Good movie....

Rating: 8/10 (5 November 2003)

Having read the book "The Godfather", I decided to watch the trilogy. I was amazed at how good an actor Al Pacino really is. Although not as good as the book, Godfather is still a classic. I decided to watch Scarface, expecting the same commanding performance from Al Pacino, I was not disappointed.
Unlike Al Pacino's performance of Don Corleone, a mysterious, authoritative yet subdued character, he is quite the opposite in Scarface. A commanding, extrovert of a man.
Pacino plays the part of Tony Montana, a Cuban political prisoner who has travelled to the US to seek his fortune.
Montana becomes involved in the dealing of drugs, and as the years progress, he becomes one of the most powerful drug warlords in the world.
Although Montana does some dishonourable things throughout the course of the movie, you are willing him to succeed, willing him to make the right choices. In the end, his uncontrollable temper and almost ridiculous drug taking habits are his downfall. Yet, some might say without his raging temper, he would never have made it to the top in the first place. You don't really get to see, other than his fascination with success and money, how Montana really, feels, what his beliefs are etc. The only indications of some caring are when Montana saves the 2 children's lives, preventing Sosa's henchman blowing up the car, and his extremely defensive behaviour towards his sister. Maybe the audience isn't meant to care for Montana, even though I did. Pacino's performance as Montana is masterful, no-one else could have played this part as good as he.
Although there are some good characters in this movie, I believe the plot to be disjointed. It's more like a sequence of events, rather than a story, that is told.
The screeching sound in the background when Montana loses his temper and zooms in on his face, one of the classic moments in cinema.
A very good movie, with lots of swearing and violence, what more could you ask for??