As painful as Fredo's death is, I think by the nature of Michael's business Fredo had to die. Even banishing him couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't take the easy way out again and give Michael up to authorities or something. Fredo knew a ton.
Fredo's death was so well done by Puzo and Coppola that it makes me angry to this day when Fredo is embracing Michael while sitting in his chair, like an innocent child, while knowing what his fate is. In the documentary "The Kid Stays in the Picture", Robert Evans says that the family situations in The Godfather were emphasized by design to make the film timeless, so that people like us would be talking about it to this day, nearly a half century later. This must be one of the scenes he was talking about.
The underworld knew of Roth's treachery to Michael, so, again, by the nature of the business, Michael had to make an example out of him.
Really don't have an answer regarding Pentangeli. His suicide was so bizarre. It's as if Michael knew that Frank was so old school Sicilian that he could guilt trip him into doing it for putting the family through all of the trouble he did. I love Pentangeli's line about taking everyone out, "while we've still got the mussscle!!!".
If Fredo could be so easily suckered by Roth's goons, he could be suckered by anyone, including law enforcement. That's the way Michael saw it. Fredo is a made man. He took an oath, and his actions were treacherous. No coming back from that. Sure, he came up in a mafia family and likely didn't have much of a choice, but in his case, it turned out to be a curse. He wasn't cut out for the life. Should have just been on the legitimate business side without having any knowledge of the rackets. Could have still been a Vegas playboy working for Benny Siegel (Moe Greene), which was probably his calling.
Another powerful scene in a timeless movie indeed
"Fredo is embracing Michael while sitting in his chair, like an innocent child, while knowing what his fate is"
fate is presumably death?
However it looked like Michael had forgiven Fredo, the brothers hugging each other after Connie's tearful plea until we saw Michael's chilling kill order look at Neri and Neri's subtle nod
Fredo could have thought the same believing he had gotten a pass Fredo wouldn't have known with Mama Corleone's death his time was up
"As painful as Fredo's death is, I think by the nature of Michael's business Fredo had to die"
Wasn't the nature of Michael's business supposedly legitimate by Fredo's death? He was a legitimate businessman!
You are right Fredo's actions were [continuously] treacherous indeed
Still Michael could have easily continued the same arrangements of keeping Fredo under watch or similar until Mama Corleone's natural death. He had the money and the resources
Besides
if Mama had lived longer....
Fredo's "Mikey" as Michael was walking away after Fredo's outburst in the boathouse, sounded dejected
Spot on! "so that people like us would be talking about it to this day, nearly a half century later" "while we've still got the mussscle!!!"
