If I were to make a “The Many Faces of…” post about actor John Cazale it would be a very limited one as he only appeared in five movies before he died of lung cancer. Those five movie are all seen as classics though: The Godfather 1 and 2 (in which he plays the role of Fredo), The Conversation, The Deer Hunter and Dog Day Afternoon. This short documentary (which is only 39 minutes) looks back at his career and his memorable performances.
The people Cazale worked with and those who were inspired by him talk about his roles both in the movies and on stage. Al Pacino, Robert de Niro, Steve Buscemi, Meryl Streep, Sam Rockwell and Philip Seymour Hoffman are just a few examples of the people who talk about him and show how much they respect him. Cazale had the ability to bring out the best out of the actors he worked with and he built strong relationships with them. During his sickness he kept working and Robert de Niro even paid his insurance (as the movie studio refused to do so) to make sure he could work on The Deer Hunter. The movie would appear after his death. Meryl Streep had a relationship with Cazale and supported him till the end. You still see the love she has for him in her eyes.
The only criticism you could have on this documentary is that it is too short. With a big number of talented actors (and directors) talking about Cazale and acting in general you are longing for even more.
Perfect timing on this Nostra. I just watched The Deer Hunter the other night. Cazale was a true talent and taken far far too early. I’ll definitely give this a go.
I wanted to see it and happened to come across it on Youtube (I think it was with Italian subtitles, but you could ignore those).
A real shame that he died so young. Five films, all brilliant, and he is excellent in each of them, even though he has smaller parts than Pacino, Brando, Hackman, De Niro, Walken etc. I’d like to see this!
Yeah, although it was mostly supporting roles, he did manage to stand out.
I agreed that it was too short because it made want more. It’s a good doc as my favorite moment was Sam Rockwell mimicking his performance from The Deer Hunter.
Yeah, I also liked the bit about the Simpsons.
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