Ahead of Netflix's 'The Irishman' by Martin Scorsese, a look back at all the times Robert De Niro and Al Pacino shared the screen
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino have rarely shared screen space together even when they have starred in the same film, starting from the epic 'The Godfather II' to the cop and robber drama 'Heat'.
The exceptions was 'Righteous Kill', which was a critical and box office flop. Maybe that is why it took so long and a director like Martin Scorsese to bring them together again for the 2019 film 'The Irishman', that has won the hearts of critics.
1. 'The Godfather Part II' (1974)
Here is a bit of trivia that fans, stoked at Martin Scorsese directing Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, will love. When the sequel to 1972 'The Godfather' was being discussed, Francis Ford Coppola, at first, didn’t want to take it on.
Instead, he recommended Scorsese, who had just released 'Mean Streets' to do the honors. So Scorsese could have directed the two actors way back in 1974. But Coppola ended up agreeing to do the sequel after newcomer Robert De Niro was roped in to play the young Vito Corleone in flashbacks that showed him establishing his criminal empire from the ground up.
Al Pacino played his son, Michael Corleone, contrasting Vito's actions in the present, as he ruthlessly plotted to establish himself as the unchallenged new "Don." But since both actors were separated by years in the film's timeline, the actors were never in a scene together.
The prequel cum sequel, with the parallel timelines, won six Oscars, including Best Director for Coppola and Best Supporting Actor for De Niro. We wonder what would have happened if Scorsese was in the director's seat instead!
2. 'Heat' (1995)
There was an appetite for seeing the actors together after the iconic 'The Godfather II'. But fans would have to wait till 1995 for a project that interested both actors and that film was 'Heat'. Written, produced and directed by Michael Mann, the film starred De Niro as the robber, Neil McCauley, while Pacino plays Vincent Hanna, an LAPD robbery-homicide detective.
After a heist goes bad, Pacino's Hanna goes after De Niro's McCauley, in an engrossing cat and mouse game. The movie is best known for its famous coffee shop scene where the two sit down for a chat in an effort to understand each other.
It was momentous simply because it was the first time De Niro and Pacino were confronting each other, face-to-face, in one scene. Though the actors and director Mann discussed the scene beforehand, the scene itself was unrehearsed with the director using three cameras to shoot the scene so that each take had enough shots to put together an organic scene, rather than splicing together footage from different takes. Take 11 was the one that finally got director Mann's approval.
The film, according to Roger Ebert, established the "symbiotic relationship" between the police and criminals. The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $67 million in the United States and a total $187 million worldwide against a $60 million budget.
3. 'Righteous Kill' (2008)
While 'Heat' pitted the two actors against each other, 'Righteous Kill' starred De Niro and Pacino as cops and buddies. Unfortunately, the third time was not a charm. With a twist ending, the film is the only dud starring the two actors.
While 'Heat' had the actors sharing screen space in only two scenes, 'Righteous Kill' had many. But the combined star power did nothing to elevate the film and left reviewers cold. Peter Travers of 'Rolling Stones' dubbed it the "The Al and Bob Show" and said reading a phone book was preferable to watching the film. Most reviews lamented the colossal waste of talent.
4. 'The Irishman' (2019)
Last but not least is 2019's 'The Irishman' directed by Martin Scorsese. The film has Robert De Niro play the infamous Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran, reflecting on his involvement with the Bufalino crime family and the part he played in the disappearance of his longtime friend, the labor leader, Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino).
Given that both actors and Scorsese himself have shaped the gangster film genre over decades, 'The Irishman' is being hailed as the culmination and the ultimate mob epic. Both actors, given to improvising, felt safe enough in Scorsese's capable directorial hands to take risks and push the envelope while playing their parts.
'The Irishman' had a theatrical release November 1 and will be released on Netflix on November 27.