The rise and fall of an antihero

Rating: 10/10 (26 April 2020)

"Scarface" is a 1983 crime drama directed by Brian De Palma starring Al Pacino and Steven Bauer. As many others probably did, I celebrated the legend's birthday as well by watching one of the most popular and mainstream gangster flicks of all time, a film I've been kicking down the road for way too long. Admittedly, this turns out to be a massive mistake, as this film is nearly perfect by all means. The main factor of this films success is without a doubt Pacino's versatile and above all menacing performance as rising gangster Tony Montana. He's definitely is absolutely credible in portraying a Cuban compatriot. From an authentic Cuban accent to his overall demeanour he was excellent, but what surprised me the most is how one of the most popular gangster film protagonists is undeniably one of the greatest antiheroes in cinematic history at the same time. Screenwriter Oliver Stone created an iconic main character with such a diverse personality that you really can sympathize with in a strange manner. Over the course of the film, Montana lives the classic American dream and literally goes from rags to riches. With a runtime of almost three hours one could mean that it has its lengths and might become boring after a while, but the screenplay never gives you the opportunity to lose track. There's always something more happening, and the suspense curve starts on a medium level and goes up continuously from there on. Never does it take a hit once and it's almost masterful to see something like that happen in such a long movie. Generally, the longer the movie, the higher is the probability that the film loses the interest of its audience at some parts (like some Scorsese flicks, for instance), hence I think it's nothing short of incredible that this film manages to perfectly avoid this common effect. If you need to look up a film with a perfectly paced plot development, this film is the showpiece example for this question. As I already stated before, all this wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for the force of nature of a person that Tony Montana is. The titular scar faced maniac is something I'd show a class when it comes to characterizing an antihero, because he's an extraordinarily conceptualised and multidimensional fictional character the film would be nothing without. In the beginning, he's a nobody, a political refugee who works as a dishwasher who tries to aim for the stars without any realistic plan, but he's ambitious and on top of that, determined and fearless. His intrepidity eventually pays off and gradually becomes more successful and doesn't seem to be willing to stop. What makes this character development so outstanding though, is the way he reaches his goal and how he secures his position. His insatiable hunger for power makes him totally unpredictable. The more power he gains, the more he disassociates himself from the values he used to believe in, and he more and more becomes a monster. This inexorably increasing greed simultaneously increases his mistrust and severe paranoia towards everyone and everything. While he still had a sense of rudimentary loyalty in the beginning, he's become more merciless from minute to minute. He would sell his own grandmother if she was a threat for is power status and it's evidenced by how he betrays every former associate and partner, even his mentor in the process and how he underestimates even the ones who are obviously more powerful than him. Pride comes before the fall and you can clearly tell that his judgement is successively tainted. The most fascinating thing is how it seems to never be enough to him, as many scenes show how he is palpably bored by his carefree life. Seriously, he seems to have everything he's desired, the wife, the wealth and the power, yet he is unsatisfied with it and desires more. For instance, the scene where he sits in his own office, drunk and hooked on an immense amount of cocaine and the way he still looks like the most bored human being on earth is one of the many scenes that made me smile for just how brilliant it was. Even though he went sky high and should be happy with the way he is, he still craves for a higher place that exists from his point of view. Furthermore, he depraves everyone around him, allies and foes alike and destroys all of their lives with his reckless behaviour. In the end, he can't tell the difference between friend or enemy. Do you know those moments in a film that conclusively consolidate your suspicion of watching a cinematic masterpiece? Well, in this film it happened again. With several scenes that impressed me there's this one scene rather in the end where Tony shoots Manny after finding out he had a sexual encounter with his sister, only to find out that they got married a day before. Pacino's reaction after realising that he made a severe mistake, his heart breaking in the matter of seconds, the way the hate immediately leaves his face and makes way for regret was this one breathtaking scene. That's how I also come to another thing that fascinated me deeply, a single character trait that actually contradicts his general personality: Family. Even though it's depicted that he would do anything to keep his position of power, there's this strange sense for family that makes him vulnerable. Next to the way he cares about his sister Gina, there is this one specific scene where he prevents the innocent wife and children of a target person from being killed, aware of the fact that this will lead to his own death. The ruthless gangster boss gives up everything he has achieved for ... family? This is exactly what makes this character even more fascinating and saves the last bit of humanity in him. Nonetheless, he receives his legitimate punishment for his extreme cockiness, in a scene that's iconic as it is powerfully symbolic. Montana who indirectly declared himself a god-king is ultimately reminded by his own mortality and all the mistakes he's made that lead to his inevitable fall, his death being the only logical consequence and price to pay for his acts. All in all, this gangster drama is a masterful character study about a man and the way he parishes by increasing power and the unquenchable thirst for money, the way he treated all the people on the way and how he eventually faces the consequences. Pacino delivered an outstanding performance and almost singlehandedly made this film a huge success, as he made the antihero of this compelling crime drama come to life effortlessly. Sophisticated, extremely entertaining and with sheer brilliance in acting and writing, this film absolutely impressed me and it feels like it will have a bigger impact on me than I expected. Shame on me that I have not watched it earlier and the fact that I only own it on DVD. The next time I see it on sale, I will upgrade it without thinking too much. That is what I owe this masterpiece.