Al Pacino names the most overlooked movie of his career: “A worthwhile venture”
How does an actor become as legendary as Al Pacino? Maybe it’s his versatility—embodying terrifying, volatile characters just as easily as comedic ones. Or maybe it’s his charisma, bringing an unforgettable presence to every role. Pacino has dominated Hollywood for decades, shaping the industry through powerful performances in key works of American cinema like The Godfather trilogy, Scarface, and Dog Day Afternoon.
Pacino emerged with a small role in the 1969 film Me, Natalie before nabbing a leading part in The Panic in Needle Park, starring alongside Kitty Winn as a pair of drug addicts. Impressing critics with his complex performance, he quickly landed a prominent role in The Godfather, which would transform Hollywood by helping to usher in a new wave of grittier and more explosive stories. It was violent and expansive, signalling a move towards blockbuster filmmaking that championed artful yet epic narratives.
Pacino found himself at home in these New Hollywood movies – they appealed to a wide audience and found lots of box office success, but they were also incredibly well-made and acted, with nuanced storylines and rich character studies sitting alongside more thrilling and attention-grabbing sequences. Cinema has changed a lot since then, but Pacino has continued to earn acclaim in several great films, like Once Upon A Time in Hollywood and The Irishman.
Despite earning widespread acclaim and picking up various prestigious awards—including an Oscar—Pacino has still appeared in his fair share of films that slipped under the radar. It’s no easy task navigating a career when one of your earliest performances was in one of the most acclaimed movies of all time, setting a high standard for every film that followed. While Pacino has done well to maintain his winning streak, there are times when he’s wished more people had seen certain films of his.
Talking to Screen Rant about his overlooked movies, Pacino said, “Well, that’s really an encouraging question. I’d have to really think about it because as they say, some films hit and some miss. In the late 90s, I started making my own films that were more connected to ideas I had. A few were adaptations of plays I did and one or two were ones I wrote and directed. I do believe that the film, Looking for Richard, was a worthwhile venture for me.”
The film is perhaps one of the more unexpected projects Pacino has taken on, but his passion for William Shakespeare and the art of acting shines through the documentary. He weaves together performances of scenes from Richard III—featuring himself and actors like Winona Ryder and Penelope Allen (his Dog Day Afternoon co-star)—with explorations into the play’s historical context. Released in 1996, it’s one of several films Pacino has directed and one of two documentaries he has helmed, the other being 2011’s Wilde Salomé.
Elaborating on Looking for Richard, Pacino concluded, “I guess I can say it’s the kind of the film that finds its audience. Finding its audience relies a lot on how it’s promoted since so many people go to films for various reasons so you have to seek out the people who would go see this kind of film and that takes time, commitment and – of course – money.”
