Al pacino revisits revolutionary war film flop that led. Revolution is a 1985 british historical drama film directed by hugh hudson, written by robert dillon, and starring al pacino, donald sutherland, and nastassja. Al pacino perform new york fur trapper tom dobb who has lost his entire family except one young son, ned dobb. Alma mater actors studio hb studio occupation actor, filmmaker years active 1967present works full list partners jan tarrant 19881989 beverly dangelo 19972003 lucila polak 20082018 children 3 awards full list alfredo james pacino is. Revolution 1985 official trailer al pacino, donald sutherland. How revolution 1985 burned al pacino and goldcrest youtube. A battle in america from the movie revolution directed by hugh hudson. From director hugh hudson chariots of fire, greystoke. He is the recipient of one academy award, one bafta award, two primetime emmy awards, two tony awards, and four golden globe awards.
Revolution al pacino donald sutherland nastassja kinski. The actor gave a soulful, restrained performance as a reluctant everyman drawn into revolutionary action, but the film flopped at the box office and was battered by critics. Rank of al pacino s movies by box office performance. Al pacino movies al pacino filmography al pacino is an american actor, filmmaker, and screenwriter who, in his career spanning five decades, has achieved the triple crown of acting. The disaster that was revolution pretty much rightfully ended his career. From portraying a mob don and an aidsstricken attorney to a comic strip villain and a nazi hunter, al pacino has done it all.
Tom dobb al pacino falls in love with daisy mcconnahay nastassja kinski, an aristocrat who deserts her class to fight alongside the rebels. Kings lynn was the best place in the world to film it. Now a special directors cut, featuring a new voiceover by al pacino, is set to be screened as part of the kings lynn film festival. It derailed the attempt to turn nastassja kinski into a bankable movie star. Revolution 1985 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Pacinos performance does its best to ground the film and. Its not just als careerlow performance that hinders the film though. This period drama about the american revolution has an overlay of rhetoric that thwarts the action, flattening out the story about a man and his loved ones caught up in the events of the time. His filmography is currently composed of 49 released feature films.
And at his behest are some of the finest actors in film, from pacino, to kinski and sutherland, but also joan plowright and steven berkoff. Director hugh hudson on the shooting of revolution with al pacino. And in smaller roles, annie lennox makes an appearance, as well as early turns by graham greene and robbie coltrane. Al pacino stars in a movie about the american revolution. Alfredo james al pacino established himself as a film actor during one of cinemas most vibrant decades, the 1970s, and has become an enduring and iconic figure in the world of american movies. Al pacino with fellow actors in revolution movie scene. Revolution is a 1985 british historical drama film directed by hugh hudson, written by robert dillon, and starring al pacino, donald sutherland, and nastassja kinski.
In 1990 he reprised the role of michael corleone in the godfather, part iii and gave a hilarious portrayal of grotesque. Revolution 1985 is an american historical film which was produced by irwin winkler and goldcrest film a british studio, directed by hugh hudson, and written by robert dillon. Al pacino was sick, the press were sniping and the production company wanted. The screenplay is by robert dillon the french connection ii and the river and the star is al pacino, who often looks as if he were an 18thcentury rambo and sounds as if he were speaking. The movie that epitomizes the meaning of independence day just may be hugh hudsons perennially maligned revolution. This was one of the big budgeted movies made by oscar winning company goldcrest. Revolution 85 sid owen al pacino indians battlefield. Director hugh hudson on the shooting of revolution with al. A trapper and his young son get pulled into the american revolution early as unwilling. The best rated item with al pacino on netflix is the humbling and appeared on screen in 2014.
The film stars pacino as a new york fur trapper who involuntarily gets enrolled in the revolutionary forces during the american revolutionary war. At the time of release, this movie marked a rare appearance by al pacino in a period costume movie, with him mostly seen as an actor of contemporaryset movies. In the course of this opening sequence of hugh hudsons new film. Its star, al pacino, was so embarrassed by it by that he steppedaway from film acting for four years. Illiterate trapper tom dobb al pacino lives in the northeastern region of america with his son ned sid owendexter fletcher. Connection ii and the river and the star is al pacino, who often looks. Al pacino revisits revolutionary war film flop that led him to take a.
Al pacino, in the lead role of a new york trapper forced to enlist in the war when his son is drafted, was so wounded by the attacks on his performance that he withdrew from acting for four years. The decades turning point for pacino came with hugh hudsons american war of independence drama revolution 1985. Prairiekid new york trapper tom dobb al pacino becomes an unwilling participant in the american revolution after his young son ned dexter fletcher is conscripted into the british army as a drummer. Al pacino goes all angsty in this film version of the american war of independence, a film surprisingly made by the brits surprising given the content of the storyline. With al pacino, donald sutherland, nastassja kinski, joan plowright. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Id scouted locations in america and only williamsburg was suitable, but its too much of a. Sea of love 1989, his biggest hit in years, reestablished pacino as a major film star. Yesterday i watched this british answer to michael ciminos heavens gate, revolution. Revolution 85 sid owen al pacino indians battlefield soldiers. Revolution 1985 official trailer al pacino, donald sutherland movie hd.
But pacino, 77, remains proud of the film and, having just finished shooting martin scorseses upcoming netflix drama the irishman, took part in a discussion with revolution director. I thought it would be more gradual than this, but pacino revolution apparently just called revolution is the true birth of 90s pacino, and lemme tell you. Even today, after reassessment, revolution isnt making the splash hudson wanted for it. Released january 1st, 1985, revolution stars al pacino, donald sutherland, nastassja kinski, joan plowright the pg movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 3 min, and received a score of out of 100. Not many leading actors would come out to support their biggest movie flop over three decades, but al pacino has always done things his way. It was a gritty movie, filled with death and despair, mud and dirt, and for the time an. How revolution 1985 burned al pacino and goldcrest. Revolution by hugh hudson al pacino, donald sutherland. It also put its writer robert dillons career on hiatus. Al pacino pacino at the 2004 venice film festival born alfredo james pacino 19400425 april 25, 1940 age 80 new york city, new york, u. Two hundred and 10 years later, the british film revolution was released.
In 1985, director hugh hudson released his film revolution, starring al pacino and donald sutherland, as a response to the overly sanitized portrayal of the american revolution characterized by colonial williamsburg and cheesy miniseries like george washington released only the year before. Al pacino is an american film and stage actor and director. Pacino signed off a 34 film retrospective of his work at new york citys quad cinema by making an appearance last week at a special screening of his 1985 historical drama, revolution. Not your typical film about americas struggle for independence, but a very interesting look at the life of the citizens during the war, and at one reluctant participants experience. Set in the chaotic, emotionally charged days of the revolutionary war, academy awardwinner al pacino scent of a woman, the godfather and the object of his obsessive desire, nastassja kinski tess, cat people are caught up in the violent and bloody war. A trapper and his young son get pulled into the american revolution early as unwilling participants and remain involved through to the end. Revolution was bad enough to singlehandedly destroy the british film industry in the late 1980s, and it. Revolution proved to be the beginning of the end of goldcrest films as a significant industry player, and even derailed al pacino s career. Director hugh hudson recalls a tough shoot on 1985 drama revolution. He is famous for playing mobsters, including michael corleone in the godfather trilogy, tony montana in scarface, alphonse big boy. Now comes al pacino in revolution, in which he misses his mark by three times as many years as redford. Al pacino, donald sutherland, nastassja kinski, joan plowright, steven berkoff. Al pacino, in particularly, genuinely compels as an actually pretty powerful leading man who is too good for this film, as pacino boasts constant charisma and does a fine job at the faux accent. He was born april 25, 1940 in manhattan, new york city, to italianamerican parents, rose nee gerardi and sal pacino.