Identify three actors from The Godfather film and classify each according to the types of actors listed in the textbook while explaining the reasons for classifying the actors in their respective categories.
Marlon Brando would fall under the “Impersonator” category for actors due to his excellent acting skills and his powerful personality (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). While many remember him for his role as Vito Corleone in The Godfather Brando participated in other well-known films including A Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront, and Apocalypse Now. Brando has received seven best actor and one best supporting actor nominations while winning the best actor award twice. In The Godfather Brando’s ability to shift from loving patriarch to cold-blooded killer is done with ease. In ordering retribution against the attackers of the mortician’s daughter or having the studio owner’s horse killed the action is performed in such a way as to draw sympathy. After all, he is only taking care of his family as any patriarch would. This ability to play various characters while creating different sides to them supports his inclusion in the “Impersonator” category.
Al Pacino falls under the “Interpreter” category” through his ability to absorb and take on the personality of his characters. While most of his more challenging and well-known roles involve gangster and police characters, it is the skill to interpret them while also adding his touch that sets him apart (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). This skill is present in roles such as Tony Montana in Scarface, Sonny in Dog Day Afternoon, and his most famous role as Michael Corleone in The Godfather. In this film, Pacino starts off as the innocent son who has no desire for involvement in the family business. However, as the movie goes on, he transforms the character into one who commits actions that are even more cold-blooded than his father. The ability to absorb the essence of the character while adding his stamp to him seems to be a strong suit for Pacino.
James Caan falls under the category of “Character” for actors. This skill allows him to fit into various roles while at the same time not dominating the film he is in (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). This idea is present in the different roles Caan has played throughout the years. Though being the lead character in a few roles, his performance’s do not dominate a film as seen with a Brando or Pacino. Some of those roles include Brian Piccolo in Brian’s Song, Paul Sheldon in Misery, and Eddie Sparks in For the Boys where the presence of another actor or actress dominated the film. In the movie, The Godfather Caan plays the hot-headed Sonny Corleone, which allows the character to dominate scenes but at the same time not dominate the film. However his ability to play many different types of characters seamlessly puts Caan in the “Character” group.
Focus on one of the actors discussed. Based on other films the actor has been in, would this actor always be placed in the same category?
This section will focus on Al Pacino and placement in the “Interpreter” category from the textbook. This grouping seems ideal for Pacino for two reasons. One is because the roles that have brought him the most recognition have cast him as a gangster or police officer. These characters may lead to typecasting for Pacino, but it is what the actor does with the roles that place him in the category. In The Godfather the transformation that takes place from quiet son to mafia don is extraordinary and along with Brando’s performance dominates the film. This same type of character transformation takes place in Dog Day Afternoon as well. In this movie, Sonny Wortzik attempts to rob a bank in Brooklyn New York. When the attempt fails and hostages taken Sonny begins a transformation into a sympathetic figure that bystanders root for during the change (Dog day afternoon, n.d.).
In the film, Heat Pacino plays the Lieutenant (Vincent Hanna) of an elite police task force chasing a group of bank robbers. The film shows a man who is the best at what he does from a work standpoint but is failing miserably as both a husband and father (Heat, n.d.). However once again we see the ability to rise above this bad characterization and turn the individual into a figure that the audience can sympathize with (Heat – Face 2 Face, n.d.). There has been little recognition outside of these roles that Al Pacino has received critical acclaim for in a movie career that has spanned decades. It would be difficult to put Pacino in the “Impersonator” role for this reason. However what Pacino has done with the characters referred to above in addition to other roles not mentioned here is nothing short of excellence. The actor not only is immersed in the role but transforms the characters into individuals that bear only a semblance of themselves when the film started.
References
Al Pacino, Heat. [Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJd4JquFJwc
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education.
It’s Strictly Business – The Godfather (2/9) Movie CLIP (1972) HD. [Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qvpcfYFHcw
Memorable movie moments-Dog day afternoon. [Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYt24hq5nbM
The Godfather – Pelea Sonny Corleone y Carlo Rizzi 1080p. [Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OEhiTHJ0EA
The Godfather Best Scene. [Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i96VS_z8y7g
Ultimate Gangster Collection (Contemporary) – Heat – Face 2 Face. [Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rIYXfztyxA
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