Scarface

A very, very good film, I like it very much... But I'm still not giving it 5 stars. It simply not on the level of Carlito's Way, and that's because Tony Montana is a bastard who you can't really root for. However, all those responsible for Scarface did a very good job.__P.S. Anyone who doesn't hold their breath even once during the chainsaw scene has something wrong with them. (10/31/2009)

De Palma's films are best seen in their original form and on the big screen because otherwise, they lose much of their power. This new Scarface should be seen mainly as the ultimate homage to Howard Hawks, James Cagney, and all the tough guys from the original world of classic Hollywood gangster films. And if we get the added opportunity to feast on Michelle Pfeiffer's bony junkie character, who built her entire career on this film and closed the door on Grease 2, I have nothing to complain about. (02/09/2010)

While I was excited during the escalating start (the scene with the chainsaw is full of tension and action), the unremarkable and gradually intensifying ending strongly began to annoy me due to De Palma's directorial style filled with static shots against a background of "roaring" music. Pacino was, of course, amazing, I believed every gesture from him from the first to the last (although I was annoyed that I couldn't really identify with his gangster character), and I probably can't help but admire him, but honestly, the other actors, including Michelle Pfeiffer, are not worth mentioning. Considering my expectations, the final feelings after watching the film are almost negative, because the famous Scarface is only a predictably solid average in terms of plot. (09/15/2006)

I never thought I'd be disappointed with a De Palma film starring Al Pacino. The story didn't impress me much overall, I've seen the same thing many times before in better execution (thanks Scorsese). It had a decent start, but then the almost three-hour-long probe into the life of a gangster stopped entertaining me and I didn't care what happened to the main characters. Emotionally empty, there is no possibility of even a small degree of connection and everything is marred by the strange final carnage. The final impression is one of great dejection and the certainty that I won't watch it a second time, despite the great Al Pacino and his impeccable Spanish accent. (09/19/2003)

Oliver Stone and director Brian De Palma turned Howard Hawks' original, straightforward gangster film into a grand masterpiece and populated it with well-developed characters. Unfortunately, they also heavily paid the price of the time, dictated by President Jimmy Carter's anti-communist policies. Tony Montana, a refugee from Cuba under the rule of Fidel Castro, became a symbol of anti-communist resistance, impressing the people who worship the red and white stripes with white stars on a blue background. But anyone who can overlook this dated aspect from the creators will enjoy this impressively crafted "journey to the top." Stone manages to avoid the "godfather" portrayal of the characters, where we can already partially guess the transformation of the "good guys" into the "bad guys." Here, no one can ever be certain whether someone will change and, more importantly, why. The most extensive and problematic development is that of Tony Montana himself, played by Al Pacino, on whom Stone reflects the influence of the most primitive contemporary factors, such as drugs or money. Brian De Palma approached it as a stylized journey, in which even the most brutal violence is necessary (as evidenced by the chainsaw scene and the ending). So as a whole, the film feels like a grand and comprehensive fresco, yet it is capable of delving into the most intricate details. While Scarface cannot be classified as one of the possible definitions of the gangster genre, it can certainly be considered one of its pillars, which is certainly no small feat. (07/24/2005)