Alfredo
James “Al” Pacino, the personification of a Hollywood legend, was born
in New York City, on April 25, 1940. He began his career as a film actor in the
1970s, with the hugely popular mafia epic ‘The Godfather’. Since then, he has been celebrated for his exemplary prowess in playing contemplative and
wrathful characters.

In his
nearly 50-year career, Pacino has given a number of seminal
performances that have enchanted fans and aspiring actors alike. The
82-year-old method actor, who is one Grammy shy of an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), has rendered his
own unique touch to some of cinema’s most illustrious characters. Without
a doubt, he is one of those rare acting legends who arise only once in a
generation.

This
birthday let’s take a look at some of his most celebrated performances.

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The Godfather Trilogy

It’s
unfathomable to picture ‘The Godfather’ without Al Pacino. Then again, why not?
After all, Al Pacino is to The Godfather what The Godfather is to Al Pacino. The
actor who played Michael Corleone, the son of a gangster, was nearly
inconspicuous for the first half of the film. Until he finally takes stand,
assuming control of the Corleone crime enterprise and, with it, the film. He
was nominated twice for the ‘Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor’ for his
portrayal of the character, and rightfully so.

Plus,
there’s more. The actor was a member of an ensemble cast. Yes, you read
that right. For the uninitiated, standing out among an ensemble cast is quite a
feat for someone who started out as a struggling actor with only one film under
his belt, before the Godfather.

Our
favourite line from this saga has to be, “Never hate
your enemies. It affects your judgment.”

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Scarface

With this
1983 thriller, Pacino once again embodied the kind of high-intensity role that
had made him famous. He portrayed Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee who shot to the
top of Miami’s drug underworld. In fact, this is yet another iconic role like
Michael Corleone. Pit one against the other and it would be tough to choose a
winner.

Everything
about him, from his accent to his arrogance to his ruthlessness (he killed 42
people in the film), his vulnerability as a drug addict to his flamboyance, did
a number on viewers’ hearts, rendering the movie a cult classic.

“The
only thing in the world that gives commands is balls,” is our favourite
line from this movie. Not very classy, but true to Pacino’s character.

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Carlito’s Way

Brian De
Palma and Al Pacino reunited for this mobster film after their successful
collaboration in ‘Scarface’. This Latin mafioso film is quite unlike ‘The
Godfather Trilogy’ or ‘Scarface’. In ‘The Godfather’, Pacino was shown to be a good
man who later turned bad because of circumstances. Scarface portrayed a
character who was violent and evil through and through, who was drawn to crime
like a moth to a flame. In ‘Carlito’s Way’, Pacino portrays a reformed
gangster who, despite his best attempts, can’t seem to leave his criminal past
behind. This tale of redemption and tragic romance made ladies swoon over
Pacino, once again.

Our
favourite line from this movie has to be, “Favor gonna kill you faster than a
bullet.” Cutting and true even in the real world.

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And Justice for All

When you
say ‘Pacino’ and ‘courtroom’, you instinctively think of his
Oscar-winning performance in ‘Scent of a Woman’ (hoo-ah!). Pacino did not assume
the role of a mob boss in the film, which was unfortunate or perhaps a
pleasant surprise. In this neo noir courtroom drama, Pacino played Arthur
Kirkland, a defense attorney fighting against a Judge accused of brutal sexual assault.

Did you
know that the actor rewrote the film’s climax, which is also its most outstanding
scene? For realism, the film, which took cues from real-life lawyers, had
several moments that didn’t entirely reflect reality. That’s when Pacino revised
the dialogues, and while the film did not proceed with that version, Pacino did
play up the scene’s theatricality. His line from the scene, “You’re out of
order!” became phenomenal, and people would remember it for the rest of
their lives.

If it wasn’t
already evident, our favourite line from this movie is, “You’re out of
order!”

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Serpico

Al Pacino
portrays Frank Serpico, a cop who harbours disdain for his fellow cops who
pursue the other side of the law. The film which is based on
a real-life police officer of the same name, follows Serpico as he
goes through the arduous process of blowing the whistle on officials abusing
their badges.

Pacino’s
ability to dominate a crowd with his sonorous yet powerful voice has
become a defining characteristic of his career. But the part where he snaps
around to yell “Stay the f*** outta here” to a
corrupt cop is as riveting as they get. For his work in this movie,
Pacino received his second Oscar nomination and his first ‘Golden Globe’.

Our
favourite line from this movie is, “The fight
for justice against corruption is never easy. It never has been and never will
be. It exacts a toll on our self, our families, our friends, and especially our
children. In the end, I believe, as in my case, the price we pay is well worth
holding on to our dignity.”

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Pacino has
starred in a number of films in the past. In fact, his portrayal
of an irate, blind, retired veteran Lt. Col. Frank Slade in ‘Scent of
a Woman’ earned him his first and only Oscar. ‘Dog Day Afternoon’, ‘Heat’, ‘Donnie
Brasco’, ‘The Irishman’, ‘Any Given Sunday’, ‘Insomnia’, ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’, and ‘The
Panic in Needle Park’ are some of his other masterpieces that you can
fawn over, time and again.