( BOOK REVIEW : SONNY BOY
BY AL PACHINO )
Inroduction
This
is an autobiography of my Hero whom I have followed closely since the time I
saw the two Godfather films in Bangalore in 1979. Godfather introduced him to
me and Godfather 2 cemented his image. Such a subtle and subdued performance !
the radiance in his silences made me his admirer forever. I followed his films
and whatever was being written about him with a fan’s devotion . His biography
‘ A life is on the wire’ by Andrew Yule and
then his full book interview by Lawrence
Grobel ; both were very interesting and informative. Indeed, it is challenging to write on
a person’s autobiographical work whom one has admired and adored him since
youth, defended his apparent over the top performances among friends , lamented
his being ignored by the Academy for so many worthy nominations in Oscars. And
yet one is compelled to perform once bounden duty as a cinema goer.
This autobiography of his is like so many of
his films is brilliant! A work of Art.
Simple narrative , truthful and candid . He talks about most of his life,
ideology , problems and work and life milestones and his inner-self is shown to
us which is a revelation! Indeed a great
artist , and greater human!
The
Beginning In South Bronx
He says that for posterity he was prompted to
write his life story. It was for his little son born to him a year ago at age
83 which made headlines. He writes in detail about his childhood . He lives
with his single mother, they are from Italian descent . His parents had married
when they were very young and as soon as when Al was born his father had left
his mother. She brings up Al on her own
, she would take young Al with her to
the movies and on his return he would enact those scenes to the delight of his
mother and grand parents. He writes: “ I was performing since I was just a little boy”.
“
I learnt at an early age to make friends with my imagination.”
When his mother could not afford living single
and working in factories she shifted with Al to her parents house. His Maternal grandfather was from Corleone town of Sicily, a plasterer and therefore Al had influences of his mother and grand
parents. Mother never marries again , suffers from anxiety and depression , Al seems to have imbibed this from her. The
book’s title ‘Sonny Boy’ is the name by which his mother used to call
him, which was from a film song she would sing.
When he was writing this he perhaps was aware
of his legacy, of the impact he would be making with his millions of admirers
and followers all over the world. In this book he gives us an account of his
personal life , of his life in theatre , of the various films he made . What is
revealed to us is behind the film work , creative and logistics and financial
which goes on to make this landmark cinema . It is told to us how he
collaborated with his directors and producers to make an impact. He wanted to
set the record straight in his words, this work was for his children and for
his admirers and for the students of cinema . It is certainly a well documented
history of a great artist .
He
documents his lows as well as highs.
He remains so close to his mother who showed him the silver screen out
of no ambition but for an escape from the drudgery of her daily life and no man
in her life. She would have not known that the child she was taking to movies
was going to be the one of the biggest performer of theatre and cinema but sadly she would not be there to see it. An artist , a true artist true in mind and action. Cinema was his mother’s
therapy and young Al’s indoctrination , his baptism . He is admired by his class mates for his
acting abilities and his teacher insists that he continues with acting: After
the school production of ‘The king and I ‘ a school student told him ‘ Hey
you are the next Marlon Brando’
Blanche
Rothstern was his junior High school teacher came home climbing four floors and
advised his mother that ‘ Al must be allowed to continue to act’ his
Granny was also there ‘ this is his future’ . She was so devoted. True
‘encouragement’- the greatest word in the English dictionary’ writes Al.
He would sing psalms in church and realized
the power of the ‘word’ ,but fearing that virgin Mary will make him a saint he
did not go for his confirmation of the holy communion -
“
But when I read from the book of psalms in a loud booming voice –“ He that
walketh uprightly and worketh righteously
and speaketh the truth to the
heart” I could feel how powerful the words were. Because the words can make you
fly . They can come to life”
He gets selected to the school of performing and
does well . He is also elected by the students as a ‘student who is likely
to succeed in life’ . unfortunately he
is unable to continue to study till High School and get his degree as his
mother could not afford further studies . He was there till age 16 ; the legal
age after which one may discontinue. After that he seeks and does various odd
jobs to support himself and his family, but continues to learn himself .
There
is this deep desire to support his mother who needs good medicines on account
of her sensitive nature and depression for which she was under medication , and
then one day his mother takes an overdose of medicines which shakes him.
His father has also been in touch with him .
He is known to his family and visits them, his paternal grandmother is very
possessive of him and he has fond memories of her. But even though he considers
that his mother did not get a good deal in the separation terms and his father got
away without much commitment in terms of financial aid to his wife he is not
bitter . One of the cherished memories he has is of his mother and father
walking back home after cinema with Al in between holding their hands . They
dine at ‘Howard Johnson’ a popular eating place. Al Pachino is understanding and never utters anything
against his father. This affects him life long –‘suspicion of marriage’. He has
numerous relationships , comes close to marrying and yet shies away calling
marriage –‘pain train’. He has children from his relationships , four from
three partners , is a doting father and cares for his children , shuttles
between work and parent responsibilities dutifully but never marries !
He is depressed and lonely after the death of
his mother and copes by drinking and walking in the streets of Manhattan
reciting famous monologues in loud voice , books became his friends! He carried
pocket sized books of renowned authors and classical albums with him . “ I would walk the streets all day
and then I would sit in the library pretty much for warmth. But I became a
voracious reader . I had no teachers and no homework assignments, so I followed my own
passions”
On
his own and Meets Charlie
He
finds a friend and acting coach in Charlie Loughton ‘ Charlie possessed a
literary brilliance that I wish I had myself. He turned me on to novelists and
poets I did not know’ He Joins
Herbert Berghof Studio where Charlie teaches as an acting student. And as he is
unable to pay so he has to clean the
floor and make the class presentable for lessons. In the city of New York there are plenty of platforms to perform on
stage and Al waits for his turn and opportunity.
Early
in his life he had seen the play ‘Seagull’ by Anton Chekov and was moved by it.
It was performed in a hall of 2000 seating and only 15 to 20 audience was around
watching and Al was among them. Watching the play moved him tremendously and he
became a student of Chekov and an avid reader of his plays. He is not formally
educated but he imbibes education on his own Chekov and Charlie become his
Gurus . He and Charlie would move the city
together and this way he learnt a lot from him. Charlie predicts his
stardom :
“
He stopped on the stairway , looked back at me , paused and said ‘ Al you are
going to be a big star ‘ and Charlie never talked like that . I mean never. As
long as I know him he never said a word
about that stuff. That was not his deal at all. It came out of nowhere.”
“
I said to him “ I know Charlie I know “ and I meant it
He
was doing off-off-off-off Broadway performances at village cafes. ‘Hell at
There ‘by William Sarzan , sixteen performances at coffee cine, Cornelia street
, pass hat to what a little audience was there – Sartre, Ibsen, Bertold Breth,
Chekov.
It
was during the enactment of Strindberg’s play ‘Creditors’ that there is a
moment of self realization which gives him confidence and reassurance
“
And then one night , onstage , just
like that , it happened . The power of expression was recreated to me in a way
it never had before . I wasn’t even searching for it . That is beauty of these
things .”
You
‘re not looking for it . I am opening my mouth and I am understanding somehow
that I can speak. Words are coming out and they are the words of Strindberg ,
but I am saying them as if they are mine . The world is mine , and my feelings
are mine , and they are going beyond the south Bronx . I left the familiar , I
became part of being larger . I felt that there was more to me , a feeling that
I belonged to the whole world and not just one place . I am thinking to myself
, what is this? It feels as though I was lifting off the ground . I thought yes
, this is it it’s right here and I can reach at and touch it . This is out
there and this is what I know , now is possible , all of a sudden , in that
moment, I was universal”
“
I know I didn’t have a worry after that . I eat . I don’t eat . I make money ,
I don’t make money. I ‘m famous , I ’m not famous . It didn’t mean anything
anymore. And that is lucky , in this business when you don’t care about that .
A door was opening not to a career , but to success or fortune , but to the
living spirit of energy. I had been given this insight into myself , and there
was nothing else I could do but say , I want to do this for ever”.
Indian
Wants The Bronx- Meets Francis Capolla
He
acts in a play titled ‘Indian wants the Bronx’ and this play makes him famous .
On the strength of this play he gets a chance to perform in Broadway ‘ ‘Does a Tiger wear a necktie?’ and he performs well. Wins
Tony Award. He is seen by Francis Ford Capolla who calls him to San Francisco
for a role in a movie for which he had written a script . He spent about four
five days with him. The screenplay was
about a young married professor with children who falls in love with his own
student he wanted Al to play the professor , but no studio was ready to finance
the proposal even though Francis had won an Oscar for his screenplay of
‘Patton’. The proposal never took off and Al returned to New York.
Martin Bergman a popular producer and
manager identifies him and casts him in
a junkie film ‘Panic in the needle park’
in which he plays a young junkie and has as girlfriend . The film was
received well and the girl got the best actress award in Cannes film festival.
Then Godfather happened . Francis called him
to play the role of Michael Corleone the youngest son of Don played by Marlon
Brando .Al Pachino had read the novel by the same name by Mario Puzo who co
wrote the screenplay with Francis . Al is surprised and indeed shocked and for
a moment thought that there was some one else on line . He commences shooting
and interprets the role in his own way . After a few days of shoot Francis
called him to state his acting was not clicking whereas Al thought that he was
going with the flow of the film . He showed him the rushes . Studio was more keen to cast Robert
Redford, Jack Nicolson or Warren Betty. Therefore they decided to give him
another chance and decided to shoot the sequence where Michael shoots the
police inspector in a restaurant . It is shot well though Al Pachino gets
injured in the process and he moves on with the shoot .
The success of Godfather makes him a star .
He is unable to cope with attention and adulation . No body could help him even
Lee Strasburg said him to adjust! He took to heavy drinking and drugs. He
becomes a recluse , he is not a party man , has very limited friends circle.
He is nominate for Oscars and does not attend
the ceremony . During that time there was this news that he did not attend on
account of many factors- he was a recluse,
he was shy , wanted to stay away
from spotlight , was scared of flying . But the media at that time made their
own interpretation and stories , of which Al was not aware till recently . He
was made to be arrogant and refused to attend as he was not nominated in the
best actor category but ‘supporting’ category . In the book he sets the record
straight and writes that he never had any such issues and he realized this
false news vey late in life . He was primarily afraid to fly and was a little
recluse post Godfather; ‘Garbo effect’.
After the success of Godfather he does
‘Serpico’ , ‘Dog Day afternoon’ and ‘Justice for all’ and all are successful
and he is nominated for Oscars in all of them. He does attend ‘Serpico’s’ Academy award function sozzled .
Success begets
success and so Godfather 2 is made after the super success of Godfather
. This Godfather is even more successful critically . Paramount approach Al
Pachino for the title role and offer 1 million dollars which he refuses , they
raise to 2 and 6 million , but he was
not keen as the script was not good
enough . They then collaborate on the script Charlie and Al Pachino giving
suggestions at one end in a hotel in San Francisco and Francis Ford
Capolla and Mario Puzo at the other and
together they reshaped the winning script.
Then comes the highpoint in his career and he
makes ‘Scarface’ a modern remake of 1932 film which was set during the
depression era. This new film is set in modern times about Cuban immigrants and
drug mafia . He has over the top
performance in the film which I too did not appreciate during the release. But
over the years like Godfather it has become a cult film . It started slow but
went on to become a blockbuster . Directed by Brian De Pama it was a project of
Martin Bergman. It was not only . Al feels that he deserved to be nominated for
Oscars for his performance . Perhaps this is the only project of which he feels
bad. The role of Tony Montana played by him is very popular and he earns money
still being a profit sharing partner in the film, the screenplay was by Oliver
Stone. Al
Pachino writes of ‘Scarface’- ‘At its opening , Scarface was a flop; not
commercially , but critically. Artistically. Spiritually.’
Oliver
Stone the writer tells : “ ‘You know what it is , Al? he told me . “ It’s
anarchy . They are dancing in the aisles’
Al
was not nominated for Oscars his fans
gave him a home made Oscar which looked exactly like the Oscar only a little
bigger. He has kept it till date.
He
is selective about the choice of his
films and the script and his role are his primary concerns . He turns down many
reputed international filmmakers such as Fellini, Ingmar Bergman , Bernardo
Bertolucci even though he wanted to work
with them.
Takes
a Break
There are commercial and critical failures
which follow one after the other- ‘Bobby Deerfield’ directed by Sydney Pollack
is not received well . ‘Author -Author’ a comedy fails. ‘Revolution’ a much
ambitious project made in location in England is a disaster. His closeness and commitment to his projects
prompts him to retrieve the film of its goodness , he writes “ For twenty
year period after ‘Revolution’ was released Hugh Hudson and I continued to get
together , finding more ways to work on the film, putting things we thought
were missing , cutting it down where we could. We raised our own cash and I got
friends to write some of the voice over narration. After Hugh passed away there
was a special screening of the new cut of the film called ‘Revolution ,
Revisited’ for a couple of hundred people at the Aero theatre
in Santa Monica. When you saw it on the screen of that size and in a theatre
with those acoustics , you saw a great director attempting something magical .”
“
Sometimes you just have to do things away from commercial pressures and the
demands of box -office opening weekends , which I just had no understanding of
it “
There
is confusion – so he takes a break , which he regrets later. But he reads a lot
, is in relationship with Diana Keaton and does theatre and is a productive
period in which he makes his first private film ‘The Local Stigmatic’ which is
shown in private screening and is appreciated by eminent playwright Harold Pinter
. But then after a period of four years he finds himself in financial
crises of not his making but of his accountant . And so he looks for work which he thought would come easily on
account of his past work but he was wrong . Since he was not current he finds
that the agents whom he meets do not share his concepts and ideas .He is
frustrated and returns home dejected . But then his old manager and friend
Martin Bregman bails him out and recommends he does ‘A sea of Love’ which is a
successful return film of his. He then does ‘Carlito’s Way’ , ‘Godfather 3’ as
he and Francis both needed money .He had liked the script of Godfather 3 but
the public did not accept Michael seeking redemption . It did not do so well
commercially and critically but Al was nominated for Oscars. He gets the Oscar
finally for the ‘Scent of a woman’ .
He again runs into financial problem on
account of his finance person who was spending without his consent and was even
signing the cheques. Therefore Al resorts to charging for his lectures and
seminars which earlier he never used to . This saved him from financial
crises.
In
order to be more independent and creative and to preserve his Art he
produces private movies in his career
starting with the ‘The local stigmatic’ a play in which he had acted earlier,
‘Chinese coffee’ , ‘ Wilde Salome’, and ‘Looking for Richard iii. ‘ Looking for
Richard’ was one of his most ambitious
projects during which he travelled to places , he shot in England with a cast
which included Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin. . He talks to veteran Shakespearean
actors , and this film is very close to his heart .It is a docu- drama and so
does not qualify for the Oscars for which Al is disappointed .He sells the film
to a producer expected wide viewing but though he gets back his money the
viewing is limited as the person who buys it is shifted to another
organization. He feels sad that though he had put his heart and soul into the
movie it did not get the viewership and appreciation which he was looking for.
“
I did it with my own finances ,so I didn’t have to answer to anyone or
conform to the various rules people have when they put money into your film and
want that money back . An Art film is a gamble , and you can’t expect to make
back your investment or get upset when that doesn’t happen . They aren’t made
to be commercial , they serve a different kind of audience “
David
Wheeler wanted me to play Richrd iii….” I went to Boston for that adventure
which wound up being one of the most rewarding
things to happen to me since the ‘Indian wants the Bronx’ . Richrd iii
is one of those classical roles that has made the reputations of actors from
Edwin Krar to John Barrymore to Lawrence Olivier”
In
his advanced age also his dedication and commitment to theatre is admirable .
He acts in a play –‘Chinese Doll’ in his
old age promotes and performs . His performance is criticised by the critics
but he improves gradually and finally gives an outstanding performance.
At
an advanced age he makes ‘Irishman’ for which he is nominated for Oscars in the
supporting category . Earlier he was apprehensive and avoided Oscar award ceremony but now he is excited , he
takes his daughter and children to attend and they are all very excited . He
talks about acting in ‘The House of Gucci’ and was happy of its commercial
success. He is cast as ‘Shylock’ in ‘Merchant of Venice’ and the film is shot
extensively and does well. He also acted in the
play in the same role.
Finally
he mentions his desire to make ‘The King Lear’ for which all the preparations
were in hand – script , cast and the director . He was very excited about it
and expected it do well and his final creation and an ambitious project.
ASSESSMENT
Well
we know what we have seen in his films but what is revealed to us in the book
is the heart and mind and soul of Al Pachino . What does one make out of him? His
beliefs and ideology his internal makeup . How the person is wired?
Mother
His
mother is central to his life . His sensitivity , anxiety is attributed to her
nature . She is responsible to nurture him and keep his safe from his childhood
friends who end up dying due heroin addiction . His initial story seems to
similar to Charles Chapin whose father had left him and he is with his mother
who is hungry in the winters of England and young Charles is unable to find
food for her which affects her mind lifelong . He ensures comfortable life for
his mother when he is rich and famous with a nurse looking after her , but she
is unable to grasp the changed situation similar such was the irony with Al ;
when he has money his mother was not there . The title of the book is the name
given to him by his mother and he ends the book saying: “ All I want is the
chance to walk up to her , look in her eyes , and simply say –“ Hey , Ma , see
what happened to me ?”
Father
He
exonerates his father of his responsibilities by not stating a single word
against or critical of him . He remains in touch with him , attends his
wedding and when someone comments that
his father was using his name and fame he retorts by saying that it was he who
got the name from his father! However being a loner and sensitive he looks out
for ‘father figures’ in his life – Charlie, Martin Bregman and Lee Strasberg ! “ I seemed to have found and accumulated
these kinds of people throughout my life , surrogates for the father I never
had . Now I had three in the mix at once : there was Charlie , there was my
manager Martin Bregman, and there was Lee Strasberg”
Charlie
was his acting coach and sounding board and they would spend time together.
Martin was a producer and Manager who brought ‘ Panic in the Needle park’,
‘Serpico’ , ‘ Dog Day Afternoon’ and the iconic ‘Scarface’ and Lee admitted him in his ‘Actors’
Studio’ where he performed to his liking and in a way prepared for new roles .
He says that Lee had intellectual reach and unpredictability.
Acting
Method
He
clarifies this that though he has been known be to a ‘method actor’ he prepared
for each role role differently and
follows his own methods , he also quotes Hamlet to clarify his approach :
‘ But since I was a
kid. I got criticised by people for being a ‘method actor when I did not know
what they were talking about – Method? I played a role in a play . How I observe it and bring it to life that
is my task. That is what I go often’
“‘Hamlet says something that pretty much summed up
my own feelings about being taught how to act’
“
let your discretion be your tutor , suit the action to the word, the word to
the action , with this special observance that you overstep not the modesty of
nature..” in other words go to acting
classes, have an audition , show yourself that you can do the part. But do not
listen to the teachers . You have to be careful. Take what they say and use
only what you identify with ; just use that. There are no rules , but when it
comes right down to your performance it does not matter what most perhaps think
. Your intuition should not be swayed by the audience but your own imagination
and your willingness to go into yourself and express what is there.”
An
Actor Prepares
He
has been preparing for his roles from a very young age . His training begins
when his mother takes him to cinema and he enacts those actors. Then he is
enrolled in the School of Performing Arts and his teacher comes home to tell
that he should continue to act for that was his future . He sees Chekov’s ‘Sea Gull’ which hits him like a
‘bolt’ and Chekov is part of his life . He becomes a voracious reader of plays,
novels and poetry as his support system and to self educate , he relishes
reading and through reading creates his own safe haven . He meets Charlie and
joins his acting school. He would walk the lonely streets of Manhattan and
practice aloud the monologues from famous plays . Does theatre in off-off-off-
Broadway platforms – Ibsen , Strindberg, Bertold Brecht, Sartre . Does ‘Indian
wants the Bronx ‘ which is successful , joins ‘Boston Repertoire ‘ which opens
a new world for him. He does ‘Does Tiger
wear a Necktie?’ in Broadway . Is noticed by Francis Coppola , Martin
Bregman , Sidney Poitier and is accorded opportunity in cinema .
He
has his own way to prepare . For Godfather he takes long walks and meditates
upon the role . For Serpico he has extended discussions with ‘Serpico’ . He would listen
to loud western classical music before going for his shot in ‘Godfather 2’ . He
does accent training under an expert and also weight training to prepare
for Tony Montana in ‘Scarface’. In
addition to going to blind school and learn ‘Tango’ he asks his three year daughter to play ‘blind’ in order to get in
the role of the blind Colonel in ‘Scent of Women’.
Therefore
as said by him he has no ‘standard’ method to prepare for a role . But, he
prepares in his own way as the role demands.
Another
interesting aspect of his personality is that he shows himself less to public
by way of advertisement or promotion interviews or through media or gossip
media. This he does so that people do not get an overdose of him and look
forward to his work: “ Truth be told , I was so concerned with my staying
out of everything when I was younger . I thought. The less you know about me ,
the better choice I will have that you will appreciate what I do when I am
playing a role”.
God Belief
Intuition
There
exist deep belief in him of God ; a spirit which is with him and blesses him which
he acknowledges but is not exhibitive of
it . He sings Psalms in Church as a young school boy goes for the ‘Holy
Communion classes’ and looks at Mother Mary with faith and devotion and
believes that if continues to be regular one day she would make him a Saint !
He therefore does not go for his confirmation . “
I know my belief in the spirit of God has helped me through things, but I must
say I get some solace in something Einstein said that I tend to agree with –‘
believe in Spinoza’s God who reveals Himself in the orderly harmony of what
exists , not in a God who concerns Himself
with fates and actions of human beings’ “
“
When I was fifteen , back at the high school of performing Arts. I played the
lead role of the producer Sidney Black in our school production of the old Moss
Hart play from the 1940s ‘Light up the sky ‘ a role Sam Levene just made
famous. I think I was able to play that part with a kind of belief I’ve always
tried to aspire to. I was on the tightrope , and I was a butterfly , flying up
, up, and away into that place that I call Nirvana. God gives it to you . God
says you can go there. Why? Because you have wings. You don’t know you have
wings until God brigs them to your attention . As Michaelangelo said” Lord free
me of myself so I may please you”. .
Now
I am not religious or anything . But I
feel there is a spirit . You don’t have to call it God . In A. A. they call it
the higher power . Whatever it is . Whatever you think it may be , that was
mine. I believed it would happen although it wasn’t something I was preoccupied
with at the time or really thought about
it at all . I just sort of assumed that was what was going to happen , and I
accepted it . Whatever this acting thing was , I could do”
Money
He
has no attraction for money and therefore no great interest in making money
even though he was poor , his mother died being poor who could not afford
sophisticated medical treatment and financial help. He admits his lack of
knowledge of money . He wants to be an artist and contribute to Art even after
spending his own money which he does by
making private movies . Acts in plays without charging his fee. Is on the verge
of financial crisis on two occasions in life partly due to his financial
managers and partly because he was not aware how money works!
“
I can’t even explain why I didn’t care about the money . I was never a
materialistic person . I don’t know where I got that from . I appreciate the
finer things in life as much as the next guy , and I won’t refuse a good meal
or first class seat if someone offers it to me , but to actually go out and
seek that for myself ? That’s another story.”
“
I don’t understand how money worked , any more than I understand how a career
worked . It was a language I just didn’t speak”
He
did a film titled ‘Cruising’ in which he played an undercover police officer
and it was perceived to be anti -gay community which Al did not realise
earlier. Later when he realised , he did not take any money for the film but
put it in deposit for anonymous charity . He called it exploitative film :
“
I never accepted the paycheck for cruising . I took the money , and it was a
lot and I put it in a irrevocable trust fund. I gave it to charities , and wit
interest it was able to ride a couple of decades . I don’t know if it eased my
conscience , but at least the money did some good . It was always donated
anonymously , because I didn’t want to make it
a PR stunt-I just wanted one positive thing to come out of that whole
experience”
Fame
He
is a private person and shy of attention . When he became famous after ‘Godfather’
it was difficult for him to adjust in
the new situation . He admits that he was not a party man and he never wanted
to shift to LA from his comfort zone of plays and theatre in New York. He would
have preferred doing plays all his life , marrying a seamstress and having ten
children he states!
“
I was leery of the media glare that came with film roles . I saw the future for
myself when I did repertory theatre . These were the plays that could change my
life” These playwrights were prophets . They made me a better actor , gave me
an education , offered me a deeper
understanding of the world , and filled me with joy . Who wouldn’t be
satisfied with that ? I remember feeling I could be perfectly content doing
just that . I ‘d wind up marrying a seamstress and we’d have ten kids . It was
a strange fantasy but it gave me some hope . I said as much at the time in an
interview with the ‘New York Times’ before
‘The Godfather’ had made me a big star . Years pass and opinions change
, which is why it’s kind of ridiculous to have an opinion. But the bottom line
is , I meant it then , and if I had the
opportunity , I’d say that again . Maybe eight kids instead of ten”
“
Fame , as my friend Heathcote Williams said , is the perversion of the natural
human instinct for validation and
attention . It was so ephemeral and so strong”
Art
He
says that he was an artist could have been a musician . He would play the piano
and think that he could be Beethoven or Satie . He carried his classical album
collections with him along with books . Listen to the collection of Lee
Strasberg in his company . Devote time and money in theatre doing all kinds of
plays -Ibsen, Brecht, Sarte , Strindberg, David Mamet , Shakespeare . There is
this deep commitment to contribute something in the field of Art . He does his
private films – ‘The local stigmatic’ in which Harold Pinter saw Art and said :
“Every once in a while we see something different . We come into contact
with Art in films”. I just sat there stunned”
He
does ‘Chinese Coffee’ . ‘Looking for Richard’ a documentary -Drama on ‘Richard
iii’ by Shakespeare in order to document
his attraction and devotion to the Bard! He resents that his efforts in this
direction meet with limited success as few people saw it . Yet he says that he
has done the biggest Richard! “ I’ve
come to realize that when I do my own things , nobody goes. Those avant -garde
influences that I was brought up with never left my brain”
He
shows his appreciation of Oscar Wilde by acting in the play ‘Salome’ and making
a film titled ‘Wilde Salome’. He distinguishes between commercial and Art films
and as in India so too in US it was difficult to find money and audience for it ;
it remains in limited circulation . He admits this and his hurt specially when
his ambitious project on ‘Looking for Richard ’ remains unseen by many in
cinema world of Los Angeles .
He
qualifies to be part of the famous ‘Actor’s Studio’ of Lee Strasberg and
performs there such plays which he would not get opportunity elsewhere . He in
a way satisfied his artistic urges at the Studio of Lee: “ When I was still
an unknown I did everything and anything at the Actors; Studio that the
commercial world would never give me part in . I did musicals there; I did
Hamlet , I did Richard with Francisca de Sapio as my Lady Anne” “
He
would say that like a risky performer ‘ Life is on the wire’ rest is waiting
Even
when at the age of eighty he would be criticised for his performance in ‘China
Doll’ , he would press on and continue with his performance undeterred as he
believed in Art and himself and finally delivers:
“
But it was tough with China Doll on Broadway because they had written me off .
Sometimes , when you become reputable , you get looked at as a body of work
instead of as the thing you just did last week. You get endowed with things you
don’t really have . Your fame and your gifts as an actor are exaggerated .”
Personal
Ethics
He
has certain ethics which he has expressed and which are admirable . It started
as a young boy of six when he returns from his first day of school he tells his
grand father who was shaving in front of the mirror that he saw a boy doing
something very bad and he reported to the teacher and the boy was punished .
His grandfather without turning his head said ‘So you are a rat?’. It hit him
hard and since then he never ratted on
anyone.
He
would make a clear distinction between work and personal life and never let his
work affect his personal life and vice versa : “ I could see that a pattern
already starting in me some innate understanding that work is work and romance
and life come second”
At
one point in time specially after the death of his mother and post Godfather he
would be drinking and taking drugs to maintain his sanity and to cope up with
his changed status , He turned to Lee Strasberg for help who advised him to
adjust! Finally he took help and met Psychiatric and left drinking and When he
did work on Bobby Deerfield he was not drinking . He had seen his three close
friends from South Bronx die of heroin addiction and had the determination and
his mother’s care never to take that path. He never let his drinking affect his
work , though :
“
I will not drink when I worked that was my
by thing. Work was always first ‘ It was that gave me identity and
solace , made me feel , I was closer to who I was”
He
has had many partners and relationship in his long career at various junctures
. He admits that he likes women but he never woos anyone with a boyfriend or
husband :
“
It turned out that Kathleen had a boy friend and any woman with a boy friend
or husband is off limits. I just will not go there. Guess it is somewhere in my
ancestral roots. Who can explain it?”
New
York v/s Los Angeles
He
is a South Bronx born and brought up personality who has roamed around in
Manhattan and the factory areas with his three friends . Played pranks and all
child mischief in these familiar surroundings . It was his home which reminded
him of his Mother and grand parents ,
school and teachers . He built his theatrical career here in cafes, off -off
-off Broadway theatre and then at
Broadway . Met his mentors Charlie and Lee Strasberg . And was closely associated with the ‘Actors’
Studio’ which shaped his future, and
therefore he never wants to leave New York .
Initially he would even avoid going for negotiations of projects
to LA as it would entail travel by Air which he feared . He does not
even go for the Oscar ceremony when he was nominated for ‘Godfather’ because he
did not want to fly!
But
circumstances compel him to visit San Francisco and LA on account Godfather and
then later he settles there because the film business was there . Now he lives
in Beverely hills , but earlier he would prefer to stay away from the crowd and
had apartments at quieter places. He is a stranger in Los Angeles . Unable to
fathom the party scene ,the power of the critics and the gossip world . He is
critical of it . And perhaps , in my opinion that he never gets Oscars for so
many years despite being nominated.
“ I started to think myself ,How can I live
here?”
“
When I went to the Oscars for Serpico , I felt out of place . When I went back
twenty years later , I was in exactly the same state . I was still out of place
. I hadn’t developed that part of
yourself that comes to life and allows you to accept where you are”
He
experienced a glamorous and artificial world where every one was careful lest they
offend a critic and get his career spoiled. He would be shocked with the power
of the media and cinema critic and takes many years to adjust:
“
In certain quarters you had to watch out because you could tell the currency
they ran on was gossip. You’re just getting the froth , the cream on top , but
there’s no cappuccino in that cup you censor ”
“They
don’t stay late so they don’t say anything wrong after drinking!”
“
The worst thing is when you offend a critic , and who knows how that happens ?
I like to stay away from anyone who has
the power . If you censor yourself because you don’t want to hurt someone’s
feelings, I could live with that . But
when you censor yourself because you don’t want to jeopardise a job or a career , well , there goes the
human experience . How are you going to make real friends if you’re faking it?”
Influences
and Colleagues
Among
the playwright of the present era he was
influenced by David Mamet whose ‘American Buffalo’ Al did for long and later
his ‘China Doll’. Heathcote Williams who wrote ‘The Local Stigmatic’ was
associated with him and Al not only performed in the play he made his first
private film on the play . Among the Actors the generation of Marlon Brando ,
Montgomery Clift , James Dean he liked . He particularly liked Brando and
Richard Burton and when he met Elizabeth Taylor he was delighted as he liked
Burton whom she had married twice. He is influenced by the courage and genius
of Orson Welles and says that he made ‘Looking for Richard’ influenced by him.Among his contemporaries he
is full of praise for Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Nero . He mentions that
Dustin ‘broke the sound barrier’ in the film ‘The Graduate’. He is particularly fond of Robert De Nero
with whom he is compared . He admits that they get similar roles but they were
different and admits that there was competition as they were doing similar roles . He calls him Bob and is appreciative of his
friendship with him . He states that in the seventies He , De Nero and Dustin
Hoffman were bracketed together and that he was compared to Hoffman too. He did ‘Heat’ , ‘Righteous Kill’ and
‘Irishman’ with De Nero . ‘Heat’ was their first film together and the Director
Michael Mann cast them because he did not want any similarity between the two
main characters -Al Played the cop and De Nero the criminal. De Nero was
interested in the role of the criminal and Al was ok with his role. The two
have one important scene together in a restaurant . Al writes that Bob ( De
Nero) did not want to rehearse the scene and he too agreed and the scene was
done without it and is the highlight of
the movie.
Longevity
and Energy
Al
Pachino states at more than one place in
the book about his high energy levels and how Charlie would say that it would
require a five hundred pound Gorilla to pull him back to normalcy! He admits
casually that he makes up for his lack of intelligence with his energy! Well! He was an
athlete and baseball player in his school and young days . He also is surprised
to reach an age of more than eighty and still not feeling Old or tired though
he admits that time is short for him but he sounded enthusiastic about his
‘King Lear’ project .Perhaps his yet another contribution to Art and cinema!
“
I ask myself how can you be old and not feel old ? I don’t know how I got here.
A lot of people who get past eighty don’t know how they got there . Did I
really try to eat certain foods or do certain things? I’ve had a ravaged life.
I know that if I would have kept drinking and drugging , I would have been dead
twenty – five years ago. Fame and wealth changes everything in your personal
life . It requires a certain type of adjustment”
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