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 mainly-mute coin-tossing sidekick) is a shame, and Michelle Pfeiffer made a much more memorable impression as the main character's love interest in Brian De Palma's 1983 remake (review) than Karen Morley does in the 1932 one, there is still much to appreciate. There's Muni's ruthless rampage, Ann Dvorak's electric performance—simmering with sexuality—and the film's undeniable influence on the gangster genre. 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 mainly-mute coin-tossing sidekick) is a shame, and Michelle Pfeiffer made a much more memorable impression as the main character's love interest in Brian De Palma's 1983 remake (review) than Karen Morley does in the 1932 one, there is still much to appreciate. There's Muni's ruthless rampage, Ann Dvorak's electric performance—simmering with sexuality—and the film's undeniable influence on the gangster genre. 90 years on, Scarface still packs a punch.
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