The Netflix documentary The Irishman: In Conversation features the director and stars of The Irishman in an exclusive, on-camera roundtable conversation on what it was like making the gangster epic. Sitting at a table in the Villa di Roma restaurant set, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino discussed several aspects of their film, including their characters, their careers, and the extensive technology that went into making The Irishman.
The 23-minute segment is now available to stream on Netflix, and is the sort of companion material that would typically be found in the special features section of a home video release. As most Scorsese fans already know, the three-and-a-half-hour movie is not only the first time the Goodfellas director has worked with De Niro and Pesci in 22 years (1997's Casino), but also the filmmaker's first ever collaboration with Pacino.
However, the smiles, the rapport, and the stories that are shared in the Netflix special make it seem as if the group has known each other their whole lives. In Conversation is a delightful addition to what many are calling the best film of the year, and the discussion reveals some interesting aspects of the film's production.
Pesci Wanted To Play Tony Pro
The awards season, thus far, has been incredibly kind to Joe Pesci, whose turn as Philadelphia mob boss Russel Bufalino is drawing all sorts of appraisal. One reason for this is the fact that Russel is not the typical, hot-head gangster Pesci has built a legacy around playing. Instead, the don is quiet, reserved, and reflective.
There is a character in the film, however, that better fits Pesci's past performances: Tony Pro. Although the part went to Snatch's Stephen Graham, the Home Alone and My Cousin Vinny star offered to play the role himself, but Scorsese ultimately decided otherwise.
Scorsese Addressed The Controversy Regarding The Film's Authenticity
Ever since The Irishman dropped on Netflix, all sorts of authoritative figures, ranging from historians, FBI agents, and Sheeran's own colleagues, have had more than their fair share to say about the authenticity of Frank Sheeran's (De Niro) alleged involvement in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino).
The director addressed this controversy in the special, saying that he doesn't interpret The Irishman to be an exact record of the truth, but a story which captured the essence of Sheeran and Hoffa's friendship. “Yes, it’s based on real people but who knows what the story really is” Scorsese said. “What you pick up on is the truth of a relationship.”
Pesci Didn't Know How To Handle The Technology
The Irishman is the first film Joe Pesci has partaken in since 2010's Love Ranch. In that time, there have been an incredible amount of technological advances, many of which are utilized by Scorsese and his team for this movie. Given that the 76-year-old actor was one of the subjects of the CGI de-aging, Pesci had to encounter several gadgets he had never experienced before – especially on a Scorsese set.
Addressing this during In Conversation, Pesci admitted that he felt awkward trying to maneuver in front of the complicated cameras, some of which had three separate lenses.
Scorsese Felt That Younger Actors Wouldn't Understand The Mob
Martin Scorsese has always been known to rely on the same troupe of performers for his films. Of course, Robert De Niro was the residing frontrunner for the filmmaker during the first chapter of his career, a role that has since been carried on by Leonardo DiCaprio. But even so, Scorsese returned to his old friend and collaborator for The Irishman.
Taking place across six decades of Frank Sheeran's life, Scorsese had the choice to elect younger actors to play the younger versions of the characters. That of course, did not sit well with the director, who explained this decision during the Netflix special. “Here, you don’t have to explain,” Scorsese said, laughing. “It’s about behavior: it’s about how you sit, how you stand, how you say hello to somebody, how you digress in conversation.”
The Cast Was Reminded To Move Younger
The Netflix documentary reveals that crew members on the film had to remind Scorsese of the characters' ages during shooting. For instance, in one scene, in which Hoffa angrily dismisses himself from the television while Robert Kennedy is talking, a cameraman asked Scorsese to relay a message to Pacino: Hoffa is supposed to be 49 at this time, try to move like a 49-year-old. From then on, the takes were met with the crew members yelling out numbers estimating how old Pacino looked during the take.
Given that The Irishman is, after all, a Scorsese mobster movie, there is action, there is violence, and there are thrills. That's a particularly tough task to ask of the 76-year-old De Niro, or even the 79-year-old Pacino. While audiences have not responded well to these action sequences – pointing out that while the faces of the actors look younger, their bodies certainly don't – audiences have responded positively to The Irishman's story, performances, and direction.
