The King of All Gangster Flicks.....

Well it’s time for the nasty one to put my “third graders writing skills’ to the test again…..

In my humble opinion, which probably doesn’t mean anything to some of the people on this site because I’m such a horrible writer, gangster movies are the greatest films men has to offer. Whether it be the classic story of the dysfunctional Corleone family in The Godfather or the tale of three decades of life in the mob in Goodfellas, it seems that gangster movies always have something new and entertaining to offer. Despite the fact that the two preceding movies I mentioned are classics in every sense of the word, I don’t believe that either one can capture the crown for the greatest gangster flick ever. My pick goes to the one and only Scarface.

Directed by Brian DePalma Scarface centers on the rise and fall of Cuban refugee Tony Montana, played magnificently by Al Pacino, after being released from Cuba by Fidel Castro in 1980. He fails to get citizenship and is sent to refugee camp in Florida. He remains there until his best friend Manolo, played by Steven Bauer, tells him of a deal that he got from some higher-ups. Tony and Manolo can get green cards, only if they commit a murder of an unpopular Communist. Not only does Tony carry out the job, but he takes pleasure in doing so.

Powered by an unstoppable drive, Tony strives to get to the top and make it big. He gets a job working for the large drug dealer Frank Lopez, played by Robert Loggia. As Tony starts making more money, animosity develops between him and Frank. Tony also takes a liking to Frank’s wife, played by Michelle Pfeiffer. Problems also show up back home as Tony’s mother wants nothing to do with him, and fails to acknowledge that she even has a son. Even worse is that his antics are starting to rub off on his younger sister Gina. Gina, who seems innocent enough at the beginning of the movie, starts to fall in a downward spiral and gets mixed up with Manolo.

As much as Tony seems to be in control, his hot temper mixed with a cocaine addiction leads him into an inevitable downfall, as he starts to get his personal life mixed up with business. However as you will find out in this movie, Tony is not one to go down without a fight, as is revealed in the powerful climax of the film.

The acting in this movie is superb. Pacino plays the role of Tony perfectly, as he sports a Cuban accent for the first time in his acting career. Like many of his other films, he brings his fiery passion on screen, and strikes fear into the hearts of his opponents whenever he speaks. As much as we know Tony is a villain, we can’t help but root for him throughout the entire film. In fact, he may be the most likeable movie villain of all time.

Steven Bauer does an outstanding job as Tony’s best friend Manolo. Throughout the entire film Manolo stays loyal to Tony and has his back 100% of the way. However the two start to fall out of favor when he thinks Tony is spending too much money and that he needs to cut back on his expenses. Manolo also does the unthinkable when he hooks up with Tony’s little sister Gina. Michelle Pfeiffer gives a less than spectacular performance playing Frank’s junkie trophy wife.

The graphic nature of Scarface is at an alarming high. There are several scenes where it shows the characters using cocaine. The violence factor is also terrifying. The now infamous shower scene will definitely make the weak hearted squirm with fear. Also the language in this movie is very rash, which is very typical of any gangster flick.

While the soundtrack of this movie is outstanding, as it brings a certain authenticity to everything, I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the use of synthesizers in this movie. They really kill the emotional scenes, and they get pretty annoying towards the end of the film. Besides that, I have no real problem with Scarface.

While the movie was not a box office smash, there is no denying its influence it’s had on many people, especially the rap culture. If you watch MTV Cribs you will notice that pretty much every rapper has a copy of this film. Raekwon of the Wu-tang Clan considers it his bible. Some of the biggest known rappers use constant Scarface references in their songs.

”Can't do for dolo, had to turn away when Tony killed Manolo…..” Bring it On by Jay-Z

”…..I'm like Scarface sniffin cocaine, holdin a M-16, see with the pen I'm extreme” NY State of Mind by Nas

There’s even a legendary southern rapper that works under the alias. Fans of rap will easily fall in love with this movie, but I also recommend the movie to anyone who is a fan of not only gangster movies, but action movies as well.