Scarface (1983)

Director: Brian De Palma
Starring Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfieffer.

Scarface, on so many levels, should not work. It has the cheesy 1980s decor, hammy, extravagant acting, indulgent direction and a script that could have possibly been scrawled on a napkin in ten minutes. There's no hugely intelligent dialogue.

But it does work. It's the gangster film of the 1980s, the pinnacle of excess and corruption, perfectly capturing Miami and the seedy underworld that dominates it. It's a thrilling picture, charting a Cuban druglord's rise to power from the streets, a rise that admittedly happens too quickly within the film - it takes around forty-five minutes from him working in a fast food stall to running the most powerful gang in Miami. But that it what makes the film - it is lean and quick. De Palma cuts out every unnecessary scene like fat from a chunk of meat. There is no padding to be found and the pacing and editing work is truly excellent.

Pacino himself, while turning in possibly the most scenery-chewing, hammy performance of his career, is perfect within the context of the film. His dodgy Cuban accent matches with the decadence of the surroundings. His hyperactive gnashing is in tone with a film in which men are gored by chainsaws during a simple drug deal, Tony Montana (Pacino) snorts a mountain of cocaine on his desk. Indeed, Pacino's performance is a force of nature, a whirlwind that the film depends on and is paid back in spades. He makes the film far more than any mere title character. It explains why Tony Montana is still such an iconic character of cinema today.

Unfortunately, as Pacino rips through the film like a hurricane, supporting characters barely make a breeze. Robert Loggia is solid as Montana's mentor and enemy. Steven Bauer's character is sorely underdeveloped and could have been as equally interesting as Montana. Pfieffer sounds half-asleep and never has any real dramatic impact. It appears she was cast more for her name than her acting ability.

The cinematography works effectively - the bright neon lights of Miami reflect perfectly the seediness of the place. The audience is at once entranced and disgusted by the self-indulgence and depravity of Tony Montana's world. The film is quintessentially a 1980s picture, and could not have worked in any other time period.

As the film wears on, you might laugh at the dated sets and scenery, the extravagance of Pacino's performance. But it is after the film that the impact sets in - it displays effectively how young turks like Montana with a drunk sense of power very quickly meet their end. The final shootout is explosive, hitting the audience with the force of a sledgehammer and one of the most memorable scenes in cinema.

A memorable, thrilling gangster film that, despite showing its age, perfectly demonstrates the decadence of the time period with a volatile, showstopping turn by Pacino.

Rating: 8/10.