up in court ready to testify/turn rat & have your brother watching you!

I always thought the brothers hat with those red balls had something to do with it.

what hat?"

The red balls were on his tie, I think, not his hat

Your right Plaw they were on his tie, or more precisely they WERE his tie.

I agree with TB and DC that it was a matter of honor. The funny thing is that it was one of the few times that Michael told the truth to Kay and yet she didn't believe a word of it.

Hey what do you expect from Kay???

Indeed, I think he get ashame of himself when seeying hes brother witnessing how he became a frekin´ and filthy rat!
Thats why he kill himself too...
Love ya all and excuse my english!
Latin Don