By Elena Hijazi | Staff Writer
Al Pacino is my favorite actor, and he is arguably the greatest actor of all time. He started off his career doing plays on-stage, which he still says he prefers over making movies. His roles are incredibly influential and unforgettable, and he wears the skin of his characters so effortlessly, without even the slightest sign of spuriousness or artificiality. I decided to honor some of his performances because no actor moves me quite like he does. There will definitely be a part 2 to this. (And 3? A franchise, maybe?)
Pacino has graced the screens with the one and only: Michael Corleone. This role that he took in nonother than the unknown indie film “The Godfather”, is formidably untouchable, and it was only his second on-screen role ever. He was unknown at the time, and The Godfather director, Francis Ford Coppola, was hesitant towards casting Pacino because of that. He wanted actor Jack Nicholson to play Michael instead, but evidently, it was an offer that Nicholson did refuse. Thankfully, after a lot of convincing from his friend and incredible director Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino’s career was launched with my favorite performance: Italian-American mafia boss, Michael Corleone. Pacino’s mastery of portraying the insidious evolution of Michael Corleone from shy and blithe to cold and riveting is spectacular. There is not one moment where his performance feels forced or out-of-pocket. His body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice gradually change as his character changes. You can even see the glimmer in his eyes fade. His performance gets even impossibly better in The Godfather Part II. It is hard to decode what Michael is thinking and how he is feeling. Then again, that’s kind of the whole point. “Never let anyone know what you’re thinking.”, he says.
Another famous character Al Pacino played is Antonio Montana. “The eyes, chico, they never lie.” Sounds familiar? It is not said by Montana, but it is said in his movie, “Scarface”. He plays gangsters like a pro. He is charming, funny, and heartwarming in this role. You cannot but root for this anti-hero. Pacino disappears into his roles with such delicate subtlety that you don’t notice. On paper, the characters he plays are similar. They are usually gangsters or mafia bosses or drug dealers. But you never mix any of his characters with each other. He plays each character with such astute intention and specificity that you forget that you are watching a fake character. The “say hello to my little friend.” is one of the most quoted scenes from cinema of all time. This man never ceases to disappoint with such moments.
The last movie of his that I will discuss here is “Scent of a Woman.” This film is just magic. Pacino plays a blind man with a sharp tongue that is struggling to find a meaning to move on. His physicality whilst playing him is impeccable. It even won him an Oscar. My favorite scene of this film is when he does the tango with a young lady. The music, his veiled fear as he moves, his genuine smiles, his focus. I forget this man is acting. I go back to this scene all the time, and I find something new to appreciate in it every time. He gives a bone-chilling speech towards the end of the movie. His range shows in this movie.
Not only is Al Pacino a tremendous actor, but he is also a passionate one. He is currently 83 years old and is still acting. He wants to do this until the day he dies, which hopefully won’t be for a long, long time. This is my take on Al Pacino, I bestow it upon you with an open mind and heart. Thank you for taking the time to read this.