Alfred Hitchcock never knew his apprentice to films. A shame!

Rating: 10/10 (18 June 2006)

No other director in the world better suggests Hitchcock in his/her work than Brian de Palma. Directors like Henri-Georges Clouzot, Polanski, Craven, Hooper and Francois Truffautt made indisputable footnotes and references to Hitchcock's unusual, controversial, innovative and redefining master works, although at the same time disguising their films in their own style. But Hitchcock inspired one director in particular so much to the point where he literally continued his work. De Palma in effect completely copied his teacher to such an extent as to make new Hitchcock films. This doesn't bother me as it usually would. Why? Because Hitchcock's films are the most engaging, entertaining and suspenseful ever made. Rarely have I watched films where following their conclusion, I wanted more. If Brian de Palma knows how to pull it off, then why not? He knows the formula. When he made films like The Sisters, Obsession and Dressed to Kill he must have been trying to cover up the fact that Hitchcock was coming to the end of his career, because they're almost as good as any Hitchcock film.
Which brings us to De Palma's most expertly crafted film to date, "The Untouchables". Nothing psychological like most of his master's films, it is however very paranoid and dark, attributes that haunt Hitchcock's films from start to finish. Forgive my comparison, but you understand I look indifferently at these two directors. I'll shut up for now.
Paranoia is perhaps the theme of this film about Al Capone from the perspective of the man who brought him down, Elliot Ness. While Al Capone (played with menace by Robert de Niro) as emperor of 1920s Chicago during prohibition makes violence a way of life, nobody could stand in his way. Illegal alcohol responsible for his power and employ of the government becomes an honest cop's obsession to bringing the gangster down. Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner) would risk his life for the American dream of justice and freedom - a quality rare in those times. Following an unsuccessful attempt to bringing the criminal down in an alcohol raid, with the public laughing behind his back, he meets his guide, mentor and the toughest cop in town named Jim Malone (Sean Connery in his definitive performance) a man with knowledge and important connections with a firm fist of an Irishman. It is Malone's loyalty, honesty and hard as nails attitude that takes Elliot Ness deeper than he had ever gone. Along for the ride is an accountant turned Untouchable Oscar Wallace (Charles Martin Smith) and an uncorrupted prodigy marksman Giuseppe Petri (Andy Garcia). Together, as they head deeper to uncover Capone's racket, violence becomes a cat and mouse game with each side exchanging roles. But as it becomes increasingly more difficult to prove Capone's involvements, following alcohol raids, due to the paranoia and fear of losing power, he resorts to rely on his henchman who craves for a hit, especially when it involves Ness' family and Malone, the man who knows the darkest corners of Chicago. However, as Elliot Ness and his Untouchables hit a wall, the possible ultimately becomes impossible...........unless!
This isn't your typical gangster movie. It has a tempo about it that wreaks of paranoia. It has the same suspicious and unsettling menace that pollutes Hitchcock's great espionage classics like "The 39 Steps", "Foreign Correspondent", "Saboteur", "The Man Who Knew Too Much", "North By Northwest", "Torn Curtain" and "Topaz". In other words, see these films if you liked "The Untouchables" and you will find many scenes in those films that inspired some in de Palma's masterpiece. There is a scene in the film which stands on its own as a technically flawless achievement - the scene at the train station steps with the Peckinpah inspired shootout between Capone's and Ness' men which incorporates Eisenstein's famous pram scene from Battleship Potemkin and the brilliant technical execution of a Hitchcock 'footstep sound' technique. Here, de Palma was paying tribute to men who guided him in film making.
The cast in the film is an achievement in itself. De Niro's devotion to playing hoodlums in his career has type cast him as one. His face has become synonymous with crime, and that's why his role works. He gives Capone such a one dimensional persona that you easily hate him. Kevin Costner playing Ness was good for the part. You could identify with his frustration, but in the scenes opposite Connery and Garcia, he was merely a mirage. Connery's performance was one of the most electrifying performances of the century. His tough Irishman's command is so sharp, intimidating and out right entertaining that it doesn't surprise me that the Academy Awards were blown away. Garcia's kid from a tough neighborhood role gives him a silent mystery (a role Charles Bronson tackled many times) and it makes him such an interesting character, because he isn't a criminal like he could of been coming from those parts of town. Charles Martin Smith adds comic relief and is a nice touch to a serious thriller. Oh, I can go on about this film, but it would be a crime not to mention Ennio Morricone's suspense symphony which is a work comparable to Bernard Herrmann's work. Instead of composing a score for the film's period setting, Morricone utilizes electronic sounds and blends them with an orchestra creating a kind of comic book quirky feel all the while maintaining the suspense. A definite product of the 80s, but it works - perfectly. The Untouchables not only a gangster movie. It is one of the most paranoid and suspenseful film-noirs ever made, as good even as Hitchcock's 'Notorious'. If you are new to Hitchcock or de Palma, "The Untouchables" is a great start to your education. And if it overwhelms you to the point where you need another fix, see the Hitchcock films mentioned and witness the brilliance of a man who bestowed upon us the greatest works of art in the history of the medium.