|
Today, remakes are an epidemic, so it might come as a surprise to some folk who turned this 80s gangster flick into a revered cult hit that it is, in fact, a remake. Unlike a lot of today’s unnecessary re-dos, Brian De Palma’s contemporizing of Howard Hawk’s 1932 original presented a social relevance of its time that was overshadowed at the time by its no holds barred violence and irreverence.
Time has been kinder to Scarface, with even the latest generation idolizing the antics of one Tony Montana and his rise to the top of the Florida drug trade. He is the epitome of 80s capitalism and a perversion in excess of the American dream, proof sickening positive that a man can become whatever he wants in the land of opportunity—and people still love that message, if not Montana’s methods.
Tony Montana is a ‘political refugee’ from Cuba in the 1980s; he is a ruthless thug and has aspirations of greatness he will stop at nothing to achieve. They begin with him murdering someone to get his green card and escalate as he rapidly rises through the ranks of Florida’s organized crime. Through unbreakable and fearless determination, Montana becomes the head of his own drug empire. But any joy he might have derived from his ‘success’ is short-lived; between his marriage imploding, the cops and rivals bad guys nipping at his heels, and his own drug-fuelled paranoia, the clock is ticking on his brutal life.
This is a real hybrid of a movie; it is a straight down the line gangster flick on one hand and on the other, for all its excesses, it is a sophisticated character study—a real cautionary tale in that traditional framework from Oliver Stone. There is no direct antagonist because Montana is his own worst enemy. It is steeped in its own time, with 80s excess oozing from every frame, and it dares to go all out, so much so it still presents as one of the most violent and uncompromising films on the subject ever made.
Al Pacino as this character—excessive, flamboyant, and over the top—has become an icon to some, and it is testament to his performance that such a bad guy ends up being rooted for. This reviewer, however, never bought the character, not back then and not now. Such an unhinged psychopathic monster could only ever succeed, as he does, through the conceit of a motion picture narrative. I just don’t buy that someone like Tony Montana could ever rise to the heights he does or even breathe past his first meeting with organised crime. As such, though realism is not a prerequisite to me, or to this picture, I could never get past that conceit and enjoy the character’s journey. I found the supporting characters suffered for this conceit as well, particularly Michelle Pfeiffer’s mob moll. Bottom line is, if you don’t like, or at least believe, in a character’s journey, you won’t enjoy the story.
Story aside, if you’re to look at the film as a whole, it’s a class act, well shot, impeccably acted, and undeniably charismatic. If you buy Tony Montana—and many folks do—then I can see why this movie has become the cult classic it is. If you don’t, as much as you might appreciate the talent that is poured into it, this film kind of leaves you cold.
MPAA Rating: R.
