Editor's Note: The following contains references to suicide.Al Pacino is arguably one of the greatest actors that ever lived and yet he's only been celebrated with an Academy Award win for a single performance from Scent of a Woman. This is a wild truth because for nearly 50 years, Al Pacino has been a pillar of acting in both films and on stage in a way that can only be thought of as a combination of hard work, innate emotional intelligence, and fate.

Al Pacino's won numerous awards from a BAFTA, several Golden Globes, two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tonys, and countless others. Yet, if there is one thing that truly is baffling, it is that despite being nominated for nine Academy Awards, he's only one won for Martin Brest's film Scent of a Woman, released 30 years ago today. Scent of a Woman can be remembered for a phenomenal monologue by Pacino, an impressive dance scene, and as a launching pad for the careers of both Chris O'Donnell and the late, sorely missed Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Al Pacino's Academy Award history is so bizarre, in fact, that it's even garnered its own meta reference in Adam Sandler's Jack and Jill. While the movie as a whole was critically panned, one of its shining moments is an inexplicably resolute performance from Al Pacino, playing the role of Himself. At one point in the film, in a joke that is more profound than it's given credit for, Pacino's one Academy Award is destroyed in a stickball incident, to which Sandler, as Jill, exclaims, "Oh my God, oh God I'm so sorry. I'm sure you have others though" Pacino's response in a moment of comedic self-awareness is, "You'd think it, but oddly enough, I don't."

What Is 'Scent of a Woman' About?

scent of a woman al pacino frank slade chris odonnell charlie simms
Image via Universal Pictures

Scent of a Woman is a masterful look at accepting the unforeseen tragedies that befall us throughout life and the hits to our mental health that may accompany them. With an attitude far ahead of its time, Scent of a Woman addresses how we process the heartbreaks that do not involve romance but manage to break your heart more than any person ever could, particularly through the eyes of men. Al Pacino gives a stellar performance as a strong man who has been saddled with a life-altering change that he must receive and what happens when you resist the changes life throws at you that you have no control over.

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Scent of a Woman follows Charlie Simms (O'Donnell), a young man who's attending a prestigious preparatory school on scholarship. To be able to purchase a flight home for the holidays, he takes on a job looking after Lt. Col. Frank Slade (Pacino). Slade is retired from the Army and is a highly decorated veteran who lost his sight while showing off for younger soldiers by juggling grenades. Unable to cope with his new way of life, Slade becomes depressed and resorts to alcoholism. When Charlie meets Slade, Slade is at a point where he intends to have one last hurrah in New York City, then commit suicide. As the film goes on, Charlie attempts to convince Slade that he still has a lot to live for. At the same time, Charlie navigates an incident at school that may leave the standing of his scholarship in the hands of a wealthy classmate with a lot less to lose.

Throughout the film, we see a bitter Slade who is angry at himself for his role in losing his eyesight, and a young Charlie Simms struggle with what to do about the situation at his school. The audience is left with a story about how two men in different stages of life teach one another valuable lessons in manhood and, to some degree, survival.

Al Pacino Developed His Character Through Method Acting

Al Pacino as Frank Slade stands up for Charlie at his school tribunal in Scent of a Woman
Image via Universal Pictures

Al Pacino has long since been known as a method actor. Having begun on stage, Pacino was no stranger to thrusting his entire body into a role. He was advised by a school for the blind that helped him prepare for his Scent of a Woman role where he plays a man who's lost sight. By training with the school, Pacino was also able to practice how a person that is blind may do day-to-day tasks, like pouring himself a drink. Through what must have been a combination of intense preparation, that included hours of learning of take apart a .45 as Slade does, and how to properly say "Hoo-ah," along with being able to truly listen to those around him, Pacino developed Slade's character arch: from his initial bitterness and anger, to a happier place of acceptance in his new life.

What's interesting is that Pacino's process of actually acting blind had some levels to it. Although he was initially fitted for lenses that would give the appearance of blindness, Pacino ultimately decided not to use them. Instead, he chose not to focus his eyes when playing Slade, creating temporary blindness. In a move that sounds like a less extreme form of Jared Leto's preparation for his role as The Joker, Pacino chose to stay in character on set, walking with a cane, never actually looking at anyone. The decision not to use the lenses rested on the possibility of them genuinely hurting his eyes after prolonged use. There's an irony to this because in an old episode of Larry King, Pacino spoke on the method and how it led to his falling into a bush caused by not being able to "see" it. The bush scratched his cornea in the fall, hurting his eyes anyway. Pacino stated later in the interview that he was "blind" during the making of the film. Maybe it's madness, maybe it's just great acting.

Years later, O'Donnell would speak of his time filming with Pacino on Scent of Woman at Pacino's ceremony for the AFI Life Achievement Award. He stated that he was excited to work with Pacino to watch his legendary work but was also excited to get "constructive feedback" from him. When filming concluded, O'Donnell never got the feedback he'd hoped to receive. However, he later got a letter from Pacino saying, "I couldn't tell what you were doing because I sort of never saw you. Although it felt as if you were always with me, and from what I've heard, your performance is outstanding."

After watching Pacino's performance, one can only infer that this statement makes perfect sense. In a commitment to his character, Al Pacino never really looked at his co-star, but he could literally only hear the impact of his performance. Regardless of what may be "too method" or risky, one has to admire Pacino's dedication to his work. Injuries aside, Pacino worked for that Oscar and deserved it for his devotion to his research and desire to throw every part of his body into a role literally.

Bring on as many roles as possible, Mr. Pacino. We will dutifully watch them until the end and run it back again. Academy Awards or not.