Scarface (1983)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Zach B

  
  To say that this film has been the source of inspiration for gangsters in the eighties as The Godfather was in the seventies and Goodfellas was in the nineties is something of a drastic understatement. In fact, I am left wondering if Oliver Stone and Brian de Palma new what they were… More
  To say that this film has been the source of inspiration for gangsters in the eighties as The Godfather was in the seventies and Goodfellas was in the nineties is something of a drastic understatement. In fact, I am left wondering if Oliver Stone and Brian de Palma new what they were getting themselves into when they decided to remake the original 1932 gangster classic. Well, whatever it is, I doubt they were prepared for a film that has become such a staple in pop-culture that even Hip-Hop/ Rap artists credit this film as being the story of their lives (for those that do just to fit in, I hope they know how this film ends). But on the film itself, it will take a lot to cover in terms of my opinion. Like a lot of great films, this is one that took me a while to get into. The reason was simple: this is a long, mind-numbing film that takes it time to establish the world that our antihero (portrayed by Al Pacino) lives in. De Palma takes his time to show us how the women stand their grounds, how the drugs get distributed, and how dirty, sick, and blood soaked everything is. As I said, this was a film that takes a while to get into, no matter how many parodies or clips you have seen. Personally, looking back on the film, I feel like I can give this the benefit of the doubt. The reason is simple: this was the first time De Palma makes a film of this caliber. Now, is it a great direction piece? Honestly, no. But not as terrible as what some people think (this film did win the Razzie for Worst Direction). But, it is acceptable for the most part. Just wished it was more absorbing and more interesting at the beginning. This film, while sucks at direction, is made up for by two very powerful aspects: writing and acting. While doing research on this film, I ended up learning that Oliver Stone made a documentary about his stay in Cuba where he went and talked to Castro for a total of three days. My guess is that after that, after viewing the original, and after reflecting on his own rise to power as a director that he knew how to tell a story about obsession, greed, and power (he would do so again in the wonderful film Wall Street). What makes me love this film is how he is able to write a character like Tony Montana, make him likable yet hate-able, while showing us a reflection on a combination between the stereotypical, comedic gangsters of the thirties and the more respectable and intelligent gangsters of the seventies. The characters he writes are from good to over the top. With someone like Tony Montana, he needs to be over the top. Just think about him: how he acts, his morals, his loves, obsessions, ways, idea, logic, even ruthlessness and recklessness. These are all the characteristics for someone who has to be over the top and reckless as hell. But, in the end, while it seems Tony seems to be abnormal due to his ways, we learn to like Tony and in the end he is the only normal character there. Now for the acting. This film has mostly unknowns with two actors that are well known: Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino. But when you ask people about this film, they will only remember Pacino due to his performance. Think back to the seventies when he established himself as an actor for the Godfather films that were made then. Now, think of the character he played in those films: Michael Corleone. Think of the characteristics of that character. Michael is intelligent, smooth, controlled, logical, moralistic, and cold when needed to be. Tony is the polar opposite in every way imaginable. For Pacino to play a character that will likely get into fights with Corleone, he does a performance that has been underestimated for some time. By being underestimated, I mean that people don't realize how good of a performance Pacio does in this film. Everything from the way he struts to his ridiculous voice is not that of a Cuban (I have yet to meet a Cuban that talks like that), but it is America's idea of Cubans. Now, this conclusion is created by the fact that he is the only Cuban that acts like this in the entire film. All of the other Cubans act like, well, normal Cubans. None of them have that accent, shoves their nose into mountains of cocaine, nor have odd attractions to their sisters (though I might be mistaken by that). Tony Montana is not a real Cuban. He is the idea of one, and that is what makes this film so grand. If this film should ever be remembered for anything, it will have to be how historic changing this film is. Like The Godfather before hand and Goodfellas afterwords, Scarface changed how people viewed gangsters with it's blood-soaked film, the gratuitous amounts of bullets, the legendary 'F-Bomb', and some of the most quotable lines in cinema. But, in terms of impact, this film beats Goodfellas simply because of the impact it has had on Cuban, Mexican, and African American pop-culture. I am still wondering if any of the people who worked on this film could have for seen that, but who knows. This is still a great film and one that is worth checking out.

• Albert K

  
  With P. Diddy praising this movie left and right, I was hesitant to jump into this movie. And man was it intense. A powerful statement to those who strive for power and how without a calibrator to keep us human beings in check, we smash and fail. Al Pacino was not Al Pacino - he was… More
  With P. Diddy praising this movie left and right, I was hesitant to jump into this movie. And man was it intense. A powerful statement to those who strive for power and how without a calibrator to keep us human beings in check, we smash and fail. Al Pacino was not Al Pacino - he was Tony Montana. Unfortunately, almost the rest of the cast suffered to be on the same caliber. The direction, editing, and camerawork all suffered simply from age. Nevertheless, "Scarface" exudes style that has been kindly borrowed from influential directors including Quentin Tarantino. A riveting, entertaining drama of a man that rises up the ranks because of an uncontrollable trigger finger on his ego.

• Brad W

  
  Scarface is Brian DePalmas masterpiece and the most influential gangster film of all time. The story is about Tony Montana (Al Pacino) who starts out as a Cuban refugee, but then he meets the Miami Drug Lord and soon starts a chan of events that make Tony at the top of the Florida… More
  Scarface is Brian DePalmas masterpiece and the most influential gangster film of all time. The story is about Tony Montana (Al Pacino) who starts out as a Cuban refugee, but then he meets the Miami Drug Lord and soon starts a chan of events that make Tony at the top of the Florida crime chain and as he goes completely insane. The plot is one of the coolest, most vulgar, and smart gangster films that has ever been made, I mean Tony Montana is one of the greatest film characters of all time and its because of this great story and his character that this movie is a cult classic. Al Pacino stands as one of the greatest actors of all time and I think Tony Montana and Micheal Corleone are the two roles ge will always be remembered for when he dies, what a incredible actor in every way. The direction by Brian DePalmais great, I mean he uses every correct move and he knowswhat kind of film he is making and he doesn't stray away from the story. Scarface is one of the single greatest gangster films ever made, I don't know if its my favorite gangster film, but its definently one of my favorites and I can honestly say Scarface is a movie that will never be forgotten and will live on forever.

• Matt G

  
  To call Scarface a masterpiece seems like an understatement at this point. I've just come back from seeing the beautiful restoration and it was absolutely spectacular. Watching this is an experience like no other, and proves to be the greatest gangster film of all time, no… More
  To call Scarface a masterpiece seems like an understatement at this point. I've just come back from seeing the beautiful restoration and it was absolutely spectacular. Watching this is an experience like no other, and proves to be the greatest gangster film of all time, no argument there.

• Jameson W

  
  Brilliant! One of the best mob movies ever. Almost as good as the Godfathers and GoodFellas, in my opinion. Al Pacino gives a memorable and highly underrated performance as Tony Montana. Really good performances by Michelle Pfeiffer and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio too. A classic!

• Eric A

  
  One of my favorite movies. From rags to riches...... filled with money, drugs, and sex.....what's not to love?! Oh, plus the fact some guy named Al Pacino starred, made Scarface an instant classic.

• Melvin W

  
  Tony Montana: In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women. Scarface is probably in my top 5 gangster films of all-time. Al Pacino gives an unforgettable performance as Tony… More
  Tony Montana: In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women. Scarface is probably in my top 5 gangster films of all-time. Al Pacino gives an unforgettable performance as Tony Montana. An immigrant in from Cuba and looking to make it big in America. The movie chronicles the rise and fall of him and his business and it all ends in one of the coolest shootouts ever, with Tony Montana screaming those well known words, " Say hello to my little friend." Brian De Palma is not one of my favorite directors, but there are a few of his movies that I absolutely love. None of his movies, in my opinion top Scarface. Oliver Stone wrote the screenplay for this movie, so you can take it to the bank that it's going to be high-level writing. Steven Bauer also gives a really good performance as Montana's best friend and partner Manny Ray. Scarface definitely won't disappoint fans of the gangster genre.

• Manu G

  
  He loved the American Dream. With a Vengeance. Probably one of the best movies ever made in the 80's, this movie has wide recognition around the world. This film was great, Al Pacino and him only could have done this role as Tony Montana, I just couldn't imagine someone… More
  He loved the American Dream. With a Vengeance. Probably one of the best movies ever made in the 80's, this movie has wide recognition around the world. This film was great, Al Pacino and him only could have done this role as Tony Montana, I just couldn't imagine someone else doing a better job than him. The story is just amazing and even though this movie is almost 3 hours they fly by like nothing, the movie is that good and interesting! The film is an uncompromising revelation of humanity's dark side as Pacino's character learns never to underestimate the other guy's greed. He neglects to learn the other important lesson -- never get caught in the vice you are pushing on others. Pacino's character wants the world and everything in it. That's what he gets. We are reminded to beware of what we wish for. The film is violent but never makes drug dealing seem glamorous. In May 1980, a Cuban man named Tony Montana (Al Pacino) claims asylum, in Florida, USA, and is in search of the "American Dream" after departing Cuba in the Mariel boatlift of 1980. When questioned by three tough-talking INS officials, Montana is detained on suspicion of apolitical criminal activities, in a camp called 'Freedomtown' with other Cubans, under the local I-95 expressway while the government evaluates their visa petitions. To be released after 30 days of governmental dithering and camp rumors, and be given green cards, Montana, with the help of his best friend and former Cuban Army buddy Manny Ray (Steven Bauer), kills a former aide to Fidel Castro, Emilio Rebenga (Roberto Contreras) during a riot at Freedomtown. The murder of Rebenga was requested by Frank López, a wealthy, politically astute man who deals cars and trades in cocaine, as Rebenga had tortured López's brother to death while still in Cuba years earlier. After getting their Green Cards, Tony Montana and Manny Ray find work as dishwashers in a corner sandwich/taco shop. Some weeks later, a López henchman and underboss, Omar Suárez (F. Murray Abraham), the man who contacted Manny for the Rebenga hit job, offers Tony and Manny a job unloading marijuana from a boat from Mexco to arrive in Miami the following night for $500 each. Tony insults Suárez by turning down the job over the little money they will receive, so Suárez sets him up to pick up two kilograms of cocaine with over $25,000 from a Colombian dealer, named Hector The Toad in which Tony and Manny will receive $5,000. That weekend, Tony, Manny, and two other Marielitos in his crew, Angel Fernández (Pepe Serna), and Chi Chi (Ángel Salazar) then set out to meet "Hector the Toad" (Al Israel) at a seedy motel on the boulevard in Miami Beach. While Manny and Chi Chi wait in the car on the street, Tony and Angel go up to the hotel room to meet with Hector. The meeting does not go smoothly, as Tony grows irritated with Hector, who is slow to give him the cocaine in exchange for money. Suddenly, Tony and Angel are double-crossed in a rip off move by the Colombian. It becomes apparent that Hector does not intend to sell Tony the cocaine he has, for he only wants to steal the money Tony has been given to purchase the stuff. To convince Tony to give over the cash, Angel is dismembered in a shower stall with a chainsaw by Hector. After Angel is dead, Tony, about to suffer the same fate, is saved by Chi Chi and Manny who arrive in the nick of time to gun down Hector's henchmen in the hotel's room, while Manny receives a minor bullet wound in his shoulder. Hector escapes but Tony vengefully confronts him in the street and shoots him dead in the middle of the crowded Ocean Drive, the now famous Miami South Beach boulevard. Tony and his crew then get away with both the cocaine and the money before the police arrive. The followning night, Tony then impresses the money's owner, López (Robert Loggia), with not only the return of his cash but with a gift of the coke, a prize from the botched rip off. Frank immediately hires Tony's crew into his criminal hierarchy, a representative of a Cuban mafia. But during this initial get together Tony also meets Lopez's lady, the blond and beautiful Elvira Hancock (Michelle Pfeiffer), who will eventually become the source of tension between the two men. Taking Tony and Manny out to a local nightclub called The Babylon Club where Frank frequently attends, Tony and Manny see first-hand the high standard of living they have come to aquire. Thus, Montana begins his rise through the ranks of the Miami cocaine underworld. Three months later, Tony Montana attempts to make amends meet to his estranged family. It is implied that Tony's father, a former U.S. Navy sailor, abandoned the family when Tony was little. Since then, his mother and younger sister Gina (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) have been living in Miami for the past several years. Tony shows up at his mother's and Gina's house one evening, fashionably dressed, and offers them $1,000 in cash for financial support. Gina is overjoyed to see her older brother whom they have not seen for five years. But Tony's mother has only scorn for him since he turned his back on them many years ago for the quick and easy life of crime back in Cuba, and wants nothing to do with Tony, and she is too full of pride to accept his money despite being financially stricken. But Gina, who idolizes her brother, follows him outside where he slips her the money secretly. Gina tells Tony that she wants in on the flashy life that he has going for him. Tony's love for Gina is clearly genuine for she's the only person that he trusts, and is also very protective of her. Afterwords, Manny makes a comment to Tony about how attractive Gina is, but Tony angrilly warns him to avoid courting her. Several months later, while on business in Bolivia to help Omar set up a new distribution deal for López, Tony feels that Frank is "soft," and begins to show his defiance to López's authority by negotiating a deal with Alejandro Sosa (Paul Shenar), the ruthless and powerful Bolivian drug lord. Sosa finds out during the trip that Omar was an informant for the police several years ago and has him murdered to show Tony his intolerance for disloyalty. Sosa agrees to bring Tony on board with him as his North American distributor of cocaine and other drugs. But upon their agreement, Sosa sternly warns Tony never to betray or double-cross him in any way. Upon his return to Florida, Tony gets into trouble with Frank over the deal, who accuses him of "stealing" it. Tony then leaves López to strike out on his own. This allows him to seek out Elvira to whom he makes an unexpected marriage proposal. López is none too happy and decides to take out Tony. At the Babylon nightclub, Tony is shaken down by a Miami detective, Mel Bernstein (Harris Yulin). He proposes to "tax" Tony on his transactions in return for police protection and information. Tony is distracted by the sight of Gina dancing with a local drug dealer. He follows the two to a restroom stall where he berates Gina for her promiscuous conduct. He asks Manny to take her home. On the way Gina admits she is attracted to Manny. Manny wards her off, mindful of Tony's extreme protectiveness. Back at the nightclub, Tony is attacked by two gunmen but manages to escape killing the two gunmen despite being wounded by a gunshot to his left shoulder. Suspecting Frank sent Bernstein and the hitmen, Tony asks one of his henchmen, Nick The Pig, to call Frank after Tony arrives at Frank's office at 3:00 a.m. that very night and inform him the hit failed. Tony, Manny and Chi Chi visit Frank at his car dealership back office, who is with Det. Bernstein. Nick calls Frank, who confirms his involvement by playing the call off as Elvira telling him she'll be late home. Frank begs for Tony's forgiveness before Manny kills him. Tony then kills Bernstein. His problems apparently solved, Tony begins a profitable relationship with Sosa, marries Elvira, buys a new mansion complete with surveylence cameras and numerous luxury items, and Tony even sets Gina up in business with her own beauty salon. Manny and Gina soon begin a romantic relationship, but they keep it secret from Tony who had firmly stated to Gina that he does not want her dating anybody. But as Tony's business grows, so does his cocaine addiction and paranoia, and he begins to spiral out of control... the beginning of the end. His wife, who becomes further addicted to cocaine, becomes board and emotionally distant. Tony's banker informs him that he will be charging higher fees, up to 10%, for laundering the increasing flow of drug money. After Manny convinces him that he has a way to save money on the laundering of the coke cash, Tony is arrested in a sting operation by Manny's contact, an undercover cop named Mel Seidenbaum. After posting a $5 million bail, Tony's corrupt lawyer, Sheiffeld, tells him that although he may get him cleared of the corruption and money laundering charges, Tony will probably have to serve at least three years in prison for tax evasion. After hearing about Tony's arrest, Sosa, not wanting to lose his main distributor, steps in to intervene by offering Tony a way out of going to prison. He calls Tony back to Bolivia where he introduces him to his cocaine "board of directors" a group that includes Bolivia's military chief, and a mysterious American, known only as being "from Washington". We assume he is a corrupt CIA officer because Sosa guarantees that the IRS will not be able to send Tony to jail. In exchange, Tony must assist in the assassination of a Bolivian journalist attempting to expose Sosa, his partners, and the ongoing corruption in the Bolivian government involving drug trafficking. Sosa sends one of his right-hand men, Alberto the Shadow (Mark Margolis), with Tony to assist with the killing. Tony is clearly disturbed by this since it is against his custom to kill a man whom he sees as a civilian, plus Tony has never killed anybody who has wronged him personally. But seeing no other options, Tony reluntantly agrees to help Sosa with the hit. In the meantime, Tony's marriage with Elvira finally ends when after a bitter altercation at a local restaurant, she finally expresses her contempt for him and the lives he had led her on, and walks out of the restaurant, and out of his life. Tony, with his henchmen, Chi Chi and Reuben, and Alberto travel to New York City and Alberto places a bomb under the journalist's car in with the intention of detonating it outside the UN building before the journalist addresses the General Assembly and exposes Sosa's cartel. But Tony has second thoughts when the journalist unexpectedly picks up his wife and children. Tony, saying that the team was only supposed to kill the journalist, instead then shoots Alberto to prevent the journalist's family from being killed. When authorities later discover the unexploded bomb underneath the journalist's car, they realize that an execution had been planned, and Sosa is the primary suspect; thus sealing Tony's fate with Sosa. Returning to Miami, Tony discovers that both his sister Gina and right-hand man Manny have disappeared. Tony has long harbored an apparent unnatural obsession for his sister and is overly protective of her for reasons that he may not understand himself. Tony visits his mother again where she angrily tells him about Gina's descent and accuses him of corrupting her with his flashy lifestyle. After getting Gina's home address from Mrs. Montana, who doesn't know who else lives there, Tony goes to the house in nearby Palm Grove. Much to Tony's surprise, Manny unexpectedly opens the door. Tony then sees Gina in a night gown at the top of the stairs. Enraged that another man has obviously slept with his sister, Tony shoots Manny dead. Hysterical, Gina reveals to Tony that they had just been married and were going to surprise him. Tony has Gina taken back to his mansion where all hell is about to break loose. In revenge for Tony's failure to kill the journalist, who has now exposed Sosa and his partners to the world as drug lords, Sosa sends a swarm of assassins to Tony's mansion to kill him. Sitting at his desk snorting from an enormous pile of cocaine, Tony realizes and regrets what he has done to his best friend. When Tony is contemplating this, Sosa's army of assasins have breached the main gate at Tony's estate and have quitetly begin to kill all the guards around the mansion. At the same time, a distraught Gina enters Tony's office armed with a pistol to confront him with the truth about his feelings for her. She now realizes that Tony loves her in an unnatural way and demands, at gun point, that he make love to her. She begins to shoot at him while demanding he take her. A Sosa assassin hiding on the balcony, thinking Gina is shooting at him, leaps in and riddles her with bullets. Tony, enraged, throws the man off the balcony and kills him with his sub machine gun creating a storm of chaos at the mansion. At this point, Sosa's combined army of Colombian, Bolivian, and Latin American assassins, robbed of the element of suprise by the gunshots, swarm in to attack Tony's mansion from all directions. As all his men are being killed, Tony, still delirious from the cocaine, leans over Gina's dead body begging for forgiveness, at the same time the hit men break into the mansion, Chi Chi opens fire with an Uzi as he falls back and ends up banging on the door to Tony's office (it has been locked from the inside by Gina who was planning to kill Tony). Unfortunately, Tony does not seem to hear him. Chi Chi is shot in the back and Tony sees it on the security cameras. As the hit men prepare to storm his office, Tony finally snaps out of his drug-induced stance, arms himself with an M16 rapid-firing assault rifle with an under mounted M203 grenade launcher and blows down the door. A huge climatic gun battle begins as Tony takes position atop the grand staircase and guns down dozens of Sosa's men who try to storm the balcony. Tony is hit a number of times by return fire, but he keeps shooting. With most of Sosa's men dead, Tony, strung-out on drugs, defiantly yells out at the assassins, not realizing that The Skull, Sosa's chief assassin and leader of the assassination battalion, had sneaked into the room behind him. The Skull shoots Tony in the back with a 12-Gauge shotgun. Tony falls off the balcony and into a reflecting pool at the base of the grand staircase. In the final shot, as the Skull and the few surviving assassins look on, Tony Montana lies dead... face down in the reflecting pool which is located below a large brass globe that says: THE WORLD IS YOURS.

• Shawn E

  
  A bitter, violent gangster film that captures the rise and fall of one of the best criminals. A classic that will forever be remembered for it's guns, gore, and memorable quotes.

• Kristijonas F

  
  Gritty, relentless, self-indulgent and uncompromising, Scarface is not only THE showcase for Al Pacino's incredible talent, but also one of the best films of the decade.

• Ross C

  
  A very 80s gangster flick, complete with synth soundtrack, about millionaire yuppie drug magnates and a bit of history on Cuba-America relations. Heavy on guns and gore, but a very simple story that would work if only you could empathise with the megalomaniac psychotic protagonist.

• Emile T

  
  Great classic

• Keiko A

  
  *One of my top 20 *Al Pacino best movie? *Best gangster movie ever! I just watched it and what can I say that hasn't been said? Best gangster movie ever made it is just so awesome, that's it. Tony Montana is the second greatest character ever easily OKAY. When Fidel… More
  *One of my top 20 *Al Pacino best movie? *Best gangster movie ever! I just watched it and what can I say that hasn't been said? Best gangster movie ever made it is just so awesome, that's it. Tony Montana is the second greatest character ever easily OKAY. When Fidel Castro opens the harbor at Mariel, Cuba, he sends 125,000 Cuban refugees to reunite with their relatives in the United States. Among all the refugees, there is one who wants it all, his name is Tony Montana. Tony and his friend Manny when they arrive in the United States and start in small time jobs, soon they are hired by Omar Suarez to pay money to a group of Colombians. When the deal goes wrong, Tony and Manny leave with the money and succeed in their job. Soon Tony meets with drug kingpin Frank Lopez and falls for his boss's girl Elvira. Pretty soon Tony will know that those who want it all, do not last forever and that is the price of power. Oh Scarface you are one of the best movies ever what did take me so long to see you? That scene were tony gets his mansion shot up is the best scene ever. 95% for story: I loved the film right up til the end but to me the ending did ruin the film. 100% for acting: Like I said Al Pacino's best movie, all the other cast did brilliantly as well. 100% for special effects: there awesome that's all I can say. I think just over 40 people died in this movie. 100% for characters: Tony Montana is the second best character ever OKAY. 100% for everything else: I think this could have been my new favourite movie is the ending didn't ruin it. If you hadn't seen Scarface like me I think you should watch it this movie is epic. Keiko's score 98-100

• Jeff "

  
  Having watched Scarface at least 10 times, I can honestly say that this an above average gangster flick. An above average gangster flick about the rise and fall of a cuban criminal in the drug business. Scar''face has a good cast, and some memorable lines including the one… More
  Having watched Scarface at least 10 times, I can honestly say that this an above average gangster flick. An above average gangster flick about the rise and fall of a cuban criminal in the drug business. Scar''face has a good cast, and some memorable lines including the one ''Say hello to my little friend''. This is not an excellent gangster film like The Godfather films, but it's still pretty good. Al Pacino gives a good performance here and the film is bold, brutal and violent. This is an effective gangster film, just not one of the best ever made. Al Pacino delivers a good enough performance, but considering that he played Michael Corleone, it's a no brainer that this is a weaker role. Even though it's a weaker role than Michael Corleone, Pacino to create something good with the character and he manages to make Tony Montana a memorable cinematic character. My opinions on this film are mixed. I believe it's a good film, but I find that's a tad overrated when it comes to saying that Scarface is the best gangster film ever made. The films of the genrre are The Godfather, Goodfellas and Once Upon A Time In America. Those films were superior in acting, and the plots were more detailed and much more interesting. But Scarface is still a film worthy of a few viewings, and yes, it is good, but it doesn't really deserve all the praise it has gotten. The cast are great, and the story is good, but I feel that theres something missing to elevate this film among the gangster classics. Slightly overrated, but a good film nonetheless.

• Richard C

  
  an amazing movie that will be remembered forever. A

• MisterYoda ?

  
  2 stars

• Chris W

  
  Even though this is a remake which is vastly different from the 30s film, this is a masterpiece in its own right I can't think of too many films that aren't a part of a franshise that are thos famous, quoted, parodied, or influential. Detractors (it seems) usually just… More
  Even though this is a remake which is vastly different from the 30s film, this is a masterpiece in its own right I can't think of too many films that aren't a part of a franshise that are thos famous, quoted, parodied, or influential. Detractors (it seems) usually just pan this movie as being nothing but glorifying sex, drugs, violence and all that was wrong with the world at the time. While I won't deny that the content of the film is extreme, it's certainly not pointless, and in its own way is a potent and entertaining work of art. The most ovious film the message has is that you should not get high on your own supply. I understand thatwhile this film is just a parable,and not reflective of the majority, it is still an engaging lookat the immigrat expeience in America. Unlike th Godfather film which are geat, but seem far more weighty, this is just lots of fun and works as a nice time capsule showing the ridiculous excess and nuttiness of the 1980s. What I'm about to say is pretty much jst a reshash of what others have already said, but the perforances are justr excellent. Pacino just disappears into the role of coked out dreamer and crime lord Tony Montana, and is a frightening joy to watch, even if his accent is over the top and a little exaggerated. He's not the most likeable guy in the world, but he's not totally soulless either, as demonstrated by the crucial scene in which he aborts a mission due to not wanting to harm innocent people. Pacino does steal the show, but Bauer, Pfeiffer, Mastrantonio, and Loggia all do a great job as well, even if they can't top The Man. It wasn't until recently that I began to look at this movie and relaize that a lot of what makes it great (aside from the performances and the sets, costumes, etc) is the technical stuff like the writing and direction. Not that I've totally ignored them during previous viewings, but now I start paying more attention to them. Stone's script rocks. It's not like worthy of a Pulitzer or an Oscar or anything, but it did help the mman kick his own cocaine habit, so that proves it has some power and merit to it, right? Now, as for the directing...I think I once read a review that said something to the effect of how if DePalma's name weren't attached, this movie could have been directed by anybody. I disagree with that. It may not have absolutely every single one of his trademarks, but it definitely has enough that there's no mistaking he could be involved. There's tons of energy here, some great camera work, nice pacing, and the various montages and scenes of mayhem are staged and conducted perfectly. Bottom line, this movie is basically essential viewing for people wanting to get into DePalma, Pacino, drug films, crime movies, or the pop culture of the 1980s.

• Dean !

  
  I can see why this was such a big film for the time it was made in '83. Very violent, gritty, some shocking scenes and tons of swearing. Having finally seen it, you can see how it has influenced countless other gangster films since. Why it is very enjoyable and entertaining I… More
  I can see why this was such a big film for the time it was made in '83. Very violent, gritty, some shocking scenes and tons of swearing. Having finally seen it, you can see how it has influenced countless other gangster films since. Why it is very enjoyable and entertaining I wouldn't quite rate it as a masterpiece. The plot is actually very basic and straight forward and very predictable. Al pacino performance is what this film is all about, that and the bench mark for every gangster film made since.

• Robert C

  
  Just rewatched this having not seen it in YEARS. Although I remember it being totally over the top....I did not remember it being so cheesy/bad - and not in a good way.

• Conner R

  
  What can you say about Scarface that hasnâ??t already been said? Itâ??s an amazing movie with a great sense of humor, as always, from Brian De Palma. Itâ??s a gangster movie like youâ??ve never seen before, it gets rid of the clichés and brings in a more modern way of depicting a… More
  What can you say about Scarface that hasnâ??t already been said? Itâ??s an amazing movie with a great sense of humor, as always, from Brian De Palma. Itâ??s a gangster movie like youâ??ve never seen before, it gets rid of the clichés and brings in a more modern way of depicting a crime lord. Al Pacino is flawless as Tony Montana. Heâ??s a disgusting human being, yet you canâ??t help but love him. The visuals are perfect and completely fit the world of the Cuban immigrant mobster. Itâ??s really a movie with a personality all to itself.

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