# Question about Al Pacino's character in "Scent of a Woman" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2018, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727 "2018-01-16T01:51:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2018, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/1 "2018-01-16T01:51:17Z")
How is it possible to be blinded by the explosion of a grenade, but not have your face or any other part of your body be fucked up from it? ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2018, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/2 "2018-01-16T01:58:46Z")
For Cafe Society, the answer is that it was in the script that way. For GQ, the physics might be there. Heat? Concussion wave? The skin of the face might recover from those in time, even if the eyes didn’t. I don’t really know that, but it seems sort of plausible. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2018, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/3 "2018-01-16T02:44:51Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > For Cafe Society, the answer is that it was in the script that way. For GQ, the physics might be there. Heat? Concussion wave? The skin of the face might recover from those in time, even if the eyes didn’t. I don’t really know that, but it seems sort of plausible. Your first answer is the best. It’s very implausible for him to get a non-visible injury that effects his sight only. Real grenades are really pretty unspectacular for those used to seeing Hollywood hand grenades. There is only 6.5 oz of comp B in a grenade. The concussion and heat are relatively negligible. They are designed to injure with shrapnel. If you are close enough for the concussion to wound you are certainly going to get ventilated by the shrapnel. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2018, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/4 "2018-01-16T02:53:21Z")
Maybe a secondary effect like a piece of shrapnel shattering a window. I remember it seemed a weird explanation when I saw the movie, I just assumed Pacino didn’t want to get made up with a lot of scars to explain it. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2018, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/5 "2018-01-16T03:16:24Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > For Cafe Society, the answer is that it was in the script that way. For GQ, the physics might be there… For the Pit, the answer is “Have you SEEN Pacino’s face? They should write a grenade into every other role he’s doing these days.” ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2018, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/6 "2018-01-16T20:06:28Z")
Well, I guess it’s as realistic as the Ferrari scene, which the writers of the movie clearly thought was hilarious and endearing but which I find to be utterly terrifying. ---
**Author:** ![Unpronounceable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de0a6/32.png) [@Unpronounceable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unpronounceable)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2018, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/7 "2018-01-16T20:23:55Z")
My grandfather was blinded in one eye from artillery shrapnel. His facial scars were quite minor. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2018, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/8 "2018-01-16T20:58:28Z")
Three-fourths of blinding eye injuries in WW1 were caused by small fragments which would have inflicted trivial injury anywhere else on the body. [B.L. Davis,\* British Army Uniforms & Insignia of WW2\*]. So, yes, it is plausible. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/9 "2018-01-17T00:40:49Z")
If the grenade landed on or near sand and kicked up a large high-velocity cloud of it, I can picture someone’s eyes suffering significant injury while the damage to his face eventually heals without significant scarring. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/10 "2018-01-17T02:12:51Z")
> [@Jacquernagy](#): > > Well, I guess it’s as realistic as the Ferrari scene, which the writers of the movie clearly thought was hilarious… That scene sort of sucked. I love love love SOAW, but that scene was so unrealistic. Coast to coast like butter and toast. Hoo-ah! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/11 "2018-01-17T02:24:20Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > That scene sort of sucked. I love love love SOAW, but that scene was so unrealistic. > > Coast to coast like butter and toast. Hoo-ah! Just some comedy relief in the movie. Kind of important to broaden the kid’s perspective on the loony colonel. It is a great movie, perfect vehicle for an enormous ham like Pacino. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/12 "2018-01-17T03:46:53Z")
Pacino wasn’t always like that, though. I mean, I don’t remember him chewing the scenery in _The Godfather_, and while he was extremely animated in _Dog Day Afternoon_, it still seemed like a real guy, not “an Al Pacino character.” When did he change? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/13 "2018-01-17T03:53:10Z")
> [@Jacquernagy](#): > > Pacino wasn’t always like that, though. I mean, I don’t remember him chewing the scenery in _The Godfather_, and while he was extremely animated in _Dog Day Afternoon_, it still seemed like a real guy, not “an Al Pacino character.” When did he change? I’d say it was Dog Day Afternoon when he changed. He let that part of him loose to play Sonny. It may have been easy for him after that, or that’s what directors were asking from him. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/14 "2018-01-17T15:37:04Z")
He was very animated in Heat. But honestly I like Pacino in roles like that. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/15 "2018-01-17T15:51:17Z")
It’s been a really long time since I have seen SOAW - is it possible it was a phosphorous grenade? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/16 "2018-01-17T16:18:55Z")
Or [a concussion grenade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MK3_grenade)? ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/17 "2018-01-20T02:43:07Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > It’s been a really long time since I have seen SOAW - is it possible it was a phosphorous grenade? I’m going to say no, since he wasn’t covered with 3rd degree burns. I’m going to guess he was trying to juggle a concussion grenade (no shrapnel) or a flash bang (which I assume could blind you if it went off right in your face). Or possibly it was a “Hollywood grenade” which will explode in a spectacular fireball and toss you across the room. Your actual injuries will depend on the requirements of the plot. ---
**Author:** ![Reddkryten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Reddkryten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddkryten)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/18 "2025-09-23T19:21:26Z")
Sorry to necropost, I was googling the bread rolls from the film and wound up here. Pacino actually does have some scars around his eyes in the film. They are very subtle, I didn’t notice them until I watched the 4k, but they are there. [Blu-ray.com](http://Blu-ray.com) has some comparisons and they aren’t really visible on previous home releases, but look at this [Blu-ray.com - Screenshot](https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/screenshot.php?movieid=380136&position=30) there is a long vertical scar on the left side of his face and a horizontal scar over his right eyebrow. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-al-pacinos-character-in-scent-of-a-woman/806727/19 "2025-09-23T21:21:28Z")
Another option is that his loss of sight was thanks to some sort of brain damage. Can a grenade cause [cortical blindness](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortical_blindness)?