Scarface

Dir: Brian De Palma

1983

*****

Brian De Palma (director) and Oliver Stone's (writer) crime classic is loosely based on 1932's Scarface staring Paul Muni and produced by the two big Hollywood Howards; Hawks and Hughes. It was based on the rise of real life gangster Al Capone but changed the names for obvious reasons. Stone's rewrite for De Palma's remake updated the story and made the main character a Cuban Refugee instead of the son of Italian immigrants. Al Pacino had wanted to make a period remake of the original for some time and legendary director Sidney Lumet came up with the idea to have the crime boss start out as a refugee from the mariel boatlift of the early eighties. After the economic collapse of Cuba, 10,000 Cubans came over to America with the agreement of Fidel Castro and Jimmy Carter, while most of the refugees had honest intentions of a better life, there were also some who took advantage. Many criminals saw it as an opportunity and indeed many of the prisons were emptied by the Cuban government and shipped over. It is fair to say that the film didn't help Cuban-America relations and there are many unfortunate stereotypes but this more of a reflection on the popularity of the film and a generalization thought of from an audience. There were no malicious intentions and to be fair most of the criminals in the film are American. Lumet and producer Martin Bergman disagreed with much of Lumet's script which was far more political and was more about the American government’s involvement in the drugs trade. Stone and De Palma were hired soon after and were said to be persuaded within just a couple of phone calls. Stone was actually battling his own Cocaine addiction at the time and even moved to Paris were he knew it would be much harder for him to get any so he could finish the script.  Even though Pacino had fought for the film, his friend and rival Robert DeNiro was offered the part first before turning it down. Steven Bauer was cast without an audition in his role as Manny as he was noticed by casting directors in the waiting room and seen as perfect for the role, beating John Travolta who was at that point first choice. Michelle Pfeiffer was Bergman's first choice, while Pacino and De Palma actively fought against her casting, preferring Glenn Close, Geena Davis and Carrie Fisher among many others. Bergman put his foot down and Pfeiffer was cast, which I'm sure wasn't in the least bit awkward during filming. While I think there are many actors who could have played her part just as well, Pfeiffer played it perfectly. F. Murray Abraham is brilliant as a sleazy shoulder-padded Hench-man for Robert Loggia's all too trusting mob boss and Paul Shenar was perfect as Alejandro Sosa, a notorious Bolivian drug lord. Harris Yulin is also great in a minor role as a corrupt narcotics detective but my favourite cast member of all is Arnaldo Santana, the awkward Hench-man who you can't help but feel sorry for. The film did well at the box office but was met with scathing reviews. Even now, there are some who claim it is over rated and mistaken as being a great gangster movie. I disagree, I believe it is one of the greatest gangster movies. Looking at at it now in retrospect, it's the ultimate 80s gangster movie. It's very clever, of its time and with an edge that still rubs some people up the wrong way today but its influence is vast. Many of its scenes are now classics and many of the lines are infamous ('Say hello to my little friend'). It's brilliantly acted, certainly one of Pacino's best and the direction is sublime. The script is top notch and the soundtrack is hugely underrated and one of my favourites. You detest the villain but still want him to succeed all the same, a perfect tale of greedy, power and the delusion of grandeur with plenty of political symbolism for good measure. It's epic.