I think that Appolonia is so rediculously gorgeous... how could Mike go from her to... KAY?!?!

It wasn't personal. It was only business.

Several reasons Frank.

At first, when Michael is in Sicily and meets Appolonia, there is no question that he was indeed struck by "the thunderbolt." He instantly fell in love with her. Combine that love with the fact that during Michael's stay in Italy, he began to learn about his culture and his roots. He returned to his family origins. During this time Michael knew that he had now crossed over and that when he returned to America he would be in the family business. And when he did return why not do so with a woman that he loved who was much like his mother. A woman that was from the old country, one who would be the dedicated wife and would never interfere with the business that Michael would return to and be a part of. Appolonia was the perfect wife for the boss of a mob family...and Michael truly loved her. But as we saw, things didn't go as planned.

Now Appolonia was gone and Michael returned to America without that perfect old world woman that was perfect for the new life that he would lead.

So now Michael is being schooled by his father. Only thing is that times had changed since Michael left to hide in Sicily. Things were a bit different. And while Vito was schooling Michael to become the new Don, the new Godfather, the Boss of bosses, deep down inside it was not really what he wanted for Michael. Both Vito and Michael realized that once the family regained the power that they once had, they would also have to try and legitimize the family in many ways. It was something that Vito had always dreamed about. And it would now be something that Michael fooled himself into thinking that he could actually become....a legitimate business man.

So he and his father devise this plan and after about a year or so of planning, Michael goes and seeks out his first love, Kay. I believe that Michael really loved her at one time. Being that Michael now deided that he would attempt to become a legitimate business man once he regained the Corleone power, he probably figured that Kay would be the perfect wife for an 'Americanized Legitimate Businessman'. If Michael had to entertain Seantors, Congressman, Corporate moguls, etc. then having an Americanized Wasp educated woman at his side could only help his image. Having a Kay Adams type woman at his side would definitely help neutralize the Italian gangster hood image that his kind of people resonated. At least in Michael's mind.

This is why I believe that Michael HAD to go back to a woman like Kay after being with a woman like Appolonia.

Remember, it was not like he ran to Kay as soon as he returned from Italy. He waited a year or more. He only reached out to her after realizing that his first love would be the perfect American wife that he would now need to help legitimize himself and his family.

hmmm... that's a good explaination DC. Thanks! I just saw Appolonia again and was struck by the thunderbolt myself :-D

May she rest in peace.

The thunderbolt struck the car.

Maybe a simpler explanation for why he went from Smokin' Hot Appolonia to Whiny White Kay is that Michael was spending so much time learning the "family business" he didn't have time for female relations and... he was just horny?

Don Cardi's reason makes more sense though.

Kay is as hot as Appolonia, but i do tend to agree with Don Cardi.

Absolutely. Starting with "I'm with you now, Pop," Michael started aggressively erasing his former distance from his family, his roots and his "destiny." I don't doubt that the thunderbolt hit him. But the way he courted and married Appolonia seemed an aggressive assertion of his Sicilian heritage.


I believe Michael loved Kay, in his own way. But that way wasn't very warm and passionate. The courtship scene (with Michael looking like a pint-sized banker in that Homburg hat) sounded more like a business negotiation than a proposal of marriage. Not for nothing did Kay ask, "Michael, what do you want from me?"

I agree TB. The way that he approached and spoke to her in NH did indeed appear and sound more like a business deal.

On the other hand there's the deleted bed scene which shows them both as a loving couple, very warm, very playful.
Something changed then. I think, it's not only that he lost his warmth for Kay, after Appollonia's death he lost the ability to love anybody.

Exactly. Part of the plan Michael and Vito hatched was that Michael would take out the heads of the other families, and consilidate the Corleone's power ultimately using Clemenza (after Tesio's betrayal) as his front man, going to Vegas and becoming more "legitimate." Kay would be perfect in that role, and as we saw at the communion party she relished being seen as a "legitimate" member of the community. I suspect even Vito, who did not always approve of Kay, came around to that point of view.

I agree that Apollonia was hot. Is there a current picture of what the actress who portrayed her looks like now.

Unfortunately I believe she died a year or two ago.

It was reported on the Internet a few years ago that she'd died of cancer at the age of 51. Quite the contrary to that nasty rumor, Stefanelli is NOT dead, in fact, she owns and operates a fashion store in Rome called Simo Bloom, where she designs purses and shoes

Thank God she is still alive.

i wonder if she knows about this website, if eveybody on here would buy just 1 thing, her busines would expode ( no pun intended ).

It appears she has no website, nor does the store, but if you google her there is a lot of buzz. Whoever goes to Rome next has to go to that store.

Haha I wonder if she is still fine now...?
She was fantastic in the movie! Madonne!
So much better than Kay...