Very exceptional gangster film with some flaws.

Rating: 9/10 (4 February 2006)

Scarface (1983) Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantino, Robert Loggia, Harris Yulin, F. Murray Abraham.
Spoilers herein.
Tony Montana (Pacino) is a Cuban Refugee who arrives in America in 1980. As he lives in Miami, he notices that money, greed and women are all around him, and he makes a decision to rise above all others in the city.
"Scarface" is quite simply one hell of a movie, especially such an epic example of its genre. About every time I watch it, by the end, it leaves a huge impact on me. It is controversial among both movie fans and critics. The main reasons are because the film contains much excessive violence and has become a sort of inspiration for "gangstas". I think both are wrong, because the miss the message that it tries to give out. If these people didn't just skip to the final 10 (is it even that long?) minute shootout, then they would realize what the film really says.
Tony Montana is a character in which you feel for at first and then, when it comes to the actions he makes, you begin to dislike his character. I found this several times in Scorsese's 'Raging Bull', where the main character is so despicable where you just have to feel sorry for the guy. Pacino well acts his character, but at times he plays him so villainously (and this may be the film's only flaw) that it gets a bit too over-the-top and his character becomes overblown.
Brian De Palma (The Untouchables, Casualties of War) is a good director, but sometimes his angles confuse me. This is probably his best-directed movie though, along with "Carlito's Way". "The Untouchables" was by far the most enjoyable of them all, but here he creates tension inside the characters, mainly Tony, to where the suspense rises within them. It's a pretty smart move. The acting in the film is good. Stated above, Pacino is good in his role, and Bauer and Mastrantino give good supporting performances. Oliver Stone (JFK, Platoon) wrote the screenplay, and is a great start for his early work.
Overall, if you are a fan of crime/drama or action films, this one is definitely for you. "Scarface" comes off the screen so powerfully stylish that you can't stop watching. But while you are viewing the film, please don't judge it for the action or violence, there is more to the film. It is actually an intense character study of a guy who tries to make it to the top, and once he realizes he's lost everything that it's impossible. I wish people would just learn from that. 4.5 stars out of 5.