Scarface (1983)

Better than most people think

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Unexpected contact to the film 'Scarface' brought reviewing movies to deeper research about attempting to succeed in a mission to view 'Al Pacino' films. The movie did strike a resemblance to 'Al' but his last name gives him credit to view his film and because of that the miser in us is not going to be a coward. Activity to shoot such a picture with ingredients like 'drugs' or 'chessboard' from the poster shows that the knowledge we have of cinema needs another alter ego to persevere. The self did not succeed to bring a revenue singularly; did with sight and through sound of guns and visualization of events that can lead to catastrophe or millions of dollars. 'Scarface' a movie that shocks; stuns a loaded gun to be prepared for the legal battles to control the usage of a substance that is yet allowed in 'Coca Cola' syrups. Man's historical evidence shows that ate and sniffed curiously every metal and tried to turn it into gold like an 'alchemist' but did he put 'cocain' leaves into his mouth; he has. Proof that man has always been a 'rogue' or sexually active; like in the temple art works found with nudity and sexual acts being depicted. Drugs with 'Al' is the creations that were concocted but did they render the actor to be considered a movie icon like in 'Serpico'.

Scarface is one of the most iconic, and one of the most quotable movies ever for a good reason. Throughout this movie I kept repeating WOW! There's no doubt that Oliver Stone is a great screenwriter, but with Brian De Palma behind the camera Oliver Stone's screenplay became very very entertaining, not just smart. I felt I was watching a movie its script is written by Aaron Sorkin, and is directed by Martin Scorsese! Al Pacino delivered a powerhouse performance as Tony Montana which, in my opinion, is the second best performance in his long career, just right behind his exceptional performance as Michael Corleone in The Godfather II. I don't want to say that Al Pacino's performance elevated the movie, because the movie is already great, but as a matter of fact, Scarface couldn't have become a classic without his iconic performance.Speaking of the Godfather, Scarface also is a movie that takes a bad guy and allow him to be a human. The result is a nasty, and vicious protagonist that you couldn't help but root for. But it doesn't stop here, In this movie I didn't only sympathized with Tony Montana, but I also sympathized with the people Tony Montana care about the most. I cared about his relatives that I was about to shed some tears, in a gangster flick!!!!The pacing is fast, and that was very acceptable. But at the last hour the movie dragged a little bit, but it picked up very quickly, and I found myself very engaged again.Also, I have to mention the De Palma's spectacular representation of the Magic City, Miami. And the movie's electrifying soundtrack. Scarface is one of the best gangster films of all-time that doesn't only entertain, but it also a great character study, and has an underlying moral philosophy. (9/10)

"Scarface" (1983) was produced by Martin Bregman with others and directed by Brian De Palma, who is known in the crime drama, psychological thriller and suspense genres. Tony Montana is the hero who was a Cuban refugee in Florida who becomes a drug kingpin through greed and violence, only to see his empire end due to his egotistical behavior and cocaine addiction. Villains appear throughout the movie because they keep getting killed off. The principal villains who last the longest are Frank Lopez then Alejandro Sosa after Lopez is killed by Tony Montana. Tony is called to adventure when he refuses a low-paying offer with low risk for a high-paying risky cocaine buy that turns out to be a trap. He survives the drug-deal ambush that was set-up by Omar Suarez and possesses both the money and the cocaine that Tony was supposed to buy. Montana then leverages his position to a successful meeting with Omar's boss, Frank Lopez. Brian De Palma's aesthetic for well-placed violence is in its full style with "Scarface" (1983). The amount of violence seemed excessive for some at the time and it spawned much imitation, the highest form of flattery. I never thought that the quantity of violence in this movie was too much, but it was the quality of violence that was disturbing. From the villain's henchman being lynched from a helicopter to the hero surviving being hit with small bullets only to be killed by a single shotgun blast from behind showed things that had never been seen before in cinema.The final challenge for Tony Montana is when he must try to survive (without his best friend) a hit squad that was sent to his mansion by the Colombian drug lords. He is internally tormented by the regrettable effects of his desires, be it a cocaine habit, wasted wealth or the deaths of his loyal friends and his sister. Tony Montana's original aspiration of wanting to be the top dog climaxes into a parable about extravagance and obsessions. This, combined with the director's strategically-placed ferocity throughout the film culminates into the final anxiety release of seeing Montana floating dead, face down in his indoor fountain, ironically under the golden sculpture (that was alluded to earlier) that says "The World Is Yours." This business model's ROE ratio of 1.82 (domestic) and a Box Office almost twice the budget, "Scarface" (1983) is a successful movie venture. After 1983, excessive violence-as-art spawned whole new ways of showing interesting ways to kill people. It's not that this Everyman has a preference for killing others in weird ways, he just finds himself in odd everyday situations (for a drug dealer) and reacting violently in his journey. The "Scarface" imitators have mostly enjoyed their killing, for Tony Montana it's just the cost of doing business. Al Pacino knew that showing happiness or sadness after any death would just complicate the character. Because of this insight, most everything the charming Pacino touches turns to gold.

Director Brian De Palma's masterpiece Scarface is one of the best films ever, and in my opinion, we watch Al Pacino at its best. If you like Mafia movies, do not miss this movie.