Though Scarecrow has a lot to recommend it (great acting by Hackman, and an interesting cast of little-known or non-professional actors), it also has a couple of flaws that, for me, made watching the film more and more of a trial the longer it went on.
The narrative follows a fairly predictable arc that is slowed by some repetition. The script tends towards the saccharine. The characters become less believable the longer they hang around.
Most of all, however, Scarecrow is marred by Pacino's overripe, over-the-top performance. As Pacino becomes more and more histrionic his character becomes less and less sympathetic. At the end I didn't like the guy at all and couldn't wait for the inevitable hammer blow. Director Schatzberg should have reigned Pacino in. Less is often more.
The narrative follows a fairly predictable arc that is slowed by some repetition. The script tends towards the saccharine. The characters become less believable the longer they hang around.
Most of all, however, Scarecrow is marred by Pacino's overripe, over-the-top performance. As Pacino becomes more and more histrionic his character becomes less and less sympathetic. At the end I didn't like the guy at all and couldn't wait for the inevitable hammer blow. Director Schatzberg should have reigned Pacino in. Less is often more.
