Flashback Friday: Scarface (De Palma, 1983)

The "mob movie" has remained a consistently popular genre throughout the history of cinema. From the days of James Cagney, to the rise of Martin Scorsese, gangsters have fascinated moviegoers with their carefree lifestyle, stark loyalty, and brutal method of enforcement. This weekend, we get to see Robert DeNiro return to the big screen as a tough-as-nails gangster, protecting his wife and kids from other mob bosses in The Family. His wife is played by none other than Michelle Pfeiffer; however, this is not Pfeiffer's first time playing a mob wife. She has also been married on screen to another gangster film favorite- Al Pacino. But instead of the devoted mother she is in The Family, Pfeiffer's character's marriage to Al Pacino is a nightmarish combination of sex, violence, and murder. Oh, and a TON of drugs. This week on Flashback Friday, we're looking at the gangster cult classic Scarface. 

Scarface is actually a remake of the 1932 film Scarface: Shame of the Nation, but modernizes the story to feature a group of Cuban criminal immigrants. The 1983 Scarface is directed by Brian De Palma, based on a screenplay written by Oliver Stone (before he became huge). The movie is about the rise and fall of drug lord Antonio "Tony" Montana, played by scenery-chewing Al Pacino. He has a twisted vision of the American Dream: one can accomplish anything only by rampaging your way to the top. 

Though at first Montana works an honest job, he quickly resorts to old methods when he loses patience, and seeks to complete a drug deal with a brutal dealer. This leads us to the infamous "chainsaw" scene, in which the drug dealer interrogates Montana by "skinning" one of Montana's friends. It all works out for Tony, who kills the dealer and his cohorts, and returns the drugs to mob boss Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia). After meeting Frank, Montana encounters Frank's mistress- the beautiful Elvira Hancock (Michelle Pfeiffer). Another subplot involves Tony's best friend Manny Ribera's (Steven Bauer) relationship with Tony's sister Gina (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham co-stars as Frank's main lieutenant. 

When trying to get the film released, Brian De Palma had to go through extensive re-cuts to lower the film's X-rating to an R. After the third cut failed to make the grade, De Palma set up a panel of experts to testify that the film had artistic, as well as real-life, merits. The MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America, the people who give movies ratings- G, PG, PG-13, R, or X) eventually conceded to the third cut. However, when the MPAA, who could not carefully identify the differences between the cuts, approved the third cut, they did not realize that they were actually watching the original, director's cut of the film. One of the many funny MPAA vs. film director stories (see Alfred Hitchcock for Psycho).

Most people refer to the bloody violence, heavy drug use, and strong profanity when talking about Scarface; this is a shame, because the film is so much better than that legacy suggests. Narcotics officers say that it is a very accurate portrayal of drug lords and their cartels, and filmmakers point to the phenomenal acting and quotable screenplay. The editing is not great (see the fallen shoe that magically appears on the helicopter, and the nauseous cuts as the movie progresses), but the final, operatic finale is worth the price of admission. Martin Scorsese loved the film (shocker), and warned the stars that Hollywood would not like it. Scarface received mixed critical reaction upon release, but has since been reevaluated as a classic film since it's cult following became so prominent. 

Al Pacino's performance as Tony Montana has become a legendary image; today, the cult favorite has made it's way to a "cool" aura among college fraternities. Al Pacino did a good job in the film, but his Cuban accent was a little over-the-top at times. The similarities between Tony Montana and Al Pacino's own Godfather role Michael Corleone are striking. Think about it:

1. They each rise to the top of a mob by murdering those who stand in their way
2. They each die desperately alone
3. They each had a very important female family member (sister Gina for Tony, daughter Mary for Michael) that represented the only bright, pure spots in their lives, but who ultimately die because of the actions of Al Pacino's character
4. They each have an awful relationship with their wives, each of whom leave Al Pacino because he is "not the man (they) married"
5. They each cannot have a child because of their wives (Kay from Godfather has an abortion, and Elvira cannot healthily conceive)  

Michelle Pfeiffer does a great job as Elvira in one of the actress' earliest roles. She has an ice-cold beauty, selfish but dangerously gorgeous. Elvira is an addict first and foremost; her significant others (Frank and later Tony) are merely stepping stones to get those drugs. Pfeiffer later played the complete opposite of Elvira in Married to the Mob, where she is the hilarious widow of a mob boss. Hopefully, Pfeiffer will find a happy medium between the two in The Family.

Scarface is one of the all-time great gangster pictures, both for it's cultural importance ("Say hello to my little friend!", anyone?) and it's cinematic portrayal of what life is like in a drug cartel. Try to get past some of the disturbing violence and language, and watch the film as a piece of cult film history. After all, Tony Montana just wants a piece of the good old-fashioned American Dream. 

"The world is yours."