Scarface - still as good?

Caveat

Hell yeah! :cool:

Watched it the other night, kind of by accident as having seen it a few times already, wasn't really intending to see it for another couple of years. I was poised to cringe, pessimistic that with hindsight and beyond the controversy and the quotable lines, that maybe it wasn't that amazing after all. Annoying peabrained gangstas idolising it didn't help.

I needn't have worried.

Still amazing, thrilling, seedy, atmospheric, even funny in parts and fantastically acted by almost everyone. Al's last truly great performance.

Totally over the top of course too but in a way that's part of the appeal IMO.

Giorgio Moroder's soundtrack whilst obviously a product of the 80s still sounds great - only really falters at the awful synth rock 'song' about two thirds of the way though but it's a minor complaint.

One of the best movies ever?

No, you. are, a noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooob

DrumSteve

Deleted User wrote: »

No, you. are, a noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooob

Yeah its a ****in great film... push it to the limit over the montage is classic.

Hank_Jones

It's still a good enough film, but I've found that as I get older, I just don't agree with the messages the film sends and see Pacino's acting as really over the top.
It's not helped by the fact that Pacino has been acting in the same way for the past 30 years, shouting all his lines like some sort of idiot.
I'd much rather watch him in The Godfather, Serpico or Dog Day Afternoon.
It is a definitive 80's movie though, which does give it that something though, with a classic soundtrack.

AnonoBoy

Never warmed to it as much as everyone else.

It's good, it's just not that good.

Does it help to like it if I'm a hip-hop artist?

DarkJager

Having watched it recently again I think its still as good. Pacinos acting wasn't over the top, it was genius. At the beginning he's just a quiet immigrant trying to get a better life but his introduction to cocaine as the movie goes on causes an over the top invincible persona in him which of course leads to one of the greatest ****ing movie endings ever!

The soundtrack of course is solid, and I totally agree with the above poster - the Push it the limit montage has still not been reduced to cheeseiness If I'd make one criticism of the entire movie its that it does drag on just a bit too long but the ending is worth it for its cult dialogue alone.

And P.S

it's better than the Godfather

Caveat

Hank_Jones wrote: »

It's still a good enough film, but I've found that as I get older, I just don't agree with the messages the film sends and see Pacino's acting as really over the top.
It's not helped by the fact that Pacino has been acting in the same way for the past 30 years, shouting all his lines like some sort of idiot.
I'd much rather watch him in The Godfather, Serpico or Dog Day Afternoon.
It is a definitive 80's movie though, which does give it that something though, with a classic soundtrack.

I agree with Pacino's acting since this alright - e.g the one where he was blind was awful. Also, I loved Heat but he threatened to ruin it with the odd outburst. I think though for Scarface it was perfectly pitched.

A lot to do with direction probably too - de Palma is known for going over the top. Also, if you compare say The Godfather, the era has a big bearing - relatively sedate and insidious 1940s gangsterism, hence direction, vs flashy 1980s consumerism Miami.

At the risk of sounding poncy - The Godfather is like classic, classy costume drama whilst Scarface is closer nearly to opera - full of melodrama, over the top, sledgehammer musical mood setting (ominous bass notes=evil; sweet descending Paul Young type ballad notes whenever Gina is around) complete with the utterly inevitable finale.

- IMO, of course.

baltimore sun

never did like it and never did understand the appeal

there's a ton of way better gangster movies,

it was a crazy fad though, many of us had the poster as teenagers and I've seen it a good few times and I honestly was never really all that into it and over the years I think it has without doubt aged very badly

DazMarz

I personally didn't like it as a teenager!!! Thought it was overly long and wasn't violent enough....:o

Now, I appreciate it much more and find it a very good watch. Inspired my favourite video game of all time too (GTA: Vice City) and has a ripping soundtrack and score.

Jumpy

Its still a fudging excellent movie.

Fudging done brilliantly by kids too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uovMpapeCJQ

It's good but far from the greatest gangster film eve. I still rewatch it every now and again but would much rather watch Carlito's Way or the Godfather or Heat, etc, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSXhnSMz2z0

indough

Deleted User wrote: »

It's good but far from the greatest gangster film eve. I still rewatch it every now and again but would much rather watch Carlito's Way or the Godfather or Heat, etc, etc.

agreed mostly but prefer it to heat

also i dont get people saying it looks dated, it isnt supposed to be set it modern times

Sad Professor

The best thing about Scarface is Oliver Stone's script. It's way too long, but that should of been fixed in editing. Pacino is great too, but his performance lacks depth. De Palma, however, is the major weak link imo. Some great sequences, but he seems asleep at the wheel during most scenes.

I also detest the cinematography and all the fake looking in-door sets. They are disgusting and hurt my eyes. And it only looks like Miami in the (obviously second unit) establishing shots. Los Angeles is a poor stand-in no matter how good your art director is.

I like de Palma and all, but I don't think he deserved such a great script. A film like this needed a Friedkin or a Mann. Someone with a proper sense of realism to keep Stone's cocaine-inspired depiction of excess grounded. Stone himself would have done a great job with it.

Magic Eight Ball

Ashamed to say I've never seen it. DVD is sitting on my shelf gathering dust.

Magic Eight Ball

I've always found De Palma slightly overrated, only film of his I really enjoyed was 'Blow Out'.

grimm2005

I only saw it for the first time probably less than 2 years ago and i loved it

humanji

Trevor Coulahan wrote:

Ashamed to say I've never seen it. DVD is sitting on my shelf gathering dust.

Here's a summary in song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g51HYPvU9Dw

Agricola

I enjoyed it the first time I saw it and less so when I viewed it again. Its not the kind of film that warrants a viewing every few years like the Godfather. The characters are caricatures, its loud and brash, all style and less substance.
Theres far better gangster films out there.

mle1324

I enjoyed the film very much but tbh I enjoyed the game better as it was kinda like a Scarface 2

Mr Alan

always thought it was over-rated. and i agree with whoever said it has dated poorly.

Zero-Cool

Still one of my fave films and will throw it on now and again, although usually takes a few sittings cuz of the length. As a 26 yr old, still have the poster framed, hanging on my wall. Godfather may be high in quality but if given the choice of which to watch, Scarface will always win.

+1 - Take it to the limit over that montage was the balls!!!

pirelli

SCARFACE:

A movie that is as relevant today as it is all those years ago.
The theme about corporations and Investments Banks and the economy are exactly the situation we find ourselves in now. Drugs and murder ravaged our
community during boom times just like in scarface.

The scenes are reminiscent of every day life that follows the cycles of the markets and economies that we are all educated to participate in. It will be unlikely to change for a long time and if it does it will be a tidy classic of effect the market and economy has on people.

Another movie like this is Tony Manero! That was even greater depth in the cruel and sadistic psychopatic.

tman

One of my all time favourite films and in my opinion stands up very well to repeated viewings.
Ashamed to admit it, but I especially love the cheesetastic Giorgio Moroder soundtrack:o

Halfway through watching Bladerunner at the moment, but might stick this it on afterwards