"Scarface" introduced the world to one of cinema's most iconic characters, Tony Montana, the audacious Cuban cocaine mobster who feared nothing and had some of the most memorable lines in movies. "Why don't you shove you're head up your a**, see if it fit..." he quips just before another mobster is about to chop him in half with a chainsaw. Scarface is not a subtle movie; it's big, bold, and glorious with some memorable sequences, characters and direction. Brian DePalma has given us quite a number of quality films throughout his career and Scarface has to rank as one of his best. This isn't just another mobster film; it's a mobster film where it's lead character will have you completely engrossed from start to finish.
The movie charts the life of Tony Montana from when he stepped off the refugee boat from Cuba in Miami, through to his rise working for other mobsters before taking it upon himself to take over the whole enterprise. In this sense there really isn't anything dissimiliar to other mob films but the focus on the Cuban and Latin influences in Miami, the rise and thriving cocaine trade, and the multiple dimensions to Montana himself make this film very unique and engrossing. Montana is by and large two-dimensional; he's big and uncompromising. It's his way or the highway. But at the same time, he has a lot of dimension which is especially fleshed out with his relationships to his fellow refugee friend Manny (Steven Bauer) and his sister Gina (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). In the former we get some rather good buddy sequences, and in the latter we see an overprotective brother smothering his baby sister's attempts to live a normal life.
Al Pacino is never better in this film, and while it could be could an over-the-top performance, he does it in just exactly the right way to portray a character that you'll actually enjoy watching. Michelle Pfieffer is also good as his love interest, as is Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Gina, Montana's sister. Steven Bauer is great as his sidekick Manny who accompanies Montana on his rise to the top only to come undone when he takes an interest in Gina. There are also great performances from Robert Loggia and F. Murray Abraham as underworld kingpins who Montana who eventually dispatches in his rise to the top.
Perhaps the best sequence in the film is the ending; confronted by all his enemies, Montana decides to go out all guns blazing. "So you want to play rough, okay! I play rough!" And then proceeds to come out with a big gun and starts to blowing away everyone. "Say hello to my new friend!" BANG!
The craft aspects of the film are fabulous; the cinematography is glorious, with a number of sweeping crane shots and other devices which really take advantage of the widescreen format and give the film a more epic scope which is best scene towards the end of the film when Montana starts to live the high life at the top in mansions etc. Perhaps the only annoying thing, and this is just for me personally, is the overbearing music score. Scarface is a blunt, in your face, kind of film and the music reflects that, but somehow for me it interfered with the enjoyment of the film.
"To get the woman, first you need the money. When you get the money, you get the power. When you get the power, you get the woman." Scarface is a classic, one that you'll greatly enjoy.
For the complete, original DVD review, click this link: http://www.allaboutmovies.net/dvdreviewscarface.htm
Alex DeMattia is the lead DVD reviewer at the film/DVD review web site All About Movies.net. He also contributes reviews and articles for the Digicosm Film Blog: http://www.filmannex.com/Digicosm
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