Paramount Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
By Geoff Carter
He’s been a major icon of American cinematic landscape for decades, known mainly for his seminal portrayal of crime boss Michael Corleone in The Godfather, a performance some have called the best in movie history, but Al Pacino has demonstrated a range in his acting skills that stretches far beyond the sequestered world of the Corleone family. He has portrayed misfits, miscreants, psychopaths, and men of conscience with equal prowess and believability.
As Frank Serpico, the real-life New York City detective who put his career—and his life—on the line in the film Serpico, Pacino communicates the disillusionment, courage, determination, and anger of a man brave enough to value his principles and integrity over everything else. It is, in every sense, a heroic performance. As Lion, the childlike protagonist of Scarecrow, Pacino simultaneously radiates the natural charisma and unself-conscious antics of a rather loud and annoying child, rendering his up and down friendship with Max, and his ultimate devastation that much more heartrending. As Sonny, the inept bank robber in Dog Day Afternoon, Pacino embodies the last-gasp desperation and anguish of a man unable to help those he loves, while simultaneously channeling his rage into a bravura that fuels a crowd-pleasing spectacle.
While some of his performances, like that of cocaine kingpin Tony Montana in Brian DePalma’s Scarface, go over the top (as many in De Palma productions do), Pacino’s attention to his craft, and his commitment to any role he takes, is undeniable. He is a consummate actor and a total professional.
Pacino’s on-screen persona can radiate a brooding intensity, broadcasting a lurking danger like a jungle cat hiding in the trees above you. There are depths to these interior selves that can only be guessed at; after all, who knows what lies behind the icy stare of Michael Corleone or the smarmy clipped comments of Colonel Frank Slade. On the other hand, Pacino’s characters can be as transparent and sincere as a Sonny, or as juvenile and straightforward as a Lion. His portrayal of the aggrieved Shylock in the Michael Radford production of The Merchant of Venice not only conveys the suppressed rage of a marginalized man, but also shows the burden of years of insults and belittlements and hate. His Shylock is literally twisted, gnomish, beaten down by life. It is just another in a long line of astounding performances.
The Ten Best Films of Al Pacino
The Godfather Saga: In what has been called one of the greatest films of all times, Pacino plays Michael Corleone, the youngest son of mafioso Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando). At the beginning of the film, Michael has returned from service in World War II to attend his sister Connie’s wedding along with his brothers Sonny (James Caan), Fredo (John Cazale), and adopted brother Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall). He tells his fiance Kay (Diane Keaton) that he has nothing to do with the family business, but after an assassination attempt on his father, he finds himself slowly drawn into the seamy world of organized crime, forced to decide how far he must go to protect his family. The exceptional sequels continue the compelling Corleone story. Notable for Pacino’s exceptional performance of the broodingly intense and cunningly shrewd Michael and for the great supporting performances of Caan, Duvall, Cazale, and Brando.
Starring: Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Diane Keaton, James Caan, John Cazale, Robert Duvall, Robert Castellano, Sterling Hayden, Abe Vigoda, and John Marley. Written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Dog Day Afternoon: In this crime thriller, Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino), along with his buddy Sal Naturile (John Cazale) bungles a bank robbery, bringing the NYPD down upon their hands. Sonny takes the bank employees hostage and holes up, demanding a vehicle to take the group to the airport so they can escape on a flight. Police Sergeant Eugene Moretti (Charles Durning) calls the bank and opens negotiations with Sonny, who demands that his partner Leon Shermer (Chris Sarandon) be brought to the scene. It’s revealed that Sonny had robbed the bank in order to raise the money for Leon’s sex-change operation. Over Moretti’s objections, the FBI takes over the investigation and arranges transportation for Sonny, Sal, and the hostages, but their arrival brings unexpected consequences for Sonny. Notable for Pacino’s desperately maniacal performance as the pathetically single-minded lover and Cazale’s understated portrayal of a loyal friend completely out of his depth.
Starring: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, Chris Sarandon, Penelope Allen, Carol Kane, and (a very young) Lance Henrikson. Written by Frank Pierson. Directed by Sidney Lumet.
Serpico: In this 1973 biopic, Pacino plays Frank Serpico, a New York City cop who decided to single-handedly take on corruption in the NYPD. As a young patrolman, after witnessing payoffs and bribes, including undercover narcotics officers making weekly collections from dealers and mafioso, Serpico realizes that corruption is widespread and endemic in the department. Refusing to give up, he teams up with Bob Blair (Tony Roberts), a friend in the mayor’s office, to help uncover the dirty cops. Frustrated by Blair’s inability to get anything done, Serpico continues to prod the department to clean things up while coming his fellow officers suspect he is going to give them up. Serpico teams up with another honest officer who backs up his efforts, but the strain of continuing his one-man campaign while his life is in danger causes tumult in his private life. As things come to a head, Serpico finally comes face-to-face with his greatest fear. Notable for Pacino’s portrayal of an idealistic man whose world—despite every effort—is crumbling around him.
Starring: Al Pacino, Michael Murphy, Jack Kehoe, Edward Grover, Biff McGuire, Barbara Eda-Young, and Cornelia Sharpe. Screenplay by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler. Directed by Sidney Lumet.
Scarecrow: A drama revolving around the unlikely friendship of two drifters who meet on the road. Max Millan (Gene Hackman) a violent ex-con and a comical goof named Francis Lionel “Lion” Delbuchi (Pacino) meet and agree to become partners in a car-wash business. Lion, an ex-sailor, is on his way to see the son he never met. Max is on his way to Pittsburgh where the seed money for the business has been banked. After a wild night in Denver, the two land in jail. Blaming Lion, Max turns his back on him until Lion is assaulted by another convict, Riley (Richard Lynch). Lion is beaten badly and traumatized by the incident. Max takes him under his wing and the two get to Detroit where Annie (Penelope Allen), Lion’s ex-wife lies to him, telling him their son is dead. Lion is devastated and turns to Max for help.
Starring: Al Pacino, Gene Hackman, Penelope Allen, Eileen Brennan, Dorothy Tristan, and Anne Wedgeworth. Written by Garry Michael White. Directed by Jerry Schatzberg.
Panic in Needle Park: In this offbeat romantic junkie drama, Helen (Kitty Wynn) on the rebound after suffering from a botched abortion, hooks up with small-time drug dealer Bobby (Al Pacino). After moving in with him, Helen discovers that Bobby, besides using drugs, is a small-time dealer. He asks Helen to score some drugs for him and she is busted. Soon after, Helen begins using, too. Predictably, both their lives begin to deteriorate even further. Bobby turns to burglary in order to support his habit while Helen is eventually forced into prostitution. After discovering Helen has slept with his brother Hand (Richard Bright), Bobby beats her. The cops, after catching her selling pills to children, coerce her into setting Bobby up with a large amount of heroin. Rather than go to prison, she agrees. Notable for being Pacino’s first lead and a performance which brought him onto the radar of such notables as Francis Ford Coppola.
Starring: Al Pacino, Kitty Wynn, Richard Bright, Kiel Martin, Warren Finnerty, Raul Julia, and Paul Sorvino. Written by Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunn. Directed by Jerry Schatzberg.
Glengarry Glen Ross: In this drama, a group of unscrupulous salesmen struggle to survive in a cutthroat real estate company. Ricky Roma (Al Pacino) is the only one salesman in Premiere Realty who has been experiencing any recent success. He is a master of manipulation and psychology; at the beginning of the film, Roma is working on a meek prospect named Lingk, framing the sale as an opportunity to prove himself. Mitch and Murray, the owners of the company, sends Blake (Alec Baldwin) to motivate the already desperate team, spewing them with insults and invective. Two of them, Moss (Ed Harris) and Aaronow resent Blake’s treatment and plot to break into the office to steal the coveted Glengarry leads. Shelly “The Machine” Levine (Jack Lemmon) tries to bribe Williamson (Kevin Spacey) the office manager, to give the Glengarry leads. Desperate times call for desperate measures; any one of the team will do anything to survive. Pacino’s performance as the smooth-talking and Roma is remarkable for his sleazy charisma—even knowing what he is, it’s hard not to like him. Notable for the fantastic dialogue.
Starring: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin, Ed Harris, Alec Baldwin, and Kevin Spacey. Written by David Mamet. Directed by James Foley.
Angels in America: In this sprawling HBO adaptation of the hit Tony Kushner play, Pacino plays Roy Cohn the notorious lawyer responsible for sending Julius and Ethel Rosenberg to the electric chair on a questionable treason charge. In this version of history, Cohn, a closet gay man, is a mentor to Joe Pitt (Patrick Wilson), a young Republican lawyer and political operative who is also struggling to understand his sexual identity. While the production straddles multiple narratives exploring themes dealing with the AIDs crisis, gay identity, and American idealism, Pacino’s portrayal of Roy Cohn deals with self-loathing, guilt, and—once he realizes death cannot be bought off—his pathetic attempts at redemption. It is an astounding performance that ranges from smarmy self-satisfied arrogance to the delirious rantings of a sick and frightened man. This film is a gem, with great supporting performances by Meryl Streep, Jason Patrick, and Jeffrey Wright.
Starring: Al Pacino, Justin Kirk, Patrick Wilson, Jeffrey Wright, Ben Shenkman, Meryl Streep, Mary Louise Parker, and Emma Thompson. Written by Tony Kushner. Directed by Mike Nichols.
The Irishman: In Martin Scorsese’s epic crime drama about Mafia hitman Frank Sheeran (Robert DeNiro), who worked extensively for the Bufalino crime family. The narrative is framed by an interview with an aged Sheeran as he looks back at when he first met Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) who was responsible for first introducing him to Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa. After Hoffa’s stormy relationship with the Bufalinos, and his arrest for jury tampering—and his subsequent demotion as Teamster president—the dons become fed up with him and decide to take drastic action, informing Sheeran that he will have to “take care” of the man. Pacino’s turn as the mercurial and fearless Hoffa, whose charismatic leadership is tempered by his unrelenting ambition is incredible. His fury and energy are a perfect counterpoint to DeNiro’s measured performance of a ruthless and calculating killer. Notable for a great supporting cast.
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, and Harvey Keitel. Screenplay by Steven Zaillian. Directed by Martin Scorsese.
Scent of a Woman: Prep school student Charlie Simms (Chris O’Donnell) takes on a job over the Thanksgiving holiday as caretaker to an irascible and irritable retired Army Lieutenant Frank Slade, who is blind. Simms happens to witness a prank against the school headmaster Mr. Trask (James Rebhorn) but refuses—under substantial pressure—to name the perpetrators. When Charlie arrives to start his weekend with Slade, he discovers the colonel has planned a trip to New York City. Forced to accompany him on this last hurrah, Charlie discovers Slade is a sophisticated—although somewhat crude—man-about-town who refuses to let his disability stop him from enjoying life. Things go sour, however, when the colonel insists on visiting his estranged family. Pacino’s performance as a brash and commandeering personality tortured by personal demons is excellent, transcending even the predictable Hollywood ending.
Starring: Al Pacino, Chris O’Donnell, James Rebhorn, Bradley Whitford, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Richard Venture. Written by Bo Goldman. Directed by Martin Brest.
Donnie Brasco: Based on a true story, undercover FBI agent Joe Pistone poses as jewel-thief Donnie Brasco (Johnny Depp) in order to befriends small-time hood Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino), a member of the Bonanno crime family. Ruggiero likes Brasco and starts to insinuate him into the crime family. Eventually, Lefty trusts Brasco enough to go in with him on opening a night club in Miami, a venture that goes sour when rival Sonny (Michael Madsen) swoops in and snatches it from Lefty. Things go sour on opening night and Sonny retaliates and becomes the new boss. When he insists that Donnie kill a rival to gain entry in the family, things quickly go south. Pacino’s performance as an aging foot soldier trying to keep his head above water—and who is ultimately betrayed by his protégé—is remarkable.
Starring: Johnny Depp, Al Pacino, Michael Madsen, Bruno Kirby, James Russo, Anne Heche, and Val Avery. Written by Paul Attanasio. Directed by Mike Newell.
Honorable Mention
Carlito’s Way
Bobby Deerfield
And Justice For All
Cruising
Merchant of Venice
