The film's unusual structure, intercutting two different timelines in order to tell both the origin story of Vito Corleone and the decline of his son, Michael, is the most mark of influence left by the film's famed director. We watch as Vito becomes the Don and sets the standard for his family's reign—while simultaneously seeing how his son ruins alliances and alienates himself from everyone. The two storylines, while connected as the history of the Corleone family, contrast sharply, creating a unique and powerful dissonant tone that is one of the film's most lasting achievements.
After the runaway artistic and commercial success of the first Godfather film, Coppola was given almost complete control over the production. Among other things, this level of control allowed Coppola and the editors to rework the film just weeks before its opening release as critics panned the movie for its too-frequent cuts. Coppola would be able to rework nearly all of the film except the final scenes before release.
Another mark of Coppola's style is the frequent and dramatic use of tracking shots—for example, the rooftop scene, where we follow a young Vito as he tracks Don Fanucci in the street before murdering him during a parade in Little Italy. The rich sense of an earlier New York, a city that is not yet fully formed and is still being shaped by various influences, also serves as a symbol for Vito not being fully formed yet too. This use of place in correlation with character is a strength of Coppola's and allows the film to have a greater depth.
