Scarface-1983
Director Brian De Palma
Starring Al Pacino
Scott’s Review #191
Reviewed November 13, 2014
Grade: B
Scarface is a 1983 mob film directed by Brian De Palma and is an atypical film for the acclaimed director of several stylistic thrillers, including Dressed to Kill (1980), Sisters (1973), and Carrie (1976).
The subject matter centers on the mob and the world of drug trafficking, in this case, cocaine, a very popular, powerful drug that ran rampant throughout the 1980s.
Jealousy, greed, and deceit are common themes in Scarface, and the story focuses on a temperamental, cocky, and arrogant Cuban refugee sent to Miami by Fidel Castro a banish criminals from Cuba and ship them to the United States to survive on their own.
Tony Montana, played by Al Pacino, goes from dishwasher to crime lord by selling drugs and building an empire.
He manipulates, tricks, and makes enemies left and right, including stealing his boss’s girlfriend (Michelle Pfeiffer) and eventually falling into a troubled marriage with her.
He loves his financially struggling mother and sister, giving them money and opening a salon for his sister. Still, he also controls them, especially his sister, and is filled with rage whenever she attracts the affection of a potential suitor.
In his mind, nobody is good enough for her, and he is filled with machismo and over-protectiveness. Tony eventually self-destructs due to jealousy, rage, and heavy drug use.
I found the film overall quite compelling, but kept thinking about how much it resembles a lighter version of The Godfather (1972), Part II (1974), and Goodfellas (1990).
I am fully aware that Scarface preceded Goodfellas, but seeing it for the first time in 2014, I had this initial reaction.
I was also kept aware that it must have been influential in the creation of the popular NBC television series Miami Vice, which debuted a year or two after Scarface was released.
Elements such as crime lords, Miami Beach, and drugs mirrored the slick feel of the hit television drama, as well as its look, style, and fashion.
The performance of Al Pacino is problematic- in my view, this is not at all his best work. For starters, his accent keeps going in and out, and I found him slightly unbelievable in the role. A phenomenal actor, something about his performance did not sit well.
The musical score to the film is cheesy- almost shockingly so. Granted, this was 1983, but the silly dance beats that now seem to appear throughout now seem completely dated sporadically.
Parts of Scarface dragged a bit, however, a sudden dramatic scene (the dismembering of Tony’s friend by mobsters and Tony’s meltdown in a fancy restaurant) more than makes up for the occasional lags in drama.
Scarface (1983) is not on the level of other contemporary violent mob films, but fans of the genre will still enjoy it.
