flamboyant, violent and extremely powerful

Rating: 10/10 (28 April 2008)

When Scarface was first released in 1993, cinemas weren't as packed as stakeholders would have hoped. not to say it was a flop, but it wasn't what many would call a financial success. coupled with the excessively criticized violence, and the talk of large edits and censorship, this film underwent a gargantuan amount of changes during post-production.
what i am happy to say, is that the version we can enjoy and relish today is the original cut. The cut given an X, by rating boards. An X is an X, so the version we saw, ended up being the first one.
EXCELLENT FOR US.
Scarface follows the story of Antonio Montana, a political refugee from Cuba, "discarded" during Fidel Castro's crime dump on the shore of Miami in 1980. throughout the course of the film, we see Tony rise from a dishwasher, to the top of a multi-billion dollar drug industry, before being destroyed in a puff of his own cocaine. this film could not be more "anti-drug". Oliver Stone, having recently overcome many of his problems with cocaine was able to use his personal experience to produce a powerful, involving script. Some may criticize it for the odd 200 F- Bombs dropped, but at its roots, this work was written to match Pacino's on screen flamboyance.
despite its excess, and its darkly grim humor, Scarface can be very upsetting, especially towards the end. DO NOT expect to leave this film feeling too many positive emotions.
This film could have only been released in the 80's, thats a fact. but it could not be more enjoyable today. i am happy to say that this film has just been released in a platinum edition, WITH PROPERLY REVAMPED SOUND AND PICTURE. its gorgeous. what a better way to celebrate one of the behemoths of all gangster films.
coupled with a dated, but very recognizable score, some wonderful action, excellent acting, and iconic scenes. Scarface deserves your attention.