Film Flam

Fuller_Pacino_Screentest from Heiko van der Scherm on Vimeo.

SAM FULLER AUDITIONS FOR ‘THE GODFATHER II’ WITH AL PACINO via Dangerous Minds

A few things:

Sam Fuller. Sam Fuller. Wow.

I think as a character, Fuller looks amazing, but seems to be reading the script for the first time. He’s also a little wonky physically. He leans in, leans back, changes inflections in his speech, and generally seems to be a bit lost with the character. Though as a pulp-meister extraordinaire he gravitates towards the meat in Coppola’s dialogue. Things like “…it’s more important than money”, are delivered with the kind of gusto and pizazz that you’d see in one of Fuller’s films. Hammy, and a little over the top, sure, but that was the style that Fuller knew like the back of his hand. He’s in a different film altogether.

But man, is he making some interesting choices. When I watch this clip I just wonder what’s going through Fuller’s mind, reacting to a young actor like Pacino, who’s strange naturalism must’ve thrown the elder actor off some.

Also, how great is quiet Pacino? I sure do miss that quiet. Made all the explosions and outbursts that came later, both in the Godfather films and in other characters, seem like boiling kettles of gasoline. End of an era.