Scarface (1983)

I remember going to see this when it came out and even now, over 20 years later, it stands the test of time . My interest in this movie was reignited after watching a video of the comedian T K Kirkland calling Tony Montana “the first hater” so I wanted to check his theory out. I definitely watched the movie with a different mindset and found some truth in Kirkland’s statement but that in no way takes away from a great story that captured the true essence of that era.Scarface will always be one of the greatest in its genre.Please click “helpful” if this review was. Thank you

Misunderstood dishwasher gets into the street pharmaceutical business. He finds love with a Pink from Grease, courts her with tigers, cars and a lifetime supply of pharmaceuticals, she complies. The Godfather merc's Hector Salamanca because he tested his Serpico code of ethics. The Devils Advocate turns up the HEAT versus a small Colombian village in his living room. THE WORLD IS YOURS!

Excellent movie. However it's sad black rapper's gives adulation to a coke head bully criminal. You can still get rich in life without selling drugs killing souls and going down the death road for money. There are a lot of rich folks out her in the world that attained wealth while still being moral having integrity and just being a decent law abiding human being. Tony Montana is the definition of a scumbag. He destroys and conquers and not build for anyone else but themselves. But good classic movie.

My ORIGINAL POST: From nobody to the top of the world and down...the brutal truth of anyone that lived this life. A true classic, and a movie that was mentioned in reality documentaries such as The Cocaine Cowboys etc..It showed the true nature of how things were during the beginning of the cocaine epidemic and the criminal world. It is amazing and nothing less...ADDED INFO " I read all the 1,2,3 star reviews, and I just have to say that if you are watching this movie for the 1st time because you heard how great it was, DO NOT COMPARE IT TO TODAYS MOVIES, or anything close. This movie was made when really was different. When we were going through or recovering from the Great Depression. This movie shows, not only what happened in the movie but also what made MIAMI what it is today. You can see the perfect examples of Miami Beach empty. A lot of retired old people and some young but tourism was minimal. You could get a hotel on the beach and be surrounded by a retirement home or assisted living. Well after MR.Escobrar and his ex wife who almost killed him (would be her 3rd husband to kill) also called the BLACK WIDOW because that type of spider kills their mate, and how many many importers went from making a lot of money, to eventually it all coming halt to a brutal end. That is not portrayed here as that is a reality anybody would know watching this movie when it came out. Find out 1st what was it like back then, in every way, and then try to put yourself in the shoes of somebody watching this movie right after Miami had the most killings and daily massacres in broad day light from drug overlords that have occupied Miami and too many in one city were using the cities "resources" for corruption in order to smuggle 1000's of TONS of Cocaine over the years and distribute it all over the USA. Today they take different routes like Mexico and other ways, but back then there was Only 1 and they used to find apartments with walls full of cash long after it all settled. The whole economy was built because of this. Miami went from a retirement place, to a place for the rich/young/and wealthy who turned the town into what it is today)

Al Pacino as Scarface has gone down in history as one of the great gangster movies of all time. This is despite the fact that the lead Latin role went to a white guy as usual. The movie was written by Oliver Stone and directed by Brian De Palma. The movie takes place in Miami during the 1980s when cocaine was taking off. The story is the classic rise and fall of a gangster. Pacino as Tony Montana came to Florida from Cuba with nothing. He wanted the American Dream and the way he was going to achieve that was through crime. He starts off small but moves his way up to become a boss. Of course, crime doesn’t pay and there’s no honor amongst thieves so his reign doesn’t last.The first thing that stands out about Scarface is the violence and action. Montana and his friends are placed in a refugee camp in Miami when they arrive in the U.S. and their ticket out is to stab a former Cuban general. Then their first job as gangsters goes all wrong and Tony’s friend gets cut to pieces with a chainsaw. Another time one of Montana’s business partners is accused of being an informer for the police and dumped out of helicopter and hung. The ending is considered a classic as well especially Tony’s famous line “Say hello to my little friend” as he fires a rife grenade at a group of attackers. That initially brought a lot of criticism of the movie but today is celebrated.The other part of the story, which is common to most in the gangster genre is the constant betrayal and lack of trust. Montana first goes to work for drug kingpin Frank Lopez played by Robert Loggia. Lopez later turns on Montana and he pays Frank back by not only killing him but taking his girl Elvira played by Michelle Pfeiffer. Mobsters always talk about how they operate like a family, but it’s one where your brother will stab you in the back at the drop of a hat and everyone is considered under suspicion.These are some of the main elements that make Scarface such a celebrated work. If only Hollywood would believe that people of color could star in their own movies this might have been even better.C

Scarface is a classic, with a ton of memorable, repeatable lines. That being said, it is basically a 3 hour episode of Miami Vice. Pacino is awesome in the role, and the supporting cast is great. I understand that this movie has grown a large following over the years, but let's keep things in perspective. The movie isn't great. It's pretty silly, and some of it doesn't hold up, but if you are into the 80s action genre, you probably won't be disappointed.

My purchased copy from Amazon has English language only, and English subtitles for the hearing impaired. 2 hours & 44 minutes certainly sped by as the film is a gold mine of dialogue, action and intrigue and of course violence. The whole is not for the squemish or for those with a sensitivity to the 'F' word. It is after all a story of low life rising to the top and any amount of refinement learnt on the journey doesn't mean your base can disengage from your elevated circumstances.Pacino is the street-wise killer who first manipulates his way into the shoes of his boss, Robert Loggia, and rises further unable to control his instinct to become 'top of the world' (a phase I seem to remember from James Cagney's foremost gangster film). But you cross people on your way to the top and ultimately those betrayals have a way of biting you back.A mighty film, and even standing out from the excesses of the 1980's period of cinema, this has become a cult favourite capturing a wonderful feel with stunning cinematography that didn't come over dated to me, a measure of a great film set in contemporary times as I saw it. Very different from De Palma's 'The Untouchables' which, in my view, remains one of the best crime thrillers of that decade and with such a contrasting style of filming that you wouldn't think that these films had the same director.Written by Oliver Stone, directed by Brian De Palma, and a feast for the eyes and ears. De Palma is in love with music as well as film and yet again has selected a musician who will compliment his visual essay : here Giorgio Moroder with his contemporary electronic buzz, yet another Italian master like Pino Donaggio and the great Ennio Morricone who have given his films so much during his career.

Dieser Film aus dem Jahr 1983 unter der Regie von Brian DePalma ist eine aufwühlende Mixtur aus Einwandererdrama und klassischer Gangsterballade...perfekt gelungen.Spannend, blutig ... Die etwas andere Mafia-Geschichte, die mehr von Al Pacinos nervöser Aggression lebt als von der gediegenen La Familia-Atmosphäre eines "Paten“.Als Fidel Castro 1980 die kubanischen Grenzen öffnet, zögert Antonio "Tony“ Montana nicht lange und macht sich auf in die Vereinigten Staaten. Gemeinsam mit seinem Kumpel Manny wird er monatelang in ein Flüchtlingslager "Freedom Town“ gesperrt. Erst als er für einige mächtige Männer einen Mord an einem mitgekommenen Kommunisten begeht, erhält er die begehrte Greencard. Doch Montana hat sich das Leben in den USA anders vorgestellt. Als Tellerwäscher arbeitet der cholerische Ex-Sträfling in einer schmierigen Imbissbude, bis er schließlich das große Geld und seine Chance wittert. Montana bekommt die Gelegenheit im Drogenmilieu mitzumischen und steigt die Karriereleiter vom Kleinkriminellen bis hin zur respektablen Größe Miamis mit seiner Sturheit und seinem Wesen, das keiner Konfrontation aus dem Weg geht, rasch hinauf. Montana muss schon bald feststellen, dass es auch unter Gangstern Konkurrenten gibt. Er, der den Hals nicht voll bekommen konnte, steht bald alleine gegen Miamis kriminelle Drogenszene.....Scarface hat eine Laufzeit von knapp 2,5 Stunden und zieht von Anfang bis Ende in seinen Bann. Neben Montanas Aufstieg erlebt der Zuschauer auch seinen Fall. Denn dem Narbengesicht steigt sein Ruhm zu Kopf. Er bekommt nicht genug, wird von seinem eigenen Stoff abhängig und muss lernen, dass es manchmal ganz gut ist, nicht alles zu sagen, was man denkt. Hinzu kommt noch, dass eben genau jenes politische System zu dem er einst floh, der Kapitalismus, seinen Fall letzten Endes besiegelt. Interessanterweise bleibt Montana bis zum bitteren Ende eine ambivalente Figur, ein Antiheld in Reinkultur. Seine Sympathiepunkte verspielt Montana jedoch nicht. Obwohl er cholerisch, streitsüchtig und ungestüm ist, wohnt tief in ihm scheinbar noch so etwas wie ein Gewissen, was in einer Schlüsselszene des Films zum Ausdruck kommt. Auch verfehlt sein Gangster-Charme des Sich-Nicht-Verbiegens nicht seine Wirkung. Montana ist jedoch nur so gut, weil er von einem grandiosen Al Pacino dargestellt wird. Grossartig, was er Montana für ein Leben einhaucht.Wunderbar auch Michelle Pfeiffer als koksende Gangsterbraut.Düster, bitter, brutal… Brian DePalmas Gangsterfilmklassiker ist hoffnungslos und erbarmungslos gleichermassen. Mit einer wunderbar sphärischen Musikuntermalung von Georgio Moroder, einem glänzenden Drehbuch von Oliver Stone und einem Al Pacino in einer seiner besten Rollen.Sehr, sehr sehenswert.

Scarface The World is YoursThis seminal eighties gangster movie is both a product of its time and a put down of the industry that created it.All Pacino excellent in a largely repulsive role, he by his own admission plays Tony Montana in 'two dimensions',He is supported very ably a profane script (which no apology should be made for-if you can't cope with the 'F' word, don't buy this.His co-stars across the board are excellent-Michelle Pfeiffer, then a rising star, Steven Bauer, again on the rise.The older stars predominately working actors whom got given a larger audience through their exposure on Scarface.Mark Margolis as Alberto, Robert Loggia as Frank (Montana's sponsor), the late Paul Shenar as Alexander Soza , Pacino's friend and enemy. Mary Elizabeth Mastronatio as Gina, Tony's sister.Beautifully lit by John A Alonzo, edited and embroiled in controversy (much as Pacino's Cruising had been three years earlier), this gangster movie has grown in stature , after a critical hammering.After 1st seeing this movie on video, then wide screen video, and then DVD and finally blu ray.Which finally does John A Alonzo's lighting some real justice and Brian De Palma's direction justice.This cigar box set is worth buying if you are die hard Scarface fan, in a faux cigar box set-containing photographThis, a money clip and a Green card .Three versions of Scarface (blu ray, digital and DVD of 1932 original).Well worth looking out for but don't pay silly money for it.

Came quickly, good condition. Love this film Al pacino at his best.michelle pfeiffer also brilliant.

Anyone who has seen this movie needs no description or introduction - I once owned the single disc to this immortal 80's crime drama, not much of an issue. But the bonus material (available on a second disc), was all the encouragement needed to purchase this "double disc" special edition, which provides the essential bonus material to an unmissable movie - 9/10!.