Violent and raw

Rating: 8/10 (28 March 2009)

Recap: Tony Montana arrives with many other refugees from Cuba to Miami. Uneducated with a history both in the army and in prison his prospects of a bright future in his new country is small. However, he has something going for himself, he has guts. Or as he says himself, he has balls, which is the most important ability in the world. He gets in with the drug dealers quickly working his way up through the hierarchy, often by doing the violent and dirty work. Soon he finds himself in a position to challenge for overall control of the market. But ambition and nerves of steel isn't always a good thing...
Comments: A very violent film, almost seeming unrefined, but in a refreshing way. It seems true, it seems plausible and is very captivating. It is very long, almost three hours, but good a story and good acting makes sure it is never dull. There is always something happening, it simply takes long time to properly tell this story. Any shorter and pieces would probably start to fall apart.
Yes it is very violent, and very raw about the action scenes. Some are quite gruesome. But this is almost a must, a reflection on Scarface's character. He is very raw, he is very violent. For him to be verbally very provocative and not follow it with action would make him feel false. For him to be credible as a violent gangster that works himself up quickly due to the violent deeds he does, earning him respect (and fear) in his environment.
On the other hand, there is no unnecessary violence. There is no action or blood for the sake of being violence, or to have a shoot-out. The violence is no thrill to excite the audience. Every scene is an integral part of the story, important to paint the entire picture of Tony Montana.
I also liked the attention to detail. Especially some small parts of the story, barely noticeable, to make it feel very plausible. For example look for when Tony cocks his gun in his fight with Frank. Not until Frank unknowingly has confirmed Tony's suspicion.
Al Pacino does great work acting this character. Very emotional, very raw, it must have been hard not to go over the top with a character like that. I think he never does, not really anyway. Sure, he got good support from other characters and the story, but his acting is very impressive here. On the other side of the scale, but equally impressing is Michelle Pfeiffer as the stoned trophy wife that almost never shows any emotion. To only act with words. An early role, and pretty small, role for her, but impressive.
All in all a very solid movie, especially if you like gangster movies. Many minutes, but not long. I can understand why this has become a classic.
8/10