SCARFACE (1983)

Directed by Brian DePalma. Starring Al Pacino, Steve Bauer, Michelle Pfieffer, Robert Loggia, F. Murray Abraham, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Harris Yulin.Action/Drama

SYNOPSIS: A Cuban ex-patriate comes to the United States as part of the Mariel boat lift and begins meteoric rise to the top of the Miami cocaine trade.

O.k., this might be the ultimate of the cult classics. But, that is just my opinion. I've seen this flick probably 50 times over the last 25 years and, I know its a cliche, but it never gets old for me. Like a number of movie fans of my generation, I can recite many of the (in)famous lines from the movie, usually in my imitation of Tony Montana's (Al Pacino 88 Minutes Devil's Advocate) voice, mouth turned down and everything. At the time of its release, it did not do well at the box office and was widely criticized for its excessive use of the "f word" as well as its violence.

Well, for those of you have not seen Scarface, understand that you have "modern" sensibilities when it comes to violence (meaning you can watch any edition of Saw from start to finish without seeking therapy), this won't even make you blink.  As for the "f word" well,...yeah, its used a lot, though I think Crank 2 might challenge it, along with Good Fellas, for the mantle of using that word the most in any mainstream movie I've seen.

Anyway, on to the point. Scarface is a remake of a movie of the same name released in the '30s starring Paul Muni, and modernized to the present day (1980s at the time of its release). Its basically the Horatio Alger type of tale, only our hero, Tony Montana, is hard working and industrious in his journey from the bottom to the top of the criminal world.  

And, to me, that is what makes this movie so good. We root for Tony, we empathize with Tony, hell, we like Tony. Now, in the recent wake of seven excellent seasons of The Sopranos, it might not seem so incredible to like such an obviously flawed character, but that is just the thing here. We just might not see Tony as completely bad.

Tony is one of thousands of Cuban criminals moved to the United States by Fidel Castro in the real Mariel boat lift, and that is where the story begins, with Tony being interrogated by U.S. customs agents and trying to convince them he is just a political prisoner looking to make a life in the U.S., something he has always wanted to do. They don't buy it, and Tony and best buddy Manny (Steve Bauer) find themselves in a detention center in Miami.   

Tony is a hardworker, fearless, and he wants to make it big in his career and start a family. Not too different from Everyman. In a way. He sets his sights on his dream woman that he wants to marry and raise his kids, Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer Love Field).He's not the slightest bit deterred by the fact that she is the lady of his boss, Frank (Robert Loggia Independence Day, The Sopranos).

Tony sets out to rise to the top, living his version of the American dream embodied by the phrase 'the world is yours". He's doesn't let the conservatve nature of his boss, Frank, stand in his way any more than the attempt of the corrupt cop, Mel (Harris Yulin Hurricane, Training Day), or the loyal lieutenant of his boss, Omar, (F. Murray Abraham Cadence, Bonfire of the Vanities)   to control or stop him.

But, we all know you can't have everything, and Tony finds this out after he reaches the top. But, its a hell of thrill ride along the way, with his takeover of Frank's business, his misguided devotion to to his younger sister, Gina, (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio The Abyss ) and the penultimate ending in a haze of bullets and glory.

If you haven't seen the flick, know this:everything you've heard about this movie is true, with its over-the-top violence, exaggerated use of accent/dialect, the chainsaw in the shower scene, the hanging the rat out of the helicopter scene, all of it.  The thing you have to understand is, it works. You will be asked to suspend disbelief, big time, as far as the plot, but you won't mind doing so. There is a reason this flick has been referenced in numerous action flicks, as well as other cinema and TV (The Distinguished Gentleman, New Jack City, Deep Cover, The Sopranos, to name a few) since it was released more than a quarter century ago.

To me, its for one primary reason. Yes, it captured the feel of the early '80s (although in 70s clothing for the actors) as well as the spirit of the national consciousness of the drug war. Yes, the violence was cutting edge for its time, and still quaint for "gore fans" of a newer generation(s). Yes, there are several scenes that are unforgettable, like Tony's drunken restaurant speech ("Say good night to the bad guy!"). All that is true, but in the opinion of your humble reviewer, this movie survives-and will continue to survive-as the ultimate cult classic because of Al Pacino. I've already told you how I thought he made the bad guy/hero role empathetic.

But, even more than that, he just brings Tony to life for us as one of the more charismatic characters in cinema history. We all know we're talking about one of the best actors of all time here. His accomplishments onscreen are legend. And, do you know what? I think this just might be his best performance of them all. That alone should make you want to buy or rent this flick even if nothing else has moved you.

As an added note, the DVD has some awesome special features. I just love extras on dvd, but when you not only have extensive commentary and interviews, but also behind the scenes footage from the making of the movie...well, you can't get much better than that.