By Jeff Powalisz
Amidst lines of the longest cocaine trails, drenched in different blood types and fitted into the latest designer suits, lies the unforgettable character of Tony Montana, the Cuban gangster that Al Pacino brought to life in Brian De Palma’s 1983 landmark classic “Scarface.”
Twenty years later, this profanity spitting, fast moving, ego driven, ultra-violent Cuban refugee is still standing the test of time as one of Hollywood’s all-time favorite anti-heroes, and, as one student said, Montana is an icon for college campus males across the country.
“He’s someone that no one will ever be, and while he isn’t a good role model, what he does in the film is cool to everyone anyway,” said Rick Cragin, a freshman music industry major, one of many adoring fans of the film. “What he [Montana] does in the movie is something no one ever does in movies and so it get its point across.” said Cragin.
“Scarface,” re-released in theaters last week for its 20th anniversary, is a re-make of Howard Hawks’ 1931 version, directed by Brian De Palma, and written by Hollywood veteran Oliver Stone, who work ed together in creating the rise-and-fall story of Montana.
Pacino stars alongside Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert Loggia, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and F. Murray Abraham as one of many unwanted members of Fidel Castro’s government sent on his way to the coast of Florida to begin a new life and pursue the American dream.
He observes the glitzy, fast-money making lives of many Americans on Miami Beach and while in the middle of his newly achieved freedom, Montana gains an unrelenting self-image along with a determined drive to attain the world’s riches and gain all of his wants and desires.
The film itself relies upon the talents of Pacino, the camera work of De Palma, and the many memorable scenes and quotes that come through in its 170 minute running time. Various phrases have been permanently etched into many serious film fans’ casual dialogue, while the famous, over-the-top performance of Pacino and his Cuban dialect is just as noteworthy.
Whether Montana is overly protecting his younger sister, bossing around members of his crime group, or indulging himself in a line of “coca,” he does not hold back on anything as his constant frustration and desire conflict with everything he does.
He’s inches away from a chain saw murder, he emotionally degrades his wife in public, and murders his way to the top, while not letting anyone stand in his way.
A character everyone can relate to? Most certainly not. But do the antics of this man act as a timeless movie-going experience? The consensus is most certainly yes.
“He’s just such a memorable character,” said Zereck Glenn, a UMass-Lowell student and liberal arts major visiting the campus who noted the amount of posters he’s seen of the film. “The film pushed the limits of violence in movies.”
Released in December of 1983 after having fought off an X rating, “Scarface” was not met with all positive reviews. Yet 20 years later, fans are not phased by the graphic nature of the film.
“The amount of violence and swearing was something you didn’t see too often when it came out, and so it set the stage for similar movies,” said Nick Sova, a freshman international business major. “You can watch this movie over and over again for Pacino’s performance alone.”
The goals of Montana, as expected, eventually fall flat as those of most crime leaders do in film, as too much only could take him so far. This leads to the memorable finish in the film, as De Palma and Stone again wrote up a scene that would eventually be copied and known as a standard for the gangster genre.
“The same things that made it memorable back then, makes it memorable today,” Cragin said. “Whether it’s 1999 or 1979, it’s the same thing with the violence, drugs, and all of it’s other themes. People will be watching this movie for 50 more years and even longer.”
