Over the years, cinema has featured multiple actors who share so much chemistry that they wind up appearing in several movies together. The late 60s and early 70s saw Paul Newman and Robert Redford team up for timeless roles in THE STING and BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID. While the not-too-distant past has seen the likes of Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson collaborate across several successful genre films and more recently Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone have lit up the screen as a couple in love throughout several films, most notably 2016’s LA LA LAND.
Today, we’re comparing two of the greatest titans to have ever graced the silver screen. We’re pitting the raging bull himself, ROBERT DE NIRO against Tony Montana incarnate, AL PACINO! These two acting legends have only shared the screen four times (so far), most famously in Michael Mann’s HEAT, but their lasting legacy from these films and also in separate endeavors is second to none.
De Niro’s acting legacy is already cemented, and he boasts turns in several movies that are now etched into the minds of movie-goers all over. He really exploded onto the acting scene in 1973’s MEAN STREETS, quickly followed by an epic turn as Vito Corleone in THE GODFATHER: PART TWO, while TAXI DRIVER in 1976 brilliantly showcased his darker side. Subsequently, he has starred in many films, cranking out one-liners with gusto and also displaying a canny knack for comedy to boot with roles in MIDNIGHT RUN and MEET THE PARENTS.
Al Pacino, on the other hand, has had a slightly different yet no less extraordinary journey in cinema than that of De Niro. It was 1972’s epic trilogy opener THE GODFATHER that saw Pacino first chew some scenery as a reluctant mob boss in the making, Michael Corleone. He would go on to revisit this role in parts two and three but it would be his roles in SERPICO, DOG DAY AFTERNOON, and especially SCARFACE that would catapult the actor into the stratosphere and kickstart a career that has since become legendary.
However, which of these acting legends has had the richest, most satisfying, and most impressive career to date? They each have contrasting acting styles, approaches, and techniques. While their credits include many bonafide classics, they have also shared a similar amount of turkeys to put a few dents in their otherwise outstanding reputations. So, who’s gonna be the made man in our battle? Strap on a gun belt, practice some macho lines in front of a mirror, and say hello to your little friend as it’s time for… FACE-OFF!
This episode of Face Off is written by Adam Walton, narrated by Shawn Knippelberg, and edited by Ric Solomon. Let us know in the comments which acting legend you prefer — Robert De Niro or Al Pacino!