Cinematical Seven: De Niro vs. Pacino
Filed under: Classics, Comedy, Fandom, Cinematical Seven, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels
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Are you ready to see Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as partners in Righteous Kill? Is it the casting pair-up you've been waiting 35 years for? Or does it feel too strange to watch a whole movie in which they're all buddy buddy? Perhaps you were fully satisfied with their showdown as enemies in Heat, even though the esteemed veteran actors had much less screen time together. Personally, I like the idea of them going head to head better, but that's mainly because they're both such huge figures that having them team up seems a bit unfair to the other side. As enemies they're like the Incredible Hulk and the Abomination or Iron Man and Iron Monger, to compare them with recent superpowered showdowns in cinema.
It's difficult to choose the better actor of the two, or even decide who's been the more successful Hollywood player. De Niro's been in a lot more films, but his ratio of bad films to good might have suffered as a result. Meanwhile, they've both arguably become too much of caricatures of themselves, to the point where it's sometimes hard to tell which performances are intentional self-parodies and which are accidental. However, despite the difficulty of pitting De Niro against Pacino for a general comparative showdown, there are a number of easily corresponding roles among them. So, just for fun, I've come up with seven specific character showdowns, chosen my pick for which is the better performance, and invite you all to vote on your favorite, whether you agree or disagree with my own.
After the jump ... De Niro vs. Pacino -- it's on!
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Best Actor Oscar-Winning Role: Jake La Motta vs. Frank Slade
It's hard to believe that of all their combined Oscar nominations (6 for De Niro; 8 for Pacino), these two actors have never gone up against each other in any category. They were each nominated for acting Oscars in both 1975 and 1991, but in both situations one actor was up for Best Actor while the other was up for Best Supporting Actor. Maybe it's for the best that they've never faced each other; Academy voters might explode at the thought of having to choose between them, regardless of the actual performances (as if Academy members actually voted on the specific performance in all circumstances). Still, as unfair and unnecessary as it is, it's almost too easy picking out the better of their respective Best Actor-winning roles. Few disagree with the idea that Pacino's win for Scent of a Woman was more of a career-honoring situation. De Niro's win for Raging Bull, on the other hand was a much-deserved reward for a career-defining achievement. My choice: Jake La Motta
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Corleone: Young Vito Corleone vs. Michael Corleone
Well, considering De Niro won a supporting actor Oscar for playing the young Vito in The Godfather Part II, while Pacino was only nominated (twice, though) for playing Michael, it would seem that he should win another showdown. But even with Pacino's saturation of his character over the whole trilogy -- lifting his portrayal a little too over the top by The Godfather Part III -- he was required to do more, and I think he achieved more, throughout the course of the series. My choice: Michael Corleone
Comedic Mob Boss: Paul Vitti vs. Starkman
Ugh. This is a showdown I'd rather just shrug off and consider them both losers. But, I have to admit that I hate Analyze This and its sequel, Analyze That, far more than I hate Gigli, regardless of how much worse the latter film may indeed be. Maybe it's the universal disdain for Gigli that makes the defender in me want to give it some sort of favorable recognition, or maybe its just that by the time Al Pacino shows up in the film with his usual ham-job shouting, his miniscule spark is relatively appreciable. In either event, I go with Pacino here. My choice: Starkman
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Cartoon Villain: Fearless Leader vs. Big Boy Caprice
This is a little unfair. I actually love Dick Tracy so much that I still wear the t-shirt I bought from Epcot Center the summer it came out (well, one of them, anyway; I actually bought three different kinds). Plus, although both performances exhibit some level of self-parody, Pacino's is terrifically executed, while De Niro's, in The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, is terribly embarrassing. My Choice: Big Boy Caprice
Supernatural Villain: Frankenstein's Monster (aka The Creature) vs. Satan (aka John Milton)
I'll always think it was a mistake to cast De Niro as The Creature in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, so even though by the end of The Devil's Advocate I want to personally, physically shut Pacino up, he wins another round. My Choice: Satan (John Milton)
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Original Psychopaths: Travis Bickle vs. Sonny Wortzik
I can't lie, I do prefer watching Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon to watching De Niro in Taxi Driver. I think it's the 30 years of pop culture ruining Travis Bickle with countless imitations, whether as homage or spoof, that makes this so. However, as exaggerated as I sometimes think it may be (is it really, or does it only seem that way in retrospect?), I truly believe De Niro's performance is stronger than Pacino's. My Choice: Travis Bickle
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Remake Psychopaths: Max Cady vs. Tony Montana
More subjective reasoning, here, but then that's why I'm also letting you vote. I never was a big fan of DePalma's Scarface update, and similar to the case with De Niro's Bickle -- though more so -- my appreciation for Pacino's performance is marred by too many impersonations. I guarantee that the people choose differently than I do here, but due to the fact that I find Cady more frightening than Montana, I'm going with De Niro once again for his performance in Scorsese's Cape Fear remake. My Choice: Max Cady
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Reader Comments
(Page 1)2. Great pairing. I vote for Pacino on this one.
Posted at 10:53PM on Sep 11th 2008 by Mina
3. Fantastic idea guys, fun voting too. In reference to the early part of your post, the De Niro - Pacino meeting in Heat is good enough for me. Not only is the film one of the greatest of the 1990s, but that single scene worked because it's the only sequence in which the obsessed enemies talk with one another. The dialogue's great, and the actors make it work, of course.
As of my voting, by the way, that Max Cady vs. Tony Montana vote was nearly 50 / 50. I suppose both of those performances are more caricature than character...
Norm
www.meetinthelobby.com
Posted at 11:07PM on Sep 11th 2008 by Norm Schrager
4. The supernatural part for De Niro should been for Angel Heart. He was farking creepy in that! Plus he basically plays the same role that Pacino had in The Devil's Advocate!
Still don't know who would win though, I say it is an even tie.
Overall, however, De Niro is the undeniable champion. Whilst he has his fair share of duds, he has been in more films, and has resisted the urge to completely phone it in for his latter years (eg. The Good Shepherd and What Just Happened) unlike Al who really needs to read the script first (ie. 88 Minutes).
Righteous Kill sounds okay, but why bother when they were in such a perfect film (Heat, of course). Plus it really does take the mystique away. Sometimes it is better to be left wanting more.
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Posted at 12:39AM on Sep 12th 2008 by Jeremy
5. I guess it's apparent and unfortunate that I haven't seen Angel Heart. You're right, it would have made much more sense to use that instead.
doh!
Posted at 12:45AM on Sep 12th 2008 by Christopher Campbell
6. Haha yes that IS very unfortunate. Angel Heart is an 80's classic!
Posted at 12:50AM on Sep 12th 2008 by Jeremy
7. Oh yeah, Chris. Rent that. Some great icky Alan Parker mooood and a fantastic performance by Rourke.
Posted at 2:17AM on Sep 12th 2008 by Scott Weinberg
8. Yes, please. It's much more than controversy in my opinion.
Posted at 9:20AM on Sep 12th 2008 by ML
9. Thanks Chris, really good post and very enjoyable. Just the memories of some of them performances is great entertainment.
So I am surprised that i got De Niro to be the winner by 4-3, I would have bet my house on Pacino before I started. Both great actors though and in my book numbers 2 and 3 of all time (James Stewart btw).
You have also helped me answer my biggest question of the day which is what film I am watching tonight, I was already to watch 'A Life Less Ordinary' tonight (on a bit of a Danny Boyle rerun at the moment) but I am just about to settle down to Heat instead.
So thanks, keep up the great work.
Posted at 6:49AM on Sep 12th 2008 by Gary
10. I think they're tied in my choices. I mean both were great to look at a decade or two away, but now is just... dull.
Great post, by the way.
Posted at 8:33AM on Sep 12th 2008 by cough
11. Heat is perhaps the best cop movie we'll ever see. It stands as a testament to these two guys and the awesome vision of Michael Mann at his crimey best.
So yeah, i'd put Pacino and DeNiro neck and neck. I just can't choose.
Posted at 8:41AM on Sep 12th 2008 by juicerino
12. While there were a bunch of other more well-known roles we could've seen here, I think this definitely represents each actor's range across all genres. Good work, I say!
And I'm watching that last one ... hoping Cady will eventually take over.
Posted at 9:37AM on Sep 12th 2008 by Erik Davis
13. Pretty much the only thing I would want to see these two actors in right now is Grumpiest Old Men. My problem with them lately is that they made their names being tough guys and intimidators, but they're both pushing 70. I'm sorry, but when someone older then my father tries to physically dominate characters on screen I just have to laugh. They should take a cue from Jack Nicholson here and move on to more thoughtful roles. These guys can clearly still act (when they actually choose to) but they need to realize they can't keep taking the same roles they did 10, 20 years ago. I'm just not buying them in them anymore.
Posted at 10:46AM on Sep 12th 2008 by Kevin
14. As much as i enjoyed a post like this, i do think a couple of the choices were not a proper comparison. Plus, there are a lot of movies which feature them in a much better performance than the ones you have used.
I personally prefer De Niro to Al any day. :)
You could've used The Deer Hunter, Once Upon A Time in America, The King of Comedy, Goodfellas, Mean Streets etc.
Posted at 1:03PM on Sep 12th 2008 by Abdul
15. Al Pacino gets my vote on practically anything...I think he is the type of actor that draws you in. Bobby D is great, perhaps more thoughtful and intricate in his performances but he doesn't grab me the way Al does. Also I can't deny that I've always been intrigued by Pacino's face, his expressions are priceless.
I'd take Pacino's performances in the Godfather trilogies, Scarface, even Devil's advocate over Deniro's in Taxi Driver, Deer Hunter or Raging Bull any day.
Posted at 10:14PM on Sep 14th 2008 by Kat
16. Why don't Pacino and De Niro just fuse into one person and stop confusing everyone? The quality of De Niro's performances just shades it over Pacino for me, although Pacino did take a 4 year break from films in the 80s, so maybe De Niro just has more movies to choose from.
Posted at 9:44PM on Sep 16th 2008 by TheMovieGod
17. How does anyone actually hate ANALYZE THIS? It's a very charming play off DeNiro's previous work, like Brando in THE FRESHMAN, and he's very funny in it. That and MEET THE PARENTS are probably his last worthwhile films.
Also yeah, John Milton vs. Louis Cypher would have made a lot more sense.
Posted at 11:38PM on Sep 16th 2008 by Mars
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1. Damn good post, man. Excellent pairings across the board. Here's an extra one:
De Niro in Midnight Run vs. Pacino in Carlito's Way
Posted at 8:31PM on Sep 11th 2008 by Scott Weinberg