Scarface (1983) Movie Review

Scarface (1983) Movie Review

There is almost nothing that audiences seem to love more than instantly recognizable main characters when it comes to movies. People latch onto movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Forrest Gump, and The Big Lebowski not only because of the quality of the films themselves, but because of the recognizability and lovability of the characters their stories revolve around. People love a movie character they can do a voice impression of, dress up as for Halloween, quote to whoever’s listening, etc. These fictional characters that are so beloved are often the protagonists of their respective films; however, a variety of cinematic antagonists receive similar applause: The Silence of the Lambs and The Dark Knight being two examples of films whose antagonists are perhaps more notable than their protagonists. This is the Hollywood scriptwriting way, to make a clear division between the good-natured characters and the bad-natured characters. Of course it is completely possible to write strong characters who are decidedly either righteous or immoral, but a smaller, third category of characters that audiences latch onto are those who are not necessarily good, nor are they bad. Crime movies, gangster films in particular, when well-made, are good at producing this type of character. There is something distinctly human about some of the characters in gangster films, due to both their involvement in illegal activity and, oftentimes, their strong values of things like family and loyalty. One of the most iconic gangster films ever made, Brian De Palma’s Scarface, has a main character who is the perfect epitome of the “antihero” (a term that I think is sort of overused but definitely applies here), someone who is probably not what would normally be referred to as a “good person,” but captures our attentions nonetheless. Said character would be Tony Montana (Al Pacino), whose name is maybe as recognizable as the Scarface title itself. I watched Scarface very recently and came to the conclusion that it was probably one of the best “character study” movies I’d seen.

Scarface follows the story of Tony Montana (Pacino), a Cuban refugee who comes to Miami in 1980 with the Mariel boatlift. At first stranded in a refugee camp, Montana and his friend/right-hand-man Manny (Steven Bauer) get an offer from drug lord Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia) to murder a Cuban government official in exchange for green cards. They and their buddies carry out the mission and are accepted into the United States. At first, Tony and Manny work low-paying kitchen jobs, but eventually Frank sends his assistant, Omar (F. Murray Abraham), to give them another assignment of picking up drugs from some Columbians. The assingment doesn’t go quite as planned, but Tony and Manny get the stuff and meet up with Frank. Tony meets Frank’s wife Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer), and later goes to reconcile with his mother (Míriam Colón) and sister (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), the former of whom hates him and orders him out of their house. Soon enough, Frank sends Tony and Omar to meet with Alejandro Sosa (Paul Shenar), a Bolivian drug lord. Omar doesn’t make it out alive, but Tony strikes up a deal with Sosa. When Frank hears that Omar is dead and that Tony has made a deal with Sosa without his permission, he gets mad at Tony, who goes and starts his own drug business. Soon enough, Tony finds himself wrapped up in the Miami drug business, complete with shootouts with the competition, addiction, and tax evasion, all the while building his own empire and eventually marrying Elvira himself. After Tony gets in trouble with the law for his tax evasion and botches his only way out by refusing to carry out a hit for Sosa – who would’ve handled the situation for him – he finds himself in deep trouble, not to mention completely paranoid and alienated from everyone in his life.

Like I said earlier, Tony is a true antihero, a man who, especially toward the end of the film, is almost completely morally bankrupt. The fact that he remains so captivating and charismatic is a testament, mostly, to how outstanding Al Pacino’s performance is. A better casting choice really could not have been made; Pacino, who at times looks a little like an odd one out among the rest of the Cuban refugee characters, was still probably born to play this role. It is clear while watching Scarface that Pacino completely understands the character that he is playing, who happens to be almost perfectly written, as far as I’m concerned, in Oliver Stone’s sharp script. It was pointed out to me that Scarface is sort of Shakespearean, which is absolutely right. The story follows the rise and inevitable fall of Tony, with a fall so bleak and gruesome that it would probably be accurate to call the whole movie a tragedy. I don’t want to spoil it, but the film’s ending, which would generally be referred to as “unhappy,” actually wraps a nice bowtie on the story of a refugee who comes, sees, and conquers in America. The iconic “The World is Yours” blimp in the movie is emblematic of what I see to be the message of the film as a whole, which is that the world is yours, but consequences can come with taking what you want. Among other things, Scarface could even additionally be seen as a cautionary tale. Not that becoming a Miami drug lord is something that everyone sets out to do, but it’s just a good reminder to do what’s smart and moral in order to achieve whatever goals you have for yourself, which I think is a message that never hurts to receive. Any subliminal messages aside, Scarface is an extremely well made film. I know I probably say it about a lot of movies, but the cinematography here is amazing. It’s very noticeable how well the film is shot; the long takes are really impressive. The placement of the characters in the shots is also something that’s paid close attention to, which is nice considering that’s something typically almost completely neglected in a lot of movies. The 1980s Miami setting is so fitting for Tony’s story; in general Scarface just feels very 80s, with its color palette and vibrant soundtrack. The combination of the film’s hazy, almost cozy, nocturnal nightclub vibe and its grim, violent gangster story aspects is brilliant. Another thing I want to compliment about this movie is its set pieces, something I’ve probably never written about in any review before, now that I think about it. Sosa’s vintage-esque South American estate, Tony’s enormous red-velvet mansion, the neon Babylon Club the characters often visit, and more are all very vivid locations that really illuminate the action itself, truly serving the movie. Speaking of serving the movie, I’m not sure I’ve seen many other films that utilize a historical backdrop as well as Scarface. The opening credits are probably some of the most effective opening credits I’ve seen maybe ever, really getting me excited for the movie to come by introducing the scenario at hand with a written explanation that ends with “Of the 125,000 refugees that landed in Florida, 25,000 had criminal records.” Giorgio Moroder’s excellent opening theme kicks in, showing the audience some real-life footage of the Mariel boatlift. The whole thing sets up the story beautifully. I don’t think I’m necessarily doing a good job of explaining how well-done the opening credits are, but just take my word for it that they are. 

I honestly don’t have much to criticize when it comes to this movie. When the movie builds toward its climax, it occurred to me that a big shootout was about to occur, which I realized would be something that maybe someone else would complain about (“The movie sort of just devolves into a bunch of shooting”), but not me. The final shootout reflects what the whole movie has been building up to, and Tony’s character as a whole. The shootout is what has been coming for him since the beginning; it’s the final piece that completes his downfall. Scarface’s grisly third act and climax actually make for a completely appropriate ending to the story of Tony Montana. It’s a story that, despite being derived from another movie (the 1932 version), feels completely original due to its historical context and “American dream,” “the world is yours” message. Perhaps said sentiment is why the movie seems to have resonated so deeply with rap musicians, and, as someone who has been a fan of rap for years, this is something I became aware of while watching. The most obvious and blatant example would be the rapper Scarface, whose own excellent deep cut “Born Killer” samples the film’s “Don’t f*** with me” line in its chorus, a song moment that I’ve always loved. Then there’s the Raekwon song “Incarcerated Scarfaces,” and the other Raekwon song, “Criminology,” that samples Tony’s final heated dialogue with Sosa in its opening few seconds. And then you’ve got the classic and timeless early-2010s trap staples “Tony Montana” and “Love Sosa.” There are probably tons of other examples I’m forgetting, and yes, I know I write movie reviews and not about music, but c’mon, I couldn’t help but notice all of this. Like I was saying earlier, some movies just really resonate with people, and an iconic character can really make that a reality. The world of hip-hop isn’t alone in taking a liking to Scarface; the movie is considered a true classic, and for good reason. I remember one time I saw a guy walking down the street with a Scarface poster T-shirt on, with half the shirt white and the other half black; it was a terribly designed shirt, honestly. But it proves my point, which is that good characters resonate, and Tony Montana is a perfect example. 

Scarface is an extremely and consistently entertaining movie despite its runtime, one that also leaves you plenty to think about. For Tony, becoming a drug lord was his way of achieving the American dream, but it came at a cost. Certainly there are plenty of other ways of achieving such, but what if they, too, come at a cost? Is there a common cost that everyone goes through, or do some American dreams have price tags while others don’t? Maybe these are the questions Scarface poses, maybe they’re just the questions that I’ve taken away from it, and maybe I’m just rambling, but either way, Scarface is absolutely a must-see film. With some gangster movies, the Godfather films in particular, I recognize them as very well-made cinema, and “like” them for sure, but don’t really “love” them or have any real attachment to them. I think it’s safe to say that I really do love the movie Scarface. It’s the type of movie that, if it gets brought up, I’ll go, “Yeah, I love that movie!” instead of just “Yeah, classic.” I strongly recommend this movie; I can’t quite decide between an A or an A+ as a grade, so I’ll just leave that up in the air. Go watch it and decide for yourself!