Scent of a Woman is a 1992 American drama film produced and directed by Martin Brest. The film is a remake of Dino Risi's 1974 Italian film "Profumo di donna".

The film won many award including 3 Golden Globes, notably the "best motion picture - drama". Al Pacino won his first and only Academy Award for Best Actor for this movie.

The plot is based on the apposition between the 2 main characters: one very rough and cynical, while the other is caring and rather innocent. Together, through their respective struggles, they learn how to respect each others, build strength and finding ways of redemption. It borrows usual themes of "coming of age" movies, like rebellion and acceptance of one's fate.

Martin Brest

Mostly known for comedies like "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Midnight Run", which were box office big hits. His last movie was "Gigli" in 2003, which is now known as a critical disaster (many critics ranking it as the worst mainstream movie ever made), and one of the biggest box office bomb, de facto ending his carrier.

Screenwriting

The screenwriter, Bo Goldman, who wrote for example the script for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", is known for his touch in human and social aspects.

Al Pacino

Pacino was born in 1940, from a sicilian migrants coming from Corleone. His career spans over more than 50 years. He's considered by many as one of the best actor of the history of cinema, and he is a successful practitioner of the "Method acting".

Method acting

Method acting is based on principles theorized and practiced by Russian practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski. It's a system cultivating the "art of experiencing", in contrast with the "art of representation".

The actors search for inner motives to justify the actions of the character they play, usually leading to emotionally rich interpretations. This process requires a strong involvement from the actors, encourages deeper character development, eventually influencing the movie making process as much as the writer and the director.

As according to the method acting principles, Pacino researched on the topic, interviewing blind people, specially those who had lost their sight due to trauma.

It was popularized in the USA by the "Actor Studio" acting school, created by Elia Kazan and others, and directed notably by Lee Strassberg. Maybe you know some of its students: Marlon Brando, James Dean, Tennessee Williams, Marilyn Monroe, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Steve McQueen, Anne Bancroft, Paul Newman, Ben Gazzara, Rod Steiger, Bradley Cooper... and Al Pacino.