Scarface Movie Review

Scarface (1983)

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Written by: Oliver Stone
Directed by: Brian De Palma
Starring: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer 
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
Tony Montana rises to power as a drug kingpin in Miami.

Verdict
Tony Montana knows what he wants and takes it. An enduring character that can't be stopped despite the violence and his ego. He succeeds on sheer will alone in a rags to riches story, dealing drugs and killing. While he has a code, he's still a criminal, and yet incredibly successful. It's hyper violent and revels in the over indulgence of the '80s. It's the premiere gangster film.
Watch it.

Review
Even in the first scene Al Pacino completely inhabits the character of Tony Montana. You have a good idea of who he is in just a few minutes. He's a Cuban refugee and we know he's lying to the cops. This movie captures the 80s opulence and excess. Montana wants it all and wants to show all of it off.

The synth beats of the soundtrack are just perfect. They're dated now, but it fits the movie perfectly. Tony and Manny start with nothing and make it big. They have more money then they know what to do with. It's an underdog success story, in spite of the violence.

Tony Montana wanted it all, and he got it all.

Montana is arrogant and prideful, despite starting as a dishwasher. He has no reason to be so confidant, but he is. The Colombian drug buy that happens early on shows you how smart Montana is while also underscoring the violence prevalent in the movie. At the same time it doesn't show anything other than blood spatter. The restraint leaves it to our imagination. I wish contemporary movies would take note. The anticipation and my imagination is what makes this scene memorable, other than the chainsaw wielding maniac.

Montana's tactics at the drug buy nab him the money and the drugs, and it leads to a promotion. This is a movie that tells you money can buy you everything you want. Once you get the money, you get power, and then the women. Tony and Manny rise up the ranks and have clothes, cars, jewelry, and women. They and we see the kingpins at the top with huge houses and big smiles.

Tony's audacious enough to flirt with his boss's girl, Elvira, when the boss is a few feet away. It's fitting that she is wearing green the first couple of times we see her. Green for envy, green for greed. It's that confidence that spurs him to make deals without his boss's authority. Tony is beholden to no one. He takes destiny by the throat.
Tony is a huge success but that money hasn't brought happiness, despite what it promised, despite what he expected, despite what he was told. The money brings problems. His life and relationships have deteriorated. He has all this money and worries about how to protect it. It's the curse of excess. Everything he did was excess and now he's a target.
He's high more than he's sober, causing erratic behavior. His only friend Manny, and his wife, don't want to be around him. He's too high to make smart decisions and everything crumbles.
This movie is the rise and fall of the Montana empire. What made him rich, also led to his downfall. In triumph is tragedy. This is a cautionary tale with a legendary gunfight as the climax.