Scarface

Greetings, Scarface is a mob film directed by Brian De Palma and was released in 1983 as a remake of the original 1932 movie. The most prominent cast members include Al Pacino of Godfather fame and Michelle Pfeiffer, a relatively unknown actress at the time in which this film served as her break out role. The music was produced by Italian composer Giorgio Moroder who relied heavily on synthesizers and electronic music in the soundtrack, giving the OST an 80’s feel to it. I felt as though some of the tracks that tried to build suspense were rather tacky but it didn’t detract from the entertaining experience. It should be noted that the Cuban accents were very heavy and difficult to understand during the beginning of the film but you get used to it as Scarface progresses.

The movie begins in 1980 with Fidel Castro shipping Cuban prisoners out from his country, claiming them to be against the spirit of the revolution. Among the immigrants are Tony Montana and his best friend Manny Ribera who have entered America, settling in Miami. While stuck in a refugee camp Manny finds a way to access green cards in order to enter America legally. He is hired by a wealthy American drug lord named Frank Lopez to assassinate an ex-government official of Castro’s regime who is also hiding in the migrant camp. Once the official is murdered by both Tony and Manny, the two are given their green cards which gives them the right to live and work in the United States in adherence to the law.

The two protagonists are drawn further into a life of crime when Montana attempts to purchase cocaine from Columbians on Frank’s behalf. The deal was revealed to be a trap and resulted in Angel, one of Tony’s friends, being killed but the Columbines were massacred by the main duo. After the failed negotiations Tony and Manny make off with both Lopez’s money as well as the narcotics to meet with Frank personally. During the meeting, Montana briefly meets Franks’ girlfriend and is instantly infatuated by her the moment she makes her introduction. The gangster’s moll, Elvira Hancock, is portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer as a bored drug addict as well as a trophy girlfriend. Frank Lopez is impressed by Montana’s nature and offers the two characters full time employment in his criminal empire. At the beginning of the movie, Lopez believes that Tony could be controlled despite Montana’s wild character and excessive ambitions. The plot also tries to highlight Tony’s familial problems that stem from his criminal occupation and his mother’s disdain for his violent actions.

Overall, I did enjoy this classic film and felt that it was worthy of its status as a pop culture phenomenon. I would encourage you to watch it if you aren’t adverse to scenes of a violent nature, profanity, drug taking and nudity but keep in mind that these scenes are quite pale in comparison to the standards of modern entertainment. The series has spawned a few videogames surrounding the titular character such as the 2006 one named ‘Scarface: The World Is Yours’. There are also currently negotiations in process to get a sequel made. It would be set in modern day Los Angeles as a Mexican immigrant chases the American dream through building a criminal empire. Although it is too early to tell what to expect from the film, I am looking forward to what a modern sequel to Scarface would entail.

Plot=9/10

Characters=9/10

Special Effects=8/10

Overall=9/10

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