Scarface (1983) Review

Lucas Versantvoort / December 4, 2014

Scarface is a strange case for me, because while I quite like it, I’m unsure whether the film is as good as its reputation implies. Sure, as far as ‘rise and fall’ films go, it’s lots of fun, but I’ve always felt Scarface is at its core extremely simplistic.

            Everyone probably knows the story, or at least the type of story. Cuban refugee Tony Montana (Al Pacino) is fresh off the boat with his friend Manny (Steven Bauer). They’re sent to a refugee camp in Miami where—at the behest of drug dealer Frank Lopez—they murder a former Cuban government official so they’ll get their green cards. They’re hired by Frank and this starts their rise up the criminal ladder. Frank takes a liking to Tony, but the independent-minded Tony starts ‘making his own moves’ to Frank’s chagrin. Frank tries to have Tony killed, but fails. In return, Tony has Frank killed and takes of over his business and connections. Having now taken over the world and everything in it, it all goes downhill from there.

            It’s not exactly a secret that Scarface is now considered a classic in the mob genre and it’s not hard to see why. The grandiose production does a lot to reinforce what makes the film so iconic: the Miami locales, Tony’s mansion, etc. It all conveys the feelings of decadence that accompanies Tony’s rise to power and it also makes Scarface a fun watch.

Needless to say, Pacino gives one of his most iconic performances. I remember reading a long time ago that his Cuban accent isn’t really accurate, but I think that misses the point. Let’s assume it’s true that the accent isn’t accurate. Does that reduce the impact of his character? Quite the opposite. It only enhances Tony’s appeal, because when you quote him, you try to imitate the accent as well.

The film itself is a classic ‘rise and fall’ tale. Tony wants power, but becomes a complete asshole and alienates everyone around him, when he finally assumes a position of power. It all comes tumbling down like a…House of Cards and he pays the ultimate price. It’s like a Shakespearean tragedy, maybe Richard III: antihero manipulates and kills his way to the top, woos the wife/girlfriend (Lady Anne and Elvira, respectively) of the previous ruler/drug dealer he’s killed, assumes a position of ultimate power, becomes paranoid and is killed by rivals. Scarface executes this classic story in a way that’s entertaining to watch, but the Richard III comparison also reveals the film’s greatest weakness: lack of substance. Whereas Richard III is a complex tale still discussed to this day (see, for instance, Pacino’s own 1996 documentary on the play), the only thing that’s even remotely complex about Scarface are Tony’s implied incestuous feelings toward his sister. This combined with some of Tony’s character traits (his refusal to get women and children caught up in the mix) somewhat balances his paranoid asshole status in the film’s second half, but it’s not enough for this film to qualify as a character study or a study into the drug culture. In the end, it’s a schlocky entertaining flick that impresses in terms of production values, acting, etc. The wonderfully destructive finale also helps.