It’s hard to name a cinematic betrayal in the last half-century more iconic than John Cazale’s Fredo’s misguided turn against his younger brother, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), in The Godfather‘s second film. Indeed, the middle child of the Corleone dynasty is often the subject of ridicule in his family throughout Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather trilogy, but no one person in his circle is more responsible for his collusion with Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg) than Michael, whose cold demeanor and lack of respect continually made his older brother feel small, impotent, and inessential to the family business.

While others in Fredo’s family, including Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando/Robert De Niro) himself, speak privately about his inepтιтude and weakness, it isn’t until his younger brother becomes the head of the Corleones that Fredo truly begins to feel publicly undermined, which eventually leads to his manipulation by Hyman Roth in the plot to kill Michael in his Lake Tahoe home in Nevada. In this light, Michael’s greatest failure towards his older brother wasn’t commanding him through fear or intimidation — it was forgetting to provide Fredo with the familial love and respect his father had always bestowed on his children.

Michael Never Respected Fredo In The Godfather – And Made It Known

Fredo Would’ve Stayed Loyal To Michael If He Wasn’t Sidelined

From the beginning of his rule, Michael is far colder and more ruthless than his father. After visiting Fredo and Moe Greene (Alex Rocco) in Las Vegas to discuss buying out the latter’s share in the family’s casinos, he openly admonishes Fredo for siding with Moe, delivering the iconic line: “Fredo, you’re my older brother and I love you. But don’t ever take sides with anyone against the family again. Ever.” Though Michael claims to love his brother, his words ring hollow amid the open threat.

Never again do the two share an intimate moment until Fredo has already betrayed his brother and collaborated with The Godfather II‘s villain, Hyman Roth. It poignantly illustrates how the greatest issue with Michael as a ruler was that he expected respect and loyalty from his family without giving it. Anyone in the family who fails to deliver is disregarded.

Fredo — who was already sidelined in The Godfather for not preventing his father’s ᴀssᴀssination attempt — finds his role in the business shrinking as his feelings of inadequacy only grow under Michael’s rule. That’s what makes his heart-to-heart with his brother in Cuba so devastating, since Fredo may never have betrayed Michael if the latter had extended his hand sooner and involved him further in the business.

Vito Knew How To Win Both Respect And Fear

The Don Kept His Family Loyal Through Warmth And Intimidation

Though Vito has his own doubts over Fredo’s competency in the business in The Godfather, he never voices his feelings towards his middle child, instead providing him with a role in the family business in Las Vegas even after he fails to protect his father from Sollozzo (Al Lettieri). Furthermore, the Corleone patriarch built and maintained his family empire through a tireless code of respect, honor, and dignity towards those in the criminal underworld and among members of his community. Though he is feared by many, he is equally loved by those around him, who enjoy friendship and genuine appreciation from the don.

In contrast, Michael rules over his family with a cold, iron fist, wholly lacking the warmth or virtue his father extended towards his family and business partners that made him as revered of a figure as he was. Had he tried to emulate Vito’s strategic compᴀssion and respect, Fredo likely would’ve never felt the urge to talk behind the family’s back with Hyman Roth. Instead, Michael chose to chastise and sideline his brother following the altercation with Moe Greene — a tragic scene that would be the first step in a chain of actions ultimately leading to Fredo’s death in The Godfather.