Part Two - Al Pacino

Part II - Al Pacino

Al has an impressive body of work, but is a little less flexible as an actor as evidenced by his choice of roles. In his 45 film roles, he has played a cop or a crook in almost all of them. Kudos to him for stretching into other genres over the past decade or so, although at nearly 70, he is not as convincing now as the tough guy cop or the enraged mobster. Having always had the look of a true Italian, and the distinctive voice that has only gotten more discernable with age, he was a natural for many of his early roles.

He struck gold in his 3rd film role being cast as Michael Corleone, and the rest is history. In fact, between the years of 1972 and 1975, he had perhaps the most brilliant 4 year run in all of cinematic history. Starring in the first 2 Godfather roles, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon. For my money, he peaked in the 1970's and has grown to a mainstream household name, but has made poor film choices that mostly fall into his stereotypical category. He has done 14 films since his last respectable outing in 1997 when he played Lucifer in the Devil's Advocate, but gained some critical acclaim and awards for his part in the HBO mini-series Angels in America.

Unfortunately, I am not confident that we will ever see the Al Pacino of the 70's, although there was a glimmer in 1995's Heat. His star is fading now, but he will forever be in the pantheon of greatest American actors of all time. Here is a look at his 5 finest roles .

Godfather (1972)

Pacino's breakout role as the prodigal son, Michael Corleone resulted in the first of many Oscar nominations for the Italian thespian. What distinguishes the performance in Godfather I from that of Godfather II is that in creating the original character, there is a much greater risk being taken that was clearly accepted by the audiences and the critics. Reprising a role that is beloved is not as much of a stretch or a challenge, and Pacino must have felt right at home being the Italian New Yorker growing up in the 40's. Interestingly, he beat out a slew of great actors for the part; Redford, Nicholson, Beatty, DeNiro, and Ryan O'Neil (www.imdb.com).

What is perhaps the defining moment of the film is when Michael decides to shed his war hero/college boy life and become a part of the "family". He walks into a restaurant bent on killing both a police captain and a rival mobster, and the tension is palpable. With the gun in his pocket, he sits down at the table and there is a moment - perhaps 15 seconds or less when there is a look of nervous anticipation in his eyes and a subtle lip quiver. It is one of the most intentionally prolonged and riveting scenes in the genre. That single scene truly defines his method acting ability to the fullest.

Serpico (1973)

Frank Serpico. An honest and ethical man living within a world of corruption and tyranny. Based on the true story of a whistleblower within the NYPD amidst one of the most rampant times of criminal conspiracy in American history, Serpico is a beacon of hope and good in a society that batters his resolve. As an undercover cop, busting criminals is difficult enough, but once he alienates his colleagues by not taking dirty money, there is a sense of futility as he doesn't know who he can trust.

Pacino sheds his clean good looks for this role as a long haired and bearded hippie who looks the part as an undercover cop (but in a good way). What makes the role convincing is the sense of loneliness and abandon that he is fighting. What clearly is morally and ethically right is both dangerous and even discouraged within his fraternity of lawmen. He faces his fate knowing well that each day might be his last, and does so with both a sense of purpose and fear. Serpico is a sad commentary on the reality of law enforcement.

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

An everyman who is overwhelmed by the stress of life in New York devises a simple plan that ends tragically, far differently than anticipated. Pacino is the Yin to John Cazale's Yang. The two of them perfectly complement each other as the two bank robbers who are caught in a hostage standoff. Pacino is the brains and Cazale is the brawn. Pacino is the loud, boisterous one and Cazale is the silent, terrifying one.

Directed by Lumet, there is not a lot of action, the events are more a reflection of a long day with all options leading to an inevitable climax. The tension builds through dialogue and waiting. The sweltering heat almost absorbs the viewer in exhaustion. But through it all, Pacino is the focus of attention and concern.

What he manages to do without even trying is build a rallying cry of compassion. Somehow gaining the public's support with shouts of "Attica" there is a feeling of chaos and uncertainty that the police are forced to deal with. However, there is never any doubt who is in control.

This is also one of the first times that the idea of transgendered homosexuality is brought into a mainstream film. It is not exposed until about halfway through, but Pacino's motive for the bank robbery is for a sex change operation for his gay lover. Pacino somehow downplays this fact skillfully and doesn't succumb to stereotypes. He never deviates from his character, and his performance is truly a memorable one.

Scarface (1983)

One of my favorite performances, the iconic Tony Montana, Cuban refugee who builds an empire in Miami through ruthless hard work and a fearless attitude. "The World is Yours" is his mantra, and he goes after everything that he wants one way or another.

Although this is arguably Brian DePalma's greatest achievement, it was created during a time when film was in a sort of limbo - the 1980's produced very few films of value to society, which was an indicator of both taste and culture. Scarface, if watched now, 25 years later, displays the signs of the times, and is a very dated film. Pacino however, displays the energy and drive of a consummate professional. Even being cast against his ethnicity - an Italian playing a Cuban, he pulls off the accent and the attitude flawlessly.

More than anything, this is a fun movie where the unscrupulous bad guy gets everything he wants, and lives a life of murder, drugs, sex and excess. If you live by the sword, you die by the sword, and Montana gets his comeuppance in a final shootout worthy of Sam Peckinpaw fame. "Say hello to my little friend" is a line that everybody who knows film can appreciate. Al Pacino as Tony Montana is the fury and emotion let loose in as fun a character as has ever been seen on the silver screen. He is the American dream on steroids.

Scent of a Woman (1992)

Retired army Colonel Frank Slade shows his young friend and escort Charlie the finer things in life in this eye-opening expression of friendship and passion. Slade is blind, but clearly sees what is important in life and senses the ability to help Charlie grow into the man who he shows potential to become.

What makes this performance different from the rest is that this is one of Pacino's transition films from young leading man to older, wiser middle-aged man. He always had (and still does) a youthful look, but most of his roles have been cop, criminal or something active along those lines. Playing a blind man shows the more vulnerable and fragile side of Pacino, which he has not since shown, slipping back into his cop and criminal roles.

Earning his only Oscar for this performance, I had considered leaving it off this list in deference to the Devil's Advocate, which was a sharp and snarky indulgence in which he played the Devil in the form of a lawyer. However, because Scent of a Woman was something different, much less Pacino's typical fare, it belongs as one of his greatest performances. Playing a blind man (without sunglasses) is a separate feat in itself, but Pacino played it believably and without a hitch. The film itself was a little melodramatic, but there was snappy and meaningful dialogue which kept it afloat.

Between 1973 and 1993, Al has been nominated for 8 Oscars, winning 1. He has been also been nominated for a staggering 14 Golden Globes between 1973 and 2004, taking home 4 wins including 1 lifetime achievement award.