Does anyone else here think that Fredo going against the family was rooted in Godfather I. I feel as though after his father was shot Fredo was never the same. The only time he could be around family would be if he was drinking. I feel as though he felt he let everyone down after that and could never really recover from it.

Yeah, I think the scene where Fredo comes into the bedroom where Vito is recovering from the shooting shows that very well.

Neither one speaks. Fredo looks at Vito for just a second then looks at the floor, because he knows what a failure he is. Vito looks at Fredo and just kind of shakes his head - he knows Fredo is never going to be of any use to the family and will need looking after all of his life.

Also when Michael warns Fredo to never go against the family. I believe this was a scene to foreshadow the future. Vito wasn't pleased with Freddie hearing about him in Las Vegas and his dealings out there, yeah Fredo's future in the family didn't look to be the best one.

{MY OPINION} Fredo was doomed even before the don was shot. Deep down, i think he knew he was a little slow so he just accepted whatever came to him.I PERSONALLY feel fredo was really tricked or fooled by roth and never intentionally went against the family.DO you think sonny really sent him to learn the casino buisness?CMON!! They just wanted him safe because they knew the shit was gonna hit the fan. Besides, anyone that says 'they didn't know it was pops birthday' can never be that smart!

Fredo is such an awesome character. It is such a challange to write lines for him. The way I see it, he knew he was a failure, he knew he could never dream to be as good as Sonny, or Michael, or even Tom, for that matter.

In Godfather 2, there is a scene where Fredo is a baby and Mama Corleone is looking after him because he has cholic (I think...) - they're basically trying to convey that even from childhood, Fredo was weaker than the others. Why bother to include that scene otherwise?

Another early sign of his weaknes in the first Godfather. When Vito tells Fredo to get Paulie with the car, Fredo says Paulies sick. Vito perks up suspiciously, but Fredo calms him telling his dad that Paulie is a good kid. We realize from later events that fredo is not a good judge of character and has terrible instincts.

I agree too. Fredo going against the family goes back to The Godfather. His ineptitude at his fathers shooting, his lack of brains and his desire to want something for himself after feeling he was "stepped over" all helped pave the way for him being suckered in by Roth to go against the family.

FH

Poor Fredo I think was destined to be a "wimp". It was sad, yet pathetic when Deanna was drunk and Fredo had Michael handle the "situation". What a chump he must have felt like. Bad enough if it was just the immediate family, but he allowed Michael to handle "his" wife because he simply didn't have a clue as to what do to. How embarrassing.

TIS

I really like Fredo's traits. Alot of people think he is the worst character, but there is something about him. I feel sorry for him alot of times. Haha porbly the best Fredo scene is where Mikey introduces him to Kay.

I believe that in the scene you are talking about Baby Fredo is sick with Phneumonia. We see Mama Corleone doing the Italian thing on him with the hot olive oil and the glass on the chest. I think that Coppolla showed this scene maybe to hint that Fredo was a sick child and it may have affected him for the rest of his life. Almost as if his being a sick child he was somewhat of a mama's boy. Later when Michael tells Neri that NOTHING is to happen to him while his mother is alive is a two fold message also : the first is obvious that Michael would never want to break his mother's heart by having her lose another son while she was alive. That is very obvious. But I think that the underlying message here is also that Fredo was a Mama's boy all his life who was given special care by Mama because of his being a sick child which probably made him a little slow, so again Michael would not want to break his mothers heart with the death of her "special" son.
I just always felt that Coppolla threw these little hints here and there to let us know that Fredo's ilness as a child affected him throughout his life.


Don Cardi

Don Cardi I think you bring up a good point, however if you remember when Fredo and Michael are talking in Cuba Fredo says to him "Mom always said I was left by gypsies" "You think thats true?" Fredo never really knew where he belonged in the family or in life. You remeber how he always said "Be more like Pop in my life for once" his whole life he was looking to make his own mark leave his own legacy. Yet he wanted so much to be the man his father was. Notice how in the second one he sports the Vito mustache? He never knew which side to play he was the only Corleone to wear flashy clothes, that striped suite at the party. As for him being tricked by Roth I don't buy it. Who left the drapes open, and Mike knew it too. Did you see the look he gives Fredo after he says "Mike I swear I didn't know it was gonna be a hit" Fredo is what made Michael seem so great when in realty the three sons made up all the great attributes of Vito. Fredo's warmth, Sonnys love and defense of family and Michael's smoothe way of talking to people. Vito had all of this his sons made up only shells of the man their father was.