Al Pacino reveals that he avoided watching The godfather For fifty years. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the classic crime film was first released in 1972, and starred Pacino as Michael Corleone, the son of a mafia boss who gradually takes over the family business. The godfather is considered one of the best movies of all time, and even earned Pacino an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
In Pacino’s new memoir Sonny Boy (via EW), the actor talked about how he avoided watching The godfather for a long time. In the book, Pacino wrote that he went to the premiere of the movie. however, He left the theater before the movie even started playing. Pacino’s comments about leaving the premiere can be found below:
I went to The godfather Premiere at the Loew’s State Theater in Times Square with a bow tie the size of my head. I just remember standing on a platform with my costars, being asked questions by the press that I couldn’t answer. Then we took our seats, but I didn’t see the movie. I didn’t want to see the finished product. As soon as the lights went out, I went out.
The actor continued to elaborate on his feelings about not wanting to watch himself on screen with an audience. He said, “I can never watch myself on the screen while other people are watching me. It was a bit disconcerting and It made me shy, almost ashamed. As a younger actor, I think I needed attention and did not want it at the same time.”
Pacino also wrote that although he had seen parts of the movie on TV, he tried to avoid watching it The godfather completely. In the book, he explained that he didn’t think he would be able to enjoy watching the movie since he was in it. He said:
I have gone almost my whole life without seeing anything The godfather in its entirety. I don’t know why. Maybe I felt that because I was in it, I would not be a good audience for that. Over the years, of course, I would catch some of it here or there on TV, and once you watch it, it’s hard to put it down.
However, Pacino says that over the years, his feelings about watching himself on screen have changed. He then said that he was able to watch The godfather In theaters for his fiftieth birthday, and it was a great experience for the iconic actor. He wrote:
I recently watched The godfather At a screening for his fiftieth anniversary at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, where a sound print was beautifully projected, with crisp, perfect sound. The whole experience was uplifting. There is not a scene in the film where there are not two or three things going on. There is no single moment, there is always a story. There was so much I was struck by.
Why Pacino not watching the film meant for the godfather
At one point, Pacino wanted to quit the film
Pacino recently spoke about his experience working on The godfatherWhich sheds some light on why he would be self-conscious about watching himself in the film. in Sonny BoyPacino talked about how a week into filming, Coppola told him he was unhappy with Pacino’s performance. Pacino also recently shared that he hopes that an injury he received while filming would force him to leave the movie.
Instead, he continued to layer his performance to help move Michael’s story forward and show where he was at that point in his life.
Since Pacino did not watch The godfatherWhen it was time to return to the role for the two Godfather Sequels, he wouldn’t have just tried to recreate his performance from the first film. If he watched the movie upon its release, his performance would have been clear in his head, and It may have impacted his future depiction of Michael Corleone. Instead, he continued to layer his performance to help move Michael’s story forward and show where he was at that point in his life.
Our take on Pacino avoided the Quadfather for 50 years
Pacino’s story about finally watching the movie is a full-circle moment
Since The godfather Considered one of the best movies ever made, it’s a shame that Pacino spent five decades feeling like he wouldn’t be able to enjoy it. However, his story about finally watching it shows How much the actor has changed in his opinion of watching himself on the screen. 50 years after walking out of his premiere, Pacino is finally able to enjoy watching The godfatherWith an audience that loved both the movie and his performance as Michael Corleone. It makes for a beautiful conclusion to his ever-evolving feelings towards the iconic movie.
Source: Sonny Boy (by EW)