Entertaining but Flawed

Rating: 7/10 (20 July 2002)

"Scarface" is not the masterpiece many believe it to be. It is also not as terrible as many others believe it to be. What it is is a prime example of De Palma's over-the-top style of directing. Everything about this movie - the script, the acting, the directing, are all overblown. And while it shows no restraint whatsoever, perhaps that is part of its interest.
The story chronicles the life of Tony Montana (Al Pacino), a Cuban immigrant who rises to power in the Miami underworld. It begins with his rise to power from nothing, and continues on through his downfall. The script is well written for the most part, except it tends to drag in places and is quite loose.
The acting is solid, but as said before, perhaps a little over the top. Pacino is convincing as Montana, and most of the cast performs well, although everybody seems to be in an extremely emotional state at all times. Much of the dialogue is angry, and the characters are never really fleshed out to any great extent. The major flaw in this movie is the fact that most of the characters are rather despicable, eliciting little sympathy from me.
The directing is interesting to watch, but needlessly flashy. Take, for example, the scene where Montana is getting in the car and the camera does the track out, zoom in trick, used most notably in Hitchcock's "Vertigo." Obviously, this is a display of Hitchcock's influence on De Palma, but what De Palma forgets is that Hitchcock used it for a reason. In the context that it is used in "Scarface", it is totally unnecessary. But, it fits in with the over-the-top appeal of the movie.
While I wouldn't say this movie is excellent, it does provide some solid entertainment. And despite the fact that it does drag a little, and is lacking in character development, it does succeed in providing some excellent action sequences, which will definitely please many fans.
*** out of ****