Scarface (1983 film)
Scarface is a 1983 American crime drama film directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone, and starring Al Pacino.[6] It is a remake of the 1932 film of the same name,[7][8][9] in turn based on the 1930 novel by Armitage Trail.[7][10][9] It tells the story of Cuban refugee Tony Montana (Pacino), who arrives penniless in Miami during the Mariel boatlift and becomes a powerful drug lord. The film co-stars Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Robert Loggia, Míriam Colón and F. Murray Abraham.[6]
"Say hello to my little friend!" redirects here. For other uses, see Say hello to my little friend.Scarface
- Jerry Greenberg
- David Ray
- December 1, 1983 (New York City premiere)
- December 9, 1983 (United States)
170 minutes[1]
United States
English
$66 million[5]
Pacino became interested in a remake of the 1932 version after seeing it, and he and producer Martin Bregman began to develop it. Sidney Lumet was initially hired to direct the film but was replaced by De Palma, who hired Stone to write the script. De Palma dedicated this version of Scarface to the memories of Howard Hawks and Ben Hecht, the director and screenwriter, respectively, of the original film.[11] Filming took place from November 1982 to May 1983, in Los Angeles and Miami. The film's soundtrack was composed by Giorgio Moroder.
Scarface premiered in New York City on December 1, 1983, and was released on December 9 by Universal Pictures. The film grossed $45 million at the domestic box office and $66 million worldwide. Initial critical response was negative due to its excessive violence, profanity, and graphic drug usage. Some Cuban expatriates in Miami objected to the film's portrayal of Cubans as criminals and drug traffickers. In the years that followed, some critics have reappraised it, considering it one of the greatest gangster films ever made.[12] Screenwriters and directors such as Martin Scorsese have praised the film, and it has been referenced extensively in pop culture, especially in hip hop music,[13][14] as well as comic books, television programs, and video games. The film is regarded as a cult classic.[15][16]
Plot[edit]
In 1980, Cuban refugee and ex-convict Tony Montana arrives in Miami as part of the Mariel boatlift, where he is sent to a refugee camp with his best friend, Manny Ribera, and their companions, Angel and Chi-Chi. The four are released and given green cards in exchange for murdering a former senior henchman of Fidel Castro, at the request of Miami drug lord Frank Lopez. They find work as dishwashers at a restaurant, but are soon dissatisfied; Tony says that he is meant for bigger things. Frank's right-hand man, Omar Suarez, sends the four to purchase cocaine from Colombian dealers. Tony and Angel are taken at gunpoint; Tony is made to watch as Angel is dismembered with a chainsaw, before Manny and Chi-Chi rescue him. They kill three of the dealers and personally deliver the recovered drugs and money to Frank, suspecting that Omar set them up.
TONY MONTANA IS FAKE Tony becomes attracted to Frank's trophy wife, Elvira. Tony and Manny begin working for Frank. Later, Tony visits his mother and younger sister Gina, of whom he is overprotective. Expressing his hope for an easier life for the family, Tony gifts his mother $1,000, claiming he earns money through "political means.” Tony's mother sees through his fib and angrily disowns him, but Gina keeps the money. Manny is attracted to Gina, but Tony warns him to stay away. Frank sends Tony and Omar to Cochabamba, Bolivia to meet with cocaine kingpin Alejandro Sosa. During the meeting, Omar is unhappy when Tony negotiates a large deal without Frank's approval. Sosa later has his men hang Omar from a helicopter, telling Tony that Omar was a police informant and that Frank has poor judgment for having trusted him. Tony vouches for Frank's organization and proclaims his loyalty; Sosa takes a liking to Tony and agrees to the deal, but warns Tony to never double-cross him.
Seeing that Frank is infuriated by Omar's death, and knowing the size of the deal with Sosa, Tony sets up his own cocaine operation. Mel Bernstein, a corrupt detective on Frank's payroll, accosts Tony at a nightclub, attempting to extort him for police protection. Tony spots Gina fraternizing with a man, and violently confronts them both when he sees him grope her. Hitmen then attempt to kill Tony, who escapes with a bullet wound. He confronts Frank and Bernstein, certain that they are behind the attack; Frank confesses his involvement at gunpoint and begs for his life, but Tony has Manny shoot him before killing Bernstein. Tony marries Elvira, becoming the distributor of Sosa's product, and uses his profits to build a multi-million-dollar empire and a large, heavily guarded estate.
In 1983, a money laundering sting operation by federal agents results in Tony being charged with tax evasion and facing potential prison time. Sosa offers to use his government connections to keep Tony out of prison, but only if Tony helps kill an activist intending to expose Sosa's drug operations. During dinner at an upscale restaurant, Tony blames Manny for his arrest and accuses Elvira of being an infertile junkie, prompting Elvira to leave him. Tony and Sosa's henchman, "Shadow", travel to New York City to assassinate the activist; Shadow puts a radio-controlled bomb under his car, but Tony tries to cancel the hit upon seeing the activist accompanied by his wife and children. When Shadow refuses, Tony kills him before he can detonate the bomb. Tony then returns to Miami, and an enraged Sosa vows retribution for allowing the activist to deliver the exposé.
At his mother's behest, Tony, who is high on cocaine, tracks down Gina and finds her with Manny. In a fit of rage, Tony shoots Manny dead. Right after, he learns that Gina had just married him. A distraught Tony returns to his estate, with Gina, and begins a massive cocaine binge in his office. Sosa's men begin to invade the grounds and kill Tony's guards as Gina enters the office with a gun, accusing him of wanting her for himself. She shoots and wounds him, but is killed by one of Sosa's men whom Tony kills in return. Tony takes a rifle and a grenade launcher to the invaders, killing many of them, but suffering multiple gunshot wounds. He taunts his attackers until an assassin climbs up to the office and shoots him in the back. Tony's body falls off the balcony into the pool, resting near the base of a globe with the ironic motto, "The World Is Yours".
Release[edit]
Theatrical[edit]
Scarface premiered on December 1, 1983, in New York City, where it was initially greeted with mixed reaction. The film's two stars, Al Pacino and Steven Bauer, were joined in attendance by Burt and Diane Lane, Melanie Griffith, Raquel Welch, Joan Collins, her boyfriend Peter Holm, and Eddie Murphy, among others.[50] It was then given a wide release on December 9.
Home media[edit]
Scarface was initially released by MCA Home Video on VHS, CED Videodisc, LaserDisc, and Beta in the summer of 1984 – a two-tape set in 1.33:1 pan and scan ratio – and quickly became a bestseller, becoming the first to sell 100,000 copies at a retail price of $79.95.[51] A VHS formatted in the film's theatrical 2.35:1 Widescreen aspect ratio followed years later in 1998 to coincide with the special edition DVD release. The last VHS release was in 2003 to counterpart the 20th anniversary edition DVD. The 2003 DVD was remastered and re-released through Universal Records.
The television version of Scarface premiered on ABC on January 7, 1989.[52] 32 minutes of violence, profanity and sex were edited out, and much of the dialogue, including the constant use of the word "fuck", which was muted after the beginning of "f-" or replaced with less offensive alternatives.[53]
The film received a North American DVD release on the film's fifteenth anniversary in 1998, featuring a non-anamorphic widescreen transfer, a "Making of" documentary, outtakes, production notes, and cast and crew biographies. This release was not successful, and many fans and reviewers complained about its unwatchable video transfer and muddled sound, describing it as "one of the worst big studio releases out there".[54] The 20th Anniversary edition was released on DVD and VHS in 2003, with the DVD selling more than 2 million units in its first week and becoming the best-selling R-rated DVD title.[55]
In 2003, Music Inspired by Scarface, a Def Jam Recordings compilation album, featured songs by various hip-hop artists which either draw direct inspiration from the film, or contain subject matter that can relate to the film.[56]
Scarface was released on Blu-ray on September 6, 2011, in a two-disc, limited edition, steelbox package:[57] the set was criticized for its poor picture quality due to usage of an old master created from the DVD release.[58] Disc two is a DVD of the 1932 Scarface, featuring a TMC-produced introduction by Robert Osborne and an alternate ending. Bonus features include The Making of Scarface documentary, and a new retrospective documentary: The Scarface Phenomenon.[59]
A special gift set, limited to 1,000 copies, features the Blu-ray set housed in a cigar humidor, designed by humidor craftsman Daniel Marshall. The humidor box set retailed at $999.99.[60]
A standard 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and limited edition set were released on October 15, 2019. The limited edition set contains a specially made statue, a newly remastered transfer and, for the first time on Blu-ray, the 1932 original. There is also a standard set which contains the same 4K transfer and a remastered 1080p disk but does not include the 1932 version.[61][62][63] A month later on November 19, the 1932 original was given its own individual release.[64] The 4K release ports over all of the old special features and adds one new one, which is a reunion special in tribute to the 35th anniversary of the movie's release.
In the United States, the film sold 3.7 million DVD units for $78.2 million in 2003,[65] and 285,916 Blu-ray units for $6,103,545 as of 2020,[66] totaling 3,985,916 DVD and Blu-ray units sold for $84,303,545 as of 2020.
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
Scarface was released theatrically in North America on December 9, 1983. The film earned $4.5 million from 996 theaters during its opening weekend, an average of $4,616 per theater, and ranking as the second-highest-grossing film of the weekend behind Sudden Impact ($9.6 million), which debuted the same weekend. It went on to earn $44.6 million in North America and $20.4 million from other markets, for a total of $65.1 million. This figure made Scarface the 16th highest-grossing film of 1983, and seventh highest grossing R-rated film in North America for 1983.[5][67] It has since been given three re-releases in 2003, which featured a remastered film for the film's 20th anniversary, 2012, and 2014, bringing the total earned to $45.4 million domestically, for a total of $66 million worldwide.[5]
In terms of box office admissions, the film sold 14,197,700 tickets in the United States and Spain,[68] 1,067,544 tickets in France and Italy,[69] 250,746 tickets in South Korea,[70] and 195,872 tickets in Germany,[71] for a total of 15,711,862 tickets sold in these territories.
Critical response[edit]
Critics were generally negative about Scarface when it was originally released;[25] the film was noted for its violence and profanity.[72] The New York Magazine called it an empty, bullying, overblown B-movie.[73] Writers Kurt Vonnegut and John Irving both stated they walked out after the chainsaw scene.[74]
At the middle of the film, Martin Scorsese reportedly said to Bauer, "You guys are great – but be prepared, because they're going to hate it in Hollywood ... because it's about them".[75]
In his review for Newsweek, David Ansen wrote: "If Scarface makes you shudder, it's from what you think you see and from the accumulated tension of this feral landscape. It's a grand, shallow, decadent entertainment, which like all good Hollywood gangster movies delivers the punch and counterpunch of glamour and disgust".[76] Jay Scott wrote in his review for The Globe and Mail: "For a while, Al Pacino is hypnotic as Montana. But the effort expended on the flawless Cuban accent and the attempts to flesh out a character cut from inch-thick cardboard are hopeless".[77] In his review for The Washington Post, Gary Arnold wrote: "A movie that appeared intent on revealing an alarmingly contemporary criminal subculture gradually reverts to underworld cliche, covering its derivative tracks with outrageous decor and an apocalyptic, production number finale, ingeniously choreographed to leave the antihero floating face down in a literal bloodbath".[78]
Roger Ebert rated it four stars out of four in his 1983 review, and he later added it to his "Great Movies" list.[79] Ebert wrote, "DePalma and his writer, Oliver Stone, have created a gallery of specific individuals, and one of the fascinations of the movie is that we aren't watching crime-movie clichés, we're watching people who are criminals".[80] Vincent Canby praised the film in The New York Times: "The dominant mood of the film is... bleak and futile: what goes up must always come down. When it comes down in Scarface, the crash is as terrifying as it is vivid and arresting".[81]
Leonard Maltin was among those critics who held a negative opinion of Scarface. He gave the film 1½ stars out of four, stating that Scarface "wallows in excess and unpleasantness for nearly three hours, and offers no new insights except that crime doesn't pay. At least the 1932 movie moved". Maltin included an addendum to his review in later editions of his annual movie guide, stating his surprise with the film's newfound popularity as a cult classic.[82]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 79% approval rating based on 77 reviews, with an average rating of 7.50/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Director Brian De Palma and star Al Pacino take it to the limit in this stylized, ultra-violent and eminently quotable gangster epic that walks a thin white line between moral drama and celebratory excess".[83] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100 based on reviews from 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[84]
Depiction of stereotypes[edit]
During filming, some Cubans objected to the film's Cuban characters being portrayed as criminals by mostly non-Cuban actors. The film featured a disclaimer following its credits stating in red, all-cap lettering "Scarface is a fictional account of the activities of a small group of ruthless criminals. The characters do not represent the Cuban/American community and it would be erroneous and unfair to suggest that they do. The vast majority of Cuban/Americans have demonstrated a dedication, vitality and enterprise that has enriched the American scene".[35][45]
In 2008, Damarys Ocaña of The Guardian wrote that the film reinforces stereotypes of Marielito Cubans, as it exaggerated the number of criminals in the Mariel boatlift. She also called Pacino's portrayal of a Cuban-American as having a "ridiculous accent and overacting".[85] According to a 1985 Sun Sentinel magazine article, it was rumored that, of the approximate 125,000 refugees that entered the United States on the boatlift, around 16,000 to 20,000 were estimated to be criminals and around 350 to 400 Mariel Cubans were reported to inhabit Dade County jails on a typical day.[86] However, in a New York Daily News editorial following the film's release, Miguel Perez charged, "the movie fails to say that even among those Marielitos who had criminal records, there were thousands whose offenses were so minor that they would not be considered criminals here, and thousands of others whose 'criminal record' was based on their opposition to the Communist regime."[4]
Demetrio Perez, the city commissioner of Miami, led the charge against the film.[4] Estimates assert that the Cuban refugees only included some 2,700 hardened criminals.[87] In The Oliver Stone Experience, Stone commented: "Well, Tony Montana was a gangster ... His mother and his sister represent the clean-cut Cuban community. His mother scolds him: You're a scumbag, get out of my house! You're ruining your sister! So there is a strong morality in the movie. I knew about the criticisms even in advance, that Cubans were not like that. But I'm sorry: A lot of Cubans did become Marielitos. If I'd done it about Colombians, they would've said the same thing: 'You're anti-Colombian'".[4]
Cancelled sequel[edit]
In 2001, plans were made for hip hop artist Cuban Link to write and star in a sequel to Scarface titled Son of Tony.[120] The plans drew both praise and criticism and, after several years, Cuban Link indicated that he may no longer be involved with the project as the result of film rights issues and creative control.[121]
Proposed remake[edit]
In 2011, Universal began developing a new version of Scarface. The studio stated that the new film is neither a sequel nor a remake, but will take elements from both this version and its 1932 predecessor, including the basic premise: a man who becomes a kingpin in his quest for the American Dream. Bregman, who produced the 1983 remake was set to produce this version also,[122] with a screenplay by David Ayer,[123] and David Yates in talks to direct the film.[124]
In March 2014, TheWrap reported that Pablo Larraín was in negotiations to direct the film, along with Paul Attanasio to write the script. The film's update was going to be an original story set in modern-day Los Angeles that follows a Mexican immigrant's rise in the criminal underworld as he strives for the American Dream.[125] Jonathan Herman was set in March 2015 to rewrite both drafts of the script.[126]
Antoine Fuqua was hired to direct the film in August 2016,[127] with Terence Winter to penn the script for the film.[128] In January 2017, Fuqua left the project and Diego Luna was cast in the lead role.[129]
The film was initially scheduled to be released in theaters on August 10, 2018, with the film's script being written by the Coen brothers.[130] Fuqua was brought back to direct the new film, with Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer writing the screenplay.[131] However, the film had not been released in theaters as originally planned and filming had been announced to start in October.
Fuqua again departed the project in May 2020. Instead, Luca Guadagnino signed on to direct the film, with the script again being confirmed to be by the Coen brothers.[132]
As of 2022, the status of the film has reached a standstill; Guadagnino has not announced whether he was still involved or not.[133]