Movie Review
Movie Review: Scarface (1983)
The Godfather Trilogy. White Heat. Little Caesar. Just of few names of films considered as “Gangster classics of yesteryear”. These films and countless others displayed the glitz and glamour of the gangsters of that era. Whether they be fast talking con men or business savvy mobsters, these films gave a glimpse inside the lives of the common gangster, or Hollywood’s interpretation that is. Although the films were made with great care and consideration, they often lacked the raw and gritty realism that the real life persons (that older gangster films were based on) had experienced. That would soon change with the release of the 1983 film Scarface.
Although it is a loose remake of the 1932 Howard Hawks film, the two films couldn’t be more different. Set in the drug infested high life of 1980s Miami, the film chronicles the rise and fall of the fictional Cuban drug lord Tony Montana, portrayed by Al Pacino (giving what is considered the most memorable performance of his career). Pacino embodies the underdog, the everyman, the fish out of water in a new world, 1980 Florida to be precise.
From the opening title montage, to the climactic final showdown, screenwriter Oliver Stone gives a very raw and realistic depiction of the struggle to obtain the American Dream. Tony’s hunger to survive in America as an immigrant is shown to us very early in the film. He wants to be his own man and not be controlled by a communist government. He wants the money, power and respect that he feel he deserves. Pacino’s portrayal of the Cuban immigrant is nothing short of breathtaking. Although we find ourselves rooting for the “Bad Guy”, it is also to be understood that Tony Montana is no hero. He cheats, kills and lies his way to the top of the food chain, but not without dire consequences. We see Tony at his highest highs (literally and figuratively) and his lowest low. The effects of his intense drug habits mixed along with his temper leads him to
The Godfather Trilogy. White Heat. Little Caesar. Just of few names of films considered as “Gangster classics of yesteryear”. These films and countless others displayed the glitz and glamour of the gangsters of that era. Whether they be fast talking con men or business savvy mobsters, these films gave a glimpse inside the lives of the common gangster, or Hollywood’s interpretation that is. Although the films were made with great care and consideration, they often lacked the raw and gritty realism that the real life persons (that older gangster films were based on) had experienced. That would soon change with the release of the 1983 film Scarface.
Although it is a loose remake of the 1932 Howard Hawks film, the two films couldn’t be more different. Set in the drug infested high life of 1980s Miami, the film chronicles the rise and fall of the fictional Cuban drug lord Tony Montana, portrayed by Al Pacino (giving what is considered the most memorable performance of his career). Pacino embodies the underdog, the everyman, the fish out of water in a new world, 1980 Florida to be precise.
From the opening title montage, to the climactic final showdown, screenwriter Oliver Stone gives a very raw and realistic depiction of the struggle to obtain the American Dream. Tony’s hunger to survive in America as an immigrant is shown to us very early in the film. He wants to be his own man and not be controlled by a communist government. He wants the money, power and respect that he feel he deserves. Pacino’s portrayal of the Cuban immigrant is nothing short of breathtaking. Although we find ourselves rooting for the “Bad Guy”, it is also to be understood that Tony Montana is no hero. He cheats, kills and lies his way to the top of the food chain, but not without dire consequences. We see Tony at his highest highs (literally and figuratively) and his lowest low. The effects of his intense drug habits mixed along with his temper leads him to