A very fun gangster flick

Rating: 8/10 (23 April 2011)

Gangsters. Cops. Tommy guns. Hand grenades. Bootlegging. Model T's. It's 1930 and the Prohibition war is raging. And thus we have The Untouchables. Al Capone practically runs the corrupt city of Chicago through his illegal liquor distribution. He has the entire city wrapped around his finger until Eliot Ness, a special agent from the treasury department, forms a group of incorruptible cops to take down Capone's entire operation. This group of cops will stop at nothing to uphold the law and bring down organized crime once and for all. And so we have an incredibly enticing Prohibition era tale with enough gangster action for the whole family! The film opens with a vivid overhead shot of Al Capone, played by the magnificent Robert De Niro, having a shave from his barber while reporters shuffle about the room waiting for Capone's face towel to be removed so that they can speak to him. The camera moves in closer to De Niro's face, still overhead. The barber removes his towel and Capone begins to speak about what it's like to be in control of the city and how he runs his crime operation. David Mamet's dialouge flows like gold and De Niro hits every profound line on the nose. In this one initial scene all of the great things about this movie have been established. We have Brian De Palma's excellent visual flare which captures the 1930's so well. We have Mamet's poetic yet raw dialouge that always impresses. And we have the establishment of the superb acting ability in this film, not only from De Niro, but from everyone. And so the film goes from there, telling an exciting story with loads of great characters, dialouge, and action.
The Untouchables is loosely based on the 1960's television series of the same name, and it is pretty obvious. The film has a very serial feel to it, with a kind of television dialouge cadence that is also very fitting to the time period. It has a somewhat television look and feel to it, other than being incredibly graphic and loaded with plenty of foul language. It has an adventurous and fun mood, with a kind of mock-seriousness tone to it. But probably what makes it the most classic television-esque would be Ennio Morricone's excellent and commanding score. The score has a very powerful ability to make certain scenes very lighthearted and fun, so much so that you want to get up and cheer for the lovable heroes of this film. Then in other scenes, tragedy strikes and the score is so moving and so gripping that you're taken by surprise at how emotional the film has gotten all of the sudden. The whole film flows like this, making for a strange yet captivating watch.
I have to say, don't expect The Godfather or Goodfellas going into this film. The Untouchables isn't nearly as complex and intricate as those films. The Untouchables is a different kind of film. It is driven by its cops and robbers mentality, probably because, unlike the aforementioned films, it is from the perspective of of the good side of the law, rather than the gangsters themselves. The film has to take on a completely different kind of approach to pull off what it is trying to accomplish. It isn't putting the gangsters in a good light. Al Capone isn't a character we pity at all. He is a character we hate, despise, and want revenge on just as much as the heroes of the film do. In all honesty, I prefer the stories told from the gangster point of view, but The Untouchables does an incredible job telling a story from the other side of the law.
As far as gangster movies go, The Untouchables is different but great. Visually it is excellent and David Mamet's screenplay is pure genius. The whole cast gives great performances, especially Kevin Costner in the leading role as Eliot Ness. Sean Connery even won an Oscar for his role as Jim Malone, the aging Irish cop who goes about things in his own unique ways. Ennio Morricone lifts the film up with an incredible score that makes the whole film a joy to watch. This film is fun, yet moving, something a lot of films can't find a balance between. If you're a fan of gangster movies, definitely check this one out.