How Jack O'Connell's new Larry Lamb biopic draws parallels with Al Pacino's Godfather arc

Ink is one of the films that explains how success can change the way a person sees what's right and what's wrong. Celebrated actor Jack O'Connell takes the titular role of Larry Lamb, a newspaper editor.

What changes Larry's life is the opportunity he receives in his career. He gets a chance to become the head of The Sun after accepting an offer from Rupert Murdoch, played by Guy Pearce.

As Larry Lamb moves forward in his career, his ambition starts affecting his moral choices. Some of the things he does may make viewers uncomfortable, but the film still makes his journey interesting because it shows how he reaches that point.

Interestingly, Director Danny Boyle compared Larry to Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino in The Godfather Part II. He said (via Variety):

"I used to say it’s the same as Al Pacino at the end of ‘The Godfather Part II,’ when he has ordered the murder of his brother, and yet you’re still intrigued by Pacino just sitting there all alone."

Boyle explained that both characters have a strong ambition that becomes really hard to justify. Even when their actions are questioned, these characters don't stop, and that's exactly what viewers like. They want to see what's motivating them to keep moving forward.

Boyle discussed this connection while Ink was being presented at the Zurich Film Festival. The director even praised O'Connell's performance and mentioned that his film intrigued him because of how ambition was presented in it.

More details below!

How Jack O'Connell's Larry Lamb resembles Al Pacino's Michael Corleone

As previously explained, director Danny Boyle compared his film's character, Larry, with Al Pacino's character from The Godfather Part II. The reason behind this is that both characters keep the audience interested even when their actions become difficult to defend.

If we look at Al Pacino's film, Michael goes as far as arranging his brother’s death, showing how much he has changed. Even after this, viewers still want to understand what is happening to him and how he deals with his choices.

So, this made Boyle see something similar in Larry Lamb. As this character starts to focus heavily on his career, he focuses less on what's right and wrong. This simply means that Larry's moral side slowly takes a back seat. He said (via Variety):

"It was true of the guy in ‘Ink,’ because by the end of the film, his moral conscience – if there ever was one – has dissolved entirely as he pursues success. And you still have to root for him."

His choices become more troubling, but the audience is still able to follow his journey and wonder what is pushing him forward. Boyle believes Jack O’Connell can make Larry Lamb interesting without making him completely unlikeable.

He also praised O’Connell’s performance in Back to Black, where he played Amy Winehouse’s boyfriend. That role showed Boyle that O’Connell could handle a complicated character like Larry Lamb.

A look at what Ink really offers

Ink is not only about Larry Lamb. It also looks at how Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper business began in Britain and how its growth affected the way people receive information. Boyle wanted to show Murdoch before he became the powerful media figure most people know, including a quieter side of his personality.

The film connects the newspaper’s beginnings in 1969 with today’s problems around truth, sensational stories, and click-focused content. Boyle suggests that audiences also play a part because media outlets often give people what they know will attract attention.

He said:

"I really do believe that what they did in 1969, and the beginning of this newspaper, has actually more impact on our lives today."

Boyle continued:

"There’s a clear thread that runs from this ignition point to where we are today. We have lost our relationship with the truth, and by that I mean our dependable relationship with the truth."

Through the film, he wants viewers to think about how today’s information culture developed and whether people can help change it. This also connects Lamb to Michael Corleone: both stories show how the pursuit of success can slowly weaken a person’s moral limits.