Scarface (1932) ****
With its brisk pace, biting humor, and plenty of bullets spat, Scarface (1932) remains a landmark gangster flick. Despite an amusing studio-mandated prologue denouncing its protagonist (played with force by Paul Muni and loosely based on Al Capone), Howard Hawks' classic features a taut script by legend Ben Hecht and is filled with iconic imagery (including its X motif).
While the lack of a score can be a bit jarring, the underutilization of George Raft (who makes the perfect mostly-mute coin-tossing sidekick) is a shame, and Michelle Pfeiffer made a more memorable impression as the love interest in Brian De Palma's 1983 remake (review) than Karen Morley does in the 1932 one (though she is still good), there is much to appreciate. There's Muni's ruthless rampage, Ann Dvorak's electric performance (simmering with sexuality, pre-Hays Code), bold cinematography, and the film's undeniable influence on the gangster genre. Almost 90 years on, Scarface still packs a punch.
While the lack of a score can be a bit jarring, the underutilization of George Raft (who makes the perfect mostly-mute coin-tossing sidekick) is a shame, and Michelle Pfeiffer made a more memorable impression as the love interest in Brian De Palma's 1983 remake (review) than Karen Morley does in the 1932 one (though she is still good), there is much to appreciate. There's Muni's ruthless rampage, Ann Dvorak's electric performance (simmering with sexuality, pre-Hays Code), bold cinematography, and the film's undeniable influence on the gangster genre. Almost 90 years on, Scarface still packs a punch.
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