The Godfather Part II still has the power to surprise after 40 years

Coppola's classic belongs to an age when the best picture Oscar went to a deserving winner, or in this case, one of the finest US movies of the late 20th century

Al Pacino in The Godfather Part II. Photograph: Allstar

Remember the good old days when the best picture Oscar went to the best picture of the year? Me neither, but 40 years ago it went not only to the best film of the year, but to one the finest American movies of the decade, indeed of the entire second half of the 20th century: The Godfather Part II.