Here’s a movie
that sets the mood for gangster films to follow. It’s based on the 1932 version
of the same name, which was itself based on a 1929 novel by Armitage Trail.
Director Brian
De Palma (The Untouchables (1987) and Mission: Impossible (1996))
took a screenplay by Oliver Stone (Platoon (1986)) and created a
masterpiece filled with characters that will stick in your mind for years to
come. Together, the director and writer delivered a film that set the trend for
others to follow. Running close to three hours, the movie doesn’t waste time
filling spaces with clichés. Instead, it features short monologues by the
loveable bad guy Tony Montana (Al Pacino) to further explore his mental
state—and trust me, you’ll love his lines.
On its initial
release, the movie was met with mixed reactions, largely due to its excessive
violence and frequent cursing (the word "FUCK" was used 226
times). Scarface is about criminals at work, and every lead in the
movie was on drugs, using them on screen—some more heavily than others.
The movie has a
way of showing you the level of disconnect between Tony and the real world
without diving deep into making you feel sorry for him.
The plot follows
Cuban refugee Tony Montana, who arrives in Miami and is sent to a refugee camp
with his best friend, Manny. From there, Tony takes on a job that gets both of
them out of the camp and into the streets, working for a small-time drug lord named
Frank. Tony, wanting control and the lavish life he’s always dreamed of, breaks
away from Frank and starts his own operation. This doesn’t sit well with Frank,
who tries to take Tony out—a mistake that leads to Tony taking full control of
the drug business Frank once ran, elevating it to heights Frank never imagined.
All this, plus
taking Frank’s girl as his wife, doesn’t make Tony’s rise to the top smooth.
His need for control and his over-possessive love for his sister ultimately
lead to his downfall.
Scarface is
now a classic. The American Film Institute ranks it as the tenth-best gangster
film of all time. Tony Montana’s iconic line, "Say hello to my little
friend!" landed 61st place on AFI’s 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes list,
and Tony himself was nominated as a villain on AFI’s list of 100 Heroes
& Villains.
This is a classic movie you should definitely have in your archive.
0 comments:
Post a Comment