Scarface
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The hunger for the blessings of the new continent that drives a man seeking refuge in America from Cuba sometimes pays the price of a lifetime. Tony Montana emerges before us as a man who starts from scratch, empty-handed but with an iron will. Under the burning sun of Miami, in that chaotic environment where immigrants are caught between hope and despair, Montana puts her Dec on her mind not only to survive, but to have everything. This work, shaped by Brian De Palma's hand, goes far beyond a superficial crime story. The film offers one of the darkest interpretations of the American dream: it shows with painful clarity what a person who is ready to push through every door for money, power and respectability loses behind these doors. As you watch Montana's ascent, you feel both admiration and uneasiness; this dichotomy is the film's greatest achievement. Al Pacino literally burns in this role. Montana brings the character to life with incredible balance and genuine anger, a personality that risks falling into caricature. Keeping this man on screen, who is both ridiculous, terrifying, and somehow understandable in every scene, is a matter of sheer mastery. Michelle Pfeiffer, on the other hand, delivers a performance that speaks volumes even through her silence; with her brilliance and coldness, she mirrors Montana's world perfectly. Throughout the film, Miami takes on a meaning beyond being an ordinary city. Bright colors, turquoise pools, flashy clothing—all these are decorations for a world that is polluted and decaying beneath the surface. De Palma establishes this contradiction in a highly conscious manner through his visual language, never shaking his camera unnecessarily. This film, which can be considered long at around three hours in duration, doesn't feel tiring because it progresses at the right pace. Each scene adds something to either the character's inner world or the functioning of the external world. In the end, all that remains is a profound sense of loneliness and a silent question about how fragile everything gained truly is. The fall of Montana is as much a tragedy as it is an inevitable reckoning.
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Reviews

JPV852
October 24, 2019
9/10
Immensely great crime-drama that features some great performances and excellent writing from Oliver Stone (and this coming from someone who isn't a big fan of his) to the direction by Brian De Palma. The score is great though still love the song "Take It to the Limit" during the money laundering scene. Still a few slots below the likes of The Godfather and Heat, yet still a amazing film that holds up so well. **4.5/5**

CinemaSerf
June 08, 2023
6/10
Despite all the hype and plaudits, I don't think this film is as good as Paul Muni's 1932 iteration. That's not to say it isn't a good film, nor that Al Pacino doesn't turn in a good effort - it's that it is all so brash. The language and action has no subtlety or finesse to it. It glorifies violence - it's not just that it is a necessary evil in the world in which "Tony Montana" works, it just comes across as if there was nothing in the script and the film had to be padded out somehow - so let'...
s shove in some more brutality. There is precious little sophistication with the characterisation either - and after a while that all just grates. Top drawer production and scoring, though - and some fine supporting efforts from Robert Loggia and Steven Bauer but for me it was all just a bit in my face when just a little more effort and better scripting could have improved it no end. Good, but not great.

Filipe Manuel Neto
October 28, 2023
5/10
**A very violent film about drug trafficking and paranoia, with a great cast and a great production, but where everything is histrionic and exaggerated.** I caught this film yesterday on television and decided to watch it in full. I had already heard about it, and the good dramatic performance that Al Pacino had, and so I decided it was time to see for myself. Directed by Brian de Palma, it marked its time, but is currently somewhat forgotten. It's understandable: in addition to the gratuitou...
s violence and the crudeness with which it approaches the topic of drug trafficking, we don't have any character here that we are capable of liking, and this puts a wall between the film and the viewer. Brian de Palma is a very solid director. Unfortunately, I didn't see as many of his films as I would have liked: I really liked “Carrie”, which for me is his masterpiece so far, and “Untouchables”. In this film, he did a very competent job, especially from a technical point of view, but the film has no soul and, after a while, it just seems like pure carnage. The chainsaw scene, as well as the final shootout, are worthy of an anthology. Technically, the film is impeccable and has luxurious production touches: the cinematography is beautiful, it highlights the sun and brightness of Florida very well and gives us a real feeling of the tropical climate. The sets and costumes not only fit well into the decade, but also manage to emphasize the characters' sense of nouveau riche and fast ascent. Of course, it's absurdly kitsch, even the soundtrack tells us that! However, we can't expect anything else from characters with no taste, no culture, no education and tons of money to show off! However, I will agree if someone tell me that the film is too long, with some scenes a bit incidental or unbelievable (that scene where Gina, enraged, gives herself sexually to her brother, was a good example). With little effort, about half an hour could have been removed from this film, making it more palatable. The film's script is based on a remake of an original from 1932, which very few people know, and which was made by Howard Hughes. Perhaps the name of this film is slightly inspired by the figure of Al Capone, who had the unflattering nickname of “scarface”. In one of the most notable performances of his career, Al Pacino is histrionic, unpleasant and paranoid to the extreme. The intentional exaggeration may be off-putting, but it seems to be in line with a film where everything is exaggerated. However, I don't consider this to be one of the actor's best, I enjoyed seeing him in other roles. Robert Loggia and Steven Bauer provide very happy support, but Michelle Pfeiffer has little to do other than look sexy and vain. However, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and F. Murray Abraham have frankly underutilized characters.

JackthePGL
August 19, 2025
10/10
Like most of the gangster films, Scarface is the first one from many years and some people didn't even know that it's actually a remake to the original B&W version. While I was thinking about this, it went on the whole new level with the violence for the most part because it's directed by Brian De Palma. I know he's not going to make a movie overly violent to get an NC-17. Al Pacino as Tony Montana is what everyone loves, his character is incredible with his Cuban accent and his dialogue. He has...
his friend, Manny and a younger sister and later takes over Frank Lopez' place and becomes addicted to cocaine. This is the first time that you'll see Steven Bauer and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in the film. I love the soundtrack in this movie. The soundtrack is awesome and amazing. It actually came before Grand Theft Auto III which is amazing. I love all the songs in this such as "Rush Rush", "Shake It Up", "Push It To The Limit" my personal favourite along with "She's on Fire" and "I'm Hot Tonight". If you forgot about that Scarface starring Al Pacino is the original version, think again. This is a remake to the B&W film from the 1930's. Scarface is the original film shot in B&W in the 30's and now you're looking at the ultimate gangster and I mean, the ultimate badass! Al Pacino does a great job as Tony Montana. He's unforgettable in this. "You wanna play rough? Okay. Say hello to my little friend!" "You know what I'm talking about, you f**king cockroach." And the script is great and it's written by the director Oliver Stone which is a surprising thought. He was Tony Montana. The world will remember him by another name ...Scarface.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Scarface was released in 1983.
Scarface has a runtime of 2 hr 50 min (170 minutes).
Scarface belongs to the following genres: Action, Crime, Drama.
Scarface has a rating of 8.2/10 from 13,101 votes on TMDB.
In the United States, Scarface is available to watch on: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies.