Either playing gangsters, or on the way to playing gangsters. Whenever we talk about Al Pacino, we always think of the classic gangster image in "The Godfather", "Scarface", "Dawn of the Lover" and other books: the calm and wise Mike Corleone, the fanatical and persistent Tony Montana and the tender and watery love lord Calido, each of which is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and is hailed as a textbook performance. These roles give Al Pacino a distinct gangster mark, as if he were born to be an actor for gangsters.
It's an accepted fact that Al Pacino's gangster films are good, but it's also because he's so good at gangster acting that we overlook his talent for acting in other roles. You must know that Al Pacino's only Oscar winner is "Smell the Woman" that has nothing to do with the gangsters. In addition to gangster movies, Al Pacino has also tried a lot of movies that focus on the emotions of the characters and the social problems that are not as exciting and good-looking as gangster movies, but they are much more real in terms of resonating and thinking. The eternal "godfather of the gang" is perhaps our biggest misconception about Al Pacino, who is far more than a "godfather" after the gangster.
<h1>Manghorn: Everyone needs a key to life</h1>
In Manghorn aka The Broken Corner, Al Pacino plays an elderly locksmith with thousands of keys hanging from his home, but none of them are his own. He opened countless doors for others, but he never opened the door of his own heart: because of nostalgia, he locked himself in the memories of living in the past. Life needs to be let go, and everyone needs a key to open the door of their heart. This is the message that Al Pacino has to convey to us in Manghorn. The plot of the film is fragmented and filled with a lot of Al Pacino's self-dialogue. We don't see the excitement in his previous gangster films, all we see is the loneliness of a broken old man.
<h1>Danny Collins: Life is sometimes a play for others to see</h1>
Danny Collins is a film based on a true story, and Al Pacino's former star Danny Collins discovers a letter written to him by John Lennon in the past and plucks up the courage to start a new life and re-creation. But when he worked so hard to create a new song, he found that he did not have the courage to stand on the stage and perform. It was then that Danny Collins realized how difficult it is to change, and even if we change our hearts, it is difficult to change the perception of us from the outside world. We always want to live the way we like, but in the end we have to cooperate with others to perform. Although life is sometimes a play for others to see, don't forget what we look like in our lives after the performance.
<h1>Low into the Dust: There is only a line between comedy and tragedy</h1>
In "Low into the Dust", a film about the old and helpless, Al Pacino plays an elderly stage performer who completely loses himself in his old age. He was tired of performing on stage but still wanted to prove his worth. But the sudden love made him even more suffering from weakness. The film focuses on the anxiety and loss of this life of the elderly, and simon in the film has some similarities with the real-life Al Pacino. They were all great performers, but they were all at an age when they were about to become immobile. Al Pacino brought in his own shadow in the performance, madman or genius, inside or outside the play, comedy or tragedy, the taste of life can only be known after tasting it.
<h1>Doctor Death: Death is God's will or an individual's right</h1>
Based on a true American story, the film tells the story of Dr. Jack Covokian, played by Al Pacino, who promoted euthanasia in the United States and fought for the legalization of euthanasia. This is not an artistic performance film, but a real documentary. Al Pacino's performance is often characterized by a strong sense of tension and art, which does not seem to be suitable for Dr. Jack in the movie, but in the formal performance, he fully grasps Jack's characteristics. Al Pacino, who used to kill countless people in gangster movies, used death to help 130 people get relief in "Doctor Death", while he himself was just a stubborn and innocent old man. With the help of the topic of euthanasia, the film is about a collision between human feelings and law.
<h1>Smell the Woman: Everyone has a Frank in their heart</h1>
"Smell the Woman" is an Oscar-winning film by Al Pacino, who has nothing to do with gangsters, and Al Pacino has taught all audiences a lesson on the journey of life. The core of the film is not in the transformation process of how Frank gave up his suicidal thoughts and regained his life, but to explore the reasons behind his real blindness. From the past inability to the current deafness in both eyes, life is a process of ups and downs. And the character and fate of Frank played by Al Pacino is extremely complex and tortuous, he is stubborn, arrogant, majestic and loving, and each of us can see our own side from him. The movie smells of women, but it tells the story of men.
The meaning that movies give to life is nothing more than two kinds: the first, life is too plain, bringing us some surprises outside of life, this kind of movie is Al Pacino's hot gangster film, everyone gets the thrill of excitement from it; and the other, life is too difficult, bringing us some hope in life, this kind of movie is the above several Al Pacino's non-gangster movies, these movies have no dramatic conflict and romantic love, but carefully taste each one contains the true meaning of life. Al Pacino is a very well-rounded acting genius and master of the arts, and the "godfather of the gangsters" is just his most recognizable business card, after the gangsters, he gave more meaning to the film and life. That's what makes him truly lovely.