Hey Folks! It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these so I thought I would kick start it off again with one of the ultimate classic gangster films, Scarface.

“Say Hello to my little friend!”

Scarface (1983)

Director: Brian De Palma

Starring: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer

Awards: Golden Globe Nominee (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Score)

Scarface tells the story of Tony Montoya, a Cuban refugee and ex-convict desperate for a slice of the ever elusive American Dream. After finding himself in a trapped in a refugee camp, his friend Manny (Steven Bauer) finds a way out for them both; carry out an assassination and get themselves a green card.

Tony soon realises that the American Dream is not that easy to achieve and resorts to quick wins on the Miami drug scene. When a deal with the Colombians goes south and Tony manages to walk away with both the drugs and the money, he quickly finds himself under the wing of drug lord, Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia), and his beautiful wife, Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer).

From there, Tony’s rise to power is quick but as his power grows, so does his greed and paranoia. It soon becomes obvious that achieving the American Dream is easier than keeping it.

So, I’ve been mulling this film over for a few days and I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it.

On the one hand, I felt every minute of the almost 3 hour runtime. I’m probably missing something but I just don’t think there is enough intrigue in the gangster genre to frequently warrant that kind of runtime.

I also found the timeline a little unclear; did Tony rise to power over the course of a few months or several years? Now, I know this is probably something insignificant in the grand scheme of things but I found it somewhat distracting and it really hindered my ability to connect with Tony as a character.

On a more positive note, I thought the acting was great across the board and it is clear to see why this is one of Al Pacino’s most memorable characters. There was a real interesting use of colour and camera angles that helped create tension and elevate the drama.

What I particularly liked the most about Scarface is that it is dark and gritty throughout. There’s no real sentimentality or a nice tied-with-a-ribbon happy ending. It is clear that director Brian De Palma is portraying some of the darker, more unpleasant sides to human nature and he stays true to that message from the start to the action packed climax.

Overall, I am glad that I’ve finally crossed this one off my list although, if I’m honest, i don’t think I’ll be watching it again any time soon.

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If you liked this review check out some of my other ‘Retro Reviews‘.