Sleazy, Gross, Disgusting, Sick, Vile, Putrid, Ugly, Repulsive, Repugnant, Trashy, and Just Generally Unpleasant and Nasty

Rating: 10/10 (24 January 2006)

So why the high rating? There are plenty of reasons to hate this movie: the glorification of violence; the unbelievably misogynistic treatment of women; Al Pacino's patently unconvincing Cuban accent; Giorgio Moroder's music (actually, the pulse-pounding score itself is great, but those early-80s power ballads are worth a few giggles); the stereotyping of Cubans and Colombians. But the violence in this movie really is undeniably beautiful; the women aren't treated any worse than in any other gangster film; Pacino is inspired, clumsy accent notwithstanding, and it's glorious to see him really let it all out (in a performance that I believe he calls his favorite); Moroder's music adds to the outrageousness of the proceedings; and the stereotyping, well... bad on De Palma, but what can I say? This is one terrific story, and it's certainly told well.
While the hip-hop "community" has chosen to read the film as a morality play for aspiring kingpins, it is in my opinion a satire of capitalism, which ideal is embodied by Tony Montana (Pacino), a bloodthirsty, cocaine-addled killing machine who kills at the slightest provocation. But his violent temper hides a lightning-quick instinct for business, danger, and provocation. It is through this mixture of brutality and brilliance that Tony is able to climb to the top of an utterly corrupt empire, bathing his hands in blood and laughing all the way to the bank. He is a coward and a criminal, but even he knows that he's ultimately no different than any other man of power. He's a businessman, plain and simple. If he had born into an affluent American family, Tony Montana might have been a lawyer or politician. Though public figures (especially political figures) damn Tony's actions for the cameras, they know and Tony knows that he is the purest embodiment of the American Dream. If the American Dream is to prosper in order to ensure comfort, safety, and freedom, then Tony is one of the greatest Americans to ever live. This is the cynical message at the heart of De Palma's film; compare that to the slightly more idealistic message at the core of Howard Hawks' equally great 1932 original, SCARFACE, THE SHAME OF THE NATION.
The film starts with Castro opening Mariel harbor and ejecting the "undesirables" from Cuba. One of these refugees is charming ex-convict and live wire Tony Montana. Together with his best friend and partner in crime, Manny Ribera, Tony works his way up from the streets of Miami to the seaside mansions of criminal high society. Along the way, the two friends learn how to live the high life, but they quickly discover that the money and power come with a price (don't they always?). Michelle Pfeiffer is Tony's disenfranchised wife, Robert Loggia his early boss and mentor, Harris Yulin a crooked cop, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio his beautiful sister, who idolizes him, and for whom he obviously harbors incestuous feelings. The climax of this film is a tour-de-force, and the photography of the great John A. Alonzo (CHINATOWN, HAROLD AND MAUDE, BLACK Sunday) is outstanding, as are the sets and costumes. Every single scene is an eye-grabbing explosion of gorgeous ultra-80s decadence. Overall, SCARFACE is a masterpiece of suspense and social commentary. It deserves a place among the greatest gangster films of all time. Not until THE UNTOUCHABLES would De Palma top this one.