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What is Al Pacino's signature role? (1 Viewer)

Signature role?

  • Bobby - Panic in needle park

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Michael Corleone - Godfather trilogy

    Votes: 97 50.3%

  • Seprico - Serpico

    Votes: 4 2.1%

  • Sonny - Dog Day Afternoon

    Votes: 7 3.6%

  • Bobby - Bobby Deerfield

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Arthur - And Justice fir all

    Votes: 1 0.5%

  • Tony Montana - Scarface

    Votes: 75 38.9%

  • Det Frank Keller -Sea of Love

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Big Boy - **** Tracey

    Votes: 1 0.5%

  • Ricky - Glengarry Glen Ross

    Votes: 1 0.5%

  • Frank - Scent of a Woman

    Votes: 4 2.1%

  • Vincent - Heat

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • John Milton - The Devils Advocate

    Votes: 1 0.5%

  • Tony - Any Given Sunday

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Other

    Votes: 2 1.0%
  • Total voters
    193
Chaka said:
Which character is quoted the most, even today?

Yeah, that's the winner.

Not his best film but by far his most memorable character.
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One could easily argue that Scarface is his best film and his best performance.

It didn't get some critical acclaim because of the violence and content, but the film is a masterpiece IMHO.

 
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TripItUp said:
One could easily argue that Scarface is his best film and his best performance.

It didn't get some critical acclaim because of the violence and content, but the film is a masterpiece IMHO.
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Apple Jack said:
Funny. I think the opposite. Scarface is hot garbage and the Godfather is absolutely perfect and infinitely rewatchable.
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I'm a big fan of Scarface but I get the love/hate relationship it has with audiences.

Godfather is an unquestionably superior film, as is Godfather II but Scarface is very entertaining and highly rewatchable.

Godfather III never happened. 

IT.NEVER.HAPPENED.!!!!!

 
Chaka said:
People don't remember The Godfather because of Pacino.
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Brando, DeNiro, Caan were memorable supporting parts...‘Dont ever take sides against the family again’...‘today I settle all family business’...’I know it was you Fredo, you broke my heart’...’Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.’  ...in Pacino’s story.  

 
Scarface is the rare movie where both the haters and the lovers are equally correct in all of their assessments of it. 

 
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I'm the only vote for Frank from scent of a woman and that's a tragedy.  

His turn in Godfather was great but when i think of Pacino i don't think of a calm mob boss. Every role he's had since scent of a woman has been derived in some way from his character in that movie.  His I'd take a flamethrower to this place speech is the blueprint for the We fight for that inch monologue. When Vincent talks to val kilmers girlfriend's boyfriend and yells because she's got a GREAT ###, he's channeling frank. And his acting in scent of a woman was better than as Michael corleone.  The godfather movies are better movies, but scent was no slouch. 

 
TripItUp said:
The Godfather is the most overrated film of all time, I have no desire to watch it when it comes on.  

Scarface hooks me in every time...it's a masterpiece on several levels.

That's why this poll is easily Tony Montana for me.
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Totally opposite for me.  I love Godfather 1 and 2 and don't care for Scareface.

 
Captain Cranks said:
Tough call, but it's between Scent of a Woman and Scarface for me where he was the movie (unlike Godfather).  Rolling with Scarface because of how iconic it is.  
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Hoo-rah!

Say hello to my little friend should win this, but If you get all tangled up, just tango on is my sentimental favorite.

 
Dog Day Afternoon & Serpico were favorites when I was growing up. Devils Advocate is dreck but I love it solely for Pacino’s performance.

:oldunsure:

Typing that I had an epiphany Sonny & John Milton are essentially the same character as Frank (SoaW) - no matter, I could binge watch Pacino all day & be fascinated.

 
obviously it won't be considered as 'sig' because of it's latter career release, but his turn as Phil Spector in the HBO flick is masterful - yeah, really blows you away - guy at the top of his craft.

and it's a perfect example of why he is superior to DeNiro, imo - remember people used to say that the Beatles could do the Stones if they wanted to, but that the Stones could never do the Beatles?  same here with Al and Bobby ... i find DeNiro to be terribly limited - brilliant in his box, no question - but nowhere near as versatile and layered as Pacino.  

check out the Spector gig  :thumbup:  

 
I do find interesting that there's a solid debate here on whether it's Michael or Tony but yet so many insisted Brando had to be Don Vito. I suppose it's just an age thing. 

 
Ilov80s said:
I do find interesting that there's a solid debate here on whether it's Michael or Tony but yet so many insisted Brando had to be Don Vito. I suppose it's just an age thing. 
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It was clear in the Brando thread that many were not familiar with his body of work, nor its impact in context.

 
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Having never seen either movie until age 40 (this year), I couldn't have named a character in either movie. Couldn't have told you an actor in Godfather, either. But I knew Pacino was Scarface, so easy call for me.

 
Having never seen either movie until age 40 (this year), I couldn't have named a character in either movie. Couldn't have told you an actor in Godfather, either. But I knew Pacino was Scarface, so easy call for me.

 
Ilov80s said:
I do find interesting that there's a solid debate here on whether it's Michael or Tony but yet so many insisted Brando had to be Don Vito. I suppose it's just an age thing. 
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I was thinking the same.  I went for Stanley Kowalski for Brando, but thought Michael Corleone was an easy one for Pacino.   Results have surprised me a bit for both.

 
Ilov80s said:
I do find interesting that there's a solid debate here on whether it's Michael or Tony but yet so many insisted Brando had to be Don Vito. I suppose it's just an age thing. 
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I don't think so.  The Godfather 1 and 2 are still very popular movies and Scarface might be even more popular now than when it came out.  People are watching them 30 and 40 years after they came out.  The same wasn't true for Streetcar Named Desire or On the Waterfront, at least not at the same level, so Brando's iconic role seems like a much easier choice when considering the history of the films.

 
encaitar said:
I don't think so.  The Godfather 1 and 2 are still very popular movies and Scarface might be even more popular now than when it came out.  People are watching them 30 and 40 years after they came out.  The same wasn't true for Streetcar Named Desire or On the Waterfront, at least not at the same level, so Brando's iconic role seems like a much easier choice when considering the history of the films.
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I guess. I mean Streetcar and On the Waterfront were on the 2007 AFI list and typically mentioned when discussing the best movies ever made so they aren't real obscure. Add in that this board's average age is a bit high, those Brando movies from the 50s aren't that old relative to the population here. I know GF and Scarface are more widely seen, but I didn't expect such a big gap. 

 
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Ilov80s said:
I guess. I mean Streetcar and On the Waterfront were on the 2007 AFI list and typically mentioned when discussing the best movies ever made so they aren't real obscure. Add in that this board's average age is a bit high, those Brando movies from the 50s aren't that old relative to the population here. 
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True.  They are excellent movies, but when was the last time they had a lengthy tv run?  The Godfather series and Scarface seem to have a couple of weeks every year when one of the cable networks picks up a run.  More screen time makes them seem more iconic IMO(even if that shouldn't be so).

 
encaitar said:
True.  They are excellent movies, but when was the last time they had a lengthy tv run?  The Godfather series and Scarface seem to have a couple of weeks every year when one of the cable networks picks up a run.  More screen time makes them seem more iconic IMO(even if that shouldn't be so).
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That is true, they get lots of play on more major networks. TCM shows the old Brando movies several times a year but people who watch that channel are most likely seeking it out and not stumbling through like they would with say TNT or Showtime. 

 
 He taught me: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.

 
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bostonfred said:
I'm the only vote for Frank from scent of a woman and that's a tragedy.  

His turn in Godfather was great but when i think of Pacino i don't think of a calm mob boss. Every role he's had since scent of a woman has been derived in some way from his character in that movie.  His I'd take a flamethrower to this place speech is the blueprint for the We fight for that inch monologue. When Vincent talks to val kilmers girlfriend's boyfriend and yells because she's got a GREAT ###, he's channeling frank. And his acting in scent of a woman was better than as Michael corleone.  The godfather movies are better movies, but scent was no slouch. 
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For me, the fact that he won his Oscar for Scent Of A Woman is a shame, much like Paul Newman for Color of Money.  Both have been a lot better in a lot of other things even though they were very good in the role they won for.

 
TheDirtyWord said:
For me, the fact that he won his Oscar for Scent Of A Woman is a shame, much like Paul Newman for Color of Money.  Both have been a lot better in a lot of other things even though they were very good in the role they won for.
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The classic make-up Oscar. Pacino for GF 2 would have been a much better choice. I am sure Art Caney was good in Harry and Tonto but it certainly hasn't stood the test of time like the Godfather. Paul Newman should probably have won for The Verdict over Ben Kingsley in Gandhi.

The worst was James Stewart losing for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and then getting a make-up win for The Philadelphia Story a year later when Henry Fonda was a slam dunk for Grapes of Wrath. 

 
Ilov80s said:
The classic make-up Oscar. Pacino for GF 2 would have been a much better choice. 
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What was so great about pacino's individual performance in godfather 2? I thought he was better individually in 1. And Deniro was better in 2. I thought Pacino did a great job i just didn't see anything oscar worthy. The kiss of death and the it was an abortion Michael scenes were excellent but i'm not even sure he was the better actor in either scene. 

 
bostonfred said:
What was so great about pacino's individual performance in godfather 2? I thought he was better individually in 1. And Deniro was better in 2. I thought Pacino did a great job i just didn't see anything oscar worthy. The kiss of death and the it was an abortion Michael scenes were excellent but i'm not even sure he was the better actor in either scene. 
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I really liked Scent of a Woman- fun but total ham. Godfather 2 you get the dark, quiet calculated evil that we rarely saw from later Pacino but he did mix that in with just enough of the famous Pacino explosions. It was one of the few roles where he had the balance right. 

 
Ilov80s said:
The classic make-up Oscar. Pacino for GF 2 would have been a much better choice. I am sure Art Caney was good in Harry and Tonto but it certainly hasn't stood the test of time like the Godfather. Paul Newman should probably have won for The Verdict over Ben Kingsley in Gandhi.

The worst was James Stewart losing for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and then getting a make-up win for The Philadelphia Story a year later when Henry Fonda was a slam dunk for Grapes of Wrath. 
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I haven't seen Harry and Tonto, but I think Art Carney was one of those "transformation" Oscars that they sometimes give out because he played a man older than he actually was.

The nominee list for that year was pretty incredible.  Others were Pacino, Nicholson for Chinatown, Finney for Murder on the Orient Express, and Hoffman for Lenny.  Carney's win does stick out a bit over that list.

 
Godfather I and II featured Pacino at his best, but I would agree that he was awesome in Scent of a Woman as well and deserved that (long overdue) Oscar.   Sure, he should have had a few already, but that being the one that finally got him the win was more than justified.  

 
His performance in scent of a woman felt over the top and almost fabricated for lack of a better word.  Have never been a fan of the movie.

 
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