A gangster film from the point of view of the law

Rating: Null/10 (6 September 2015)

The Untouchables is based on a real life crew of lawmen, who fought to put Al Capone behind bars, named for their incorruptibility. Lead by agent Eliot Ness, they arranged raids on known breweries and hidden ale houses, confiscated vast amounts of illegal liquor and tried to pin it all on Capone.
The actual story is of course much more complicated than would be practical for a film, but overall this movie is a rather faithful representation of the events that took place and keeps at least with the spirit of what actually happened. Certain characters have been combined to make for a smoother story telling experience. But, nevertheless, it stands on its own as a very interesting and intriguing gangster story, with plenty of atmosphere, Chicago style mood, gunfights, men in fedoras, all that good stuff. It's also very interesting to see the Prohibition Era from the point of view of the law, as the time is often thought to be the golden age of gangsters and thus they're usually the focus of any story.
It's also a very professionally made film. Director Bryan De Palma is also known for movies such as Scarface and Mission: Impossible, and this movie showcases his strong points equally as well, from pacing to cinematography to characters. The movie also benefits from the talents of Kevin Costner and Sean Connery as the two main law enforcers. Probably one of my favourite Costner roles, and a good showing from Connery as well. Robert De Niro as Capone leaves me a bit cold. He certainly has the charisma and the presence to pull it off, but unfortunately the movie doesn't focus on him all that much, limiting his influence.
Special mention should also be made of the score by Ennio Morricone. Some great tunes here.
All in all, The Untouchables is a very good Prohibition Era film. It has all the hallmarks of a classic gangster film, knows how to tell its story and has some real acting talent to pull it off. Certainly worth a watch for all fans of the era and the style.