A Potpourri of Vestiges Review
By Murtaza Ali Khan
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| Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman |
“When I was young, I thought house painters painted houses. What
did I know? I was a working guy,” says a wheelchair bound Frank Sheeran, the
eponymous character in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman (based on the 2004 book titled IHeard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt), in the film's opening scene. The
meaning of the phrase is simple: To paint a house is to kill a man in the mafia
terminology. The paint is the blood that splatters on the wall and floors. The Irishman chronicles a true story
about Sheeran—a high-ranking official in the International Brotherhood of
Teamsters (IBT) who was accused of having links to the Bufalino crime family.
The character of Sheeran is essayed by Robert De Niro, marking the two-time Oscar-winning
actor’s ninth feature film with Scorsese.
The Irishman also stars Al Pacino and Joe Pesci in the pivotal
roles of the American labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa and the Italian-American
Mafioso Russell Bufalino, respectively. Since, De Niro, Pacino and Pesci are
all in their late 70s, the film had to rely on a state-of-the-art de-aging
technology for those sequences in which they were required to look younger as
per the demands of the screenplay, developed by Steven Zaillian based on
Brandt’s book. With a production budget of approx. USD 160 million, The Irishman is among the most expensive
films of Scorsese's career. The project remained in the development limbo for
several years before finally becoming a reality, thanks to the financial
backing that came from Netflix at just the right time for Scorsese.
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| Joe Pesci as Russell Bufalino and Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran in The Irishman |
During the 1990s, Scorsese made two riveting films which pretty
much established him as a master of the gangster genre: Goodfellas (1990) and Casino
(1995). Coincidentally, both these films also star Robert De Niro and Joe
Pesci. In fact, in a way, The Irishman
can be seen as the third part of the trilogy. The film begins in 1950s
Philadelphia where Sheeran, a World War II veteran, drives meat packing
delivery trucks. It is here that he gets in touch with Russell Bufalino and his
life changes for ever. Soon he becomes Bufalino’s go-to man and gradually he
starts painting houses as per the mafioso’s instructions. Impressed by
Sheeran’s loyalty and dedication, Russell introduces him to Jimmy Hoffa, the
head of the IBT, who enjoys financial ties with the Bufalino crime family. What
ensues is a sprawling saga of epic proportions with each frame unfolding like
visual poetry. Even the goriest scenes in the film seem to possess a lyrical quality
seldom seen in cinema nowadays. The credit of course goes to both Scorsese as
well as his cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto whose fluid camera strokes give the
film a life of its own. The brilliant use of slomos, Robbie Robertson’s moody
background music (and the absence of it during a pivotal sequence) and Thelma Schoonmaker’s purposeful editing immensely add to
the film’s aesthetic appeal.
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| Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa in The Irishman |
The Irishman has a vast panoply of characters and
countless subplots but there is not even an iota of incoherence as everything
is tied up ever so neatly. The clever interplay between dialogues and voiceovers
is another major highlight of the film. Perhaps, the only blemish is the
de-aging technology which is still in its nascent stage. The film is bound to
remind one of some of the best gangster / mafia films of all time, in
particular Goodfellas and The Godfather. But, The Irishman is far more contemplative and personal than all of them.
Yes, it’s narrated in Scorsese’s trademark style. But the final half an hour is
what separates it from all other gangster films. During the last 30 odd
minutes, the film unfolds like an elegy; it’s poignant, contemplative and
deeply powerful. In these final moments, there is a sudden realization of
regret, guilt, and abject solitude as a formidable character finally comes to
terms with the reality of his actions while being at his most vulnerable.
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| A Still from The Irishman |
The acting performances are all topnotch. While De Niro leads
from the front, delivering yet another unforgettable performance that easily
rates with his best. He goes through an entire gamut of emotions. It is,
however, slightly low-key and understated just like his impeccable performance
in Sergio Leone’s magnum opus Once Upon a Time in America. It’s a complete performance in every possible manner. Al
Pacino, on the other hand, is electrifying to watch as Jimmy Hoffa. He plays
the character with such youthful exuberance that one is reminded of Pacino of
old. The scenes he shares with De Niro are pure gold. After the frugality of Heat and the nearly forgettable Righteous Kill, the duo dearly needed
something like The Irishman to
finally quench the thirst of their fans. As for Pesci, he is one actor who
never fails to impress. You give him any role and he will ensure that it’s
turned into something memorable. Here again he delivers a delightful performance
that vied with Pacino’s for the Oscar for Best
Supporting Actor. Also, Harvey Keitel is menacing to watch in his cameo
appearance as the Sicilian-American mobster Angelo Bruno.
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| Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran in the aforementioned opening scene of The Irishman |
The Irishman can be described as a requiem for all the
gangster / mafia films that came before it. It is to the gangster genre what Unforgiven proved to be for the Western
genre. Despite a running time of 209 minutes, The Irishman proves to be an endlessly engaging cinematic
experience. Scorsese succeeds in the nigh impossible task of making old,
dilapidated-looking men look uber-cool. He demonstrates yet again why at 77 he
is still a force to be reckoned with as far as the world of cinema is
concerned. And while he may not be in the business of painting houses, he
certainly knows how to paint the cinematic canvas.
The Irishman had its world premiere at the 57th New York
Film Festival on September 27, 2019. It received widespread critical acclaim
with unanimous praise for Scorsese's direction and the performances of De Niro,
Pacino, and Pesci. It bagged a total of 10 Oscar nominations. The Irishman is currently streaming on
Netflix.
Rating: 9.5/10
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