Brian De Palma: Scarface

Director: Brian De Palma
Writer: Oliver Stone

Cast                                                 Character

Al Pacino                ....                    Tony Montana
Steven Bauer          ...                      Manny Ribera
Michelle Pfeiffer    ....                     Elvira
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio  ...    Gina
Robert Loggia        ...                      Frank Lopez
Miriam Colon        ...                      Mama Montana
F. Murray Abraham    ...                 Omar
Paul Shenar                ...                  Alejandro Sosa
Harris Yulin                ...                 Bernstein
Angel Salazar            ...                  Chi Chi
Arnaldo Santana        ...                  Ernie
Pepe Serna                ...                   Angel


Plot:

In Miami in 1980, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed.  - IMDB.com

Thoughts:

Scarface is an intensely violent movie with tons of F-bombs and Machismo as well. It is a great study on uncontrollable greed and violence to attain the American Dream no matter how excessive it may be. It reminds me of Hollywood celebrities who have it all but want more and more of the physical pleasures and material things while neglecting their spiritual life if they even have one. "According to AMC's "DVD TV: Much More Movie" airing, Cher loved the film; Lucille Ball came with her family and hated it because of the graphic violence and language; and Dustin Hoffman was said to have fallen asleep. Writers Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and John Irving were among those who allegedly walked out in disgust after the notorious chainsaw scene. At the middle of the film, Martin Scorsese turned to Steven Bauer and told him, "You guys are great - but be prepared, because they're going to hate it in Hollywood... because it's about them."[24]" - IMDB.com The big question one might ask is this ruthlessness to succeed is it parallel to the belief one could sell their soul to advance in this physical world we live in?

The machismo is on full throttle as everyone tries to overthrow the other in a battle of manliness. Like Oliver Stone's Wall Street you have to ask how much is enough? How many cars, women and cash do you need to feel superior? 

The film opens up saying:

In May 1980, Fidel Castro opened the harbor at Mariel, Cuba, with the apparent intention of letting his people join their relatives in the United States. Within seventy-two hours, 3,000 U.S. boats were headed for Cuba. It soon became evident that Castro was forcing the boat owners to carry back with them not only their relatives, but the dregs of his jails. Of the 125,000 refugees that landed in Florida an estimated 25,000 had criminal records.

Tony Montana tries to charm his way with the agents who are questioning him. He has a tattoo on his hand that means he was an assassin. Manny and Tony are promised Green Cards if they kill a guy called Emilio Rebenga. Tony does the deed and proves quite early what a sociopath he really is. 

The two meet Omar Suarez. After an argument over not getting paid enough Tony gets an offer to buy 2 kilos of cocaine and get he and Manny get $5,000. Already Tony shows what a greedy little shit he is. 

Hector who tries to sell his the coke sets him up and tries to kill Tony but Tony gets away killing him on the street. Angel is killed but Frank Lopez gets to keep the money and drugs. At the Babylon Club, Frank Lopez tells Tony don't underestimate the other guys greed. Elvira tells Tony Rule 2 don't get high on your own supply. Elvira breaks rule 2 as a full blown drug addict. 

Tony describes Miami Beach as paradise. He says, "This town's like a great big pussy just waiting to get fucked." After trying to pick up a woman Manny is told, "In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women." The film is very quotable as everyone who has watched it knows. It has some 1980s trappings like a shallow soundtrack but it works in the selfish setting it takes place. 

Elvira describes Tony's Cadillac when being picked up to see Frank as "somebody's nightmare." He forces a kiss on her and this is really the only intimacy we see in the film between the two. Elvira's addiction is cocaine and Frank's addiction is greed. 

Tony meets up with Gina and their mom. Tony is borderline in love with his sister. Tony tries to give his mom a $1,000 but she rejects it saying, "It's Cubans like you who are giving a bad name to our people." The mom is strong but Gina is weak seduced by the charms of Tony and his money.

Suarez and Tony meetup with Sosa in Bolivia to be offered to buy 150 kilos of coke a month. "The tension between Tony and Omar peaks when Tony tries to negotiate unauthorized terms with Sosa. Omar leaves, but Sosa asks Tony to stay. As Tony and Sosa discuss business, Sosa discloses to Tony that Omar is a chivato (police informant), who years before whistled out on some of Sosa's business partners in New York. " (https://scarface.fandom.com/wiki/Home_Page)

Frank cannot accept the fact that Omar was an informant. He doesn't believe it. Later Bernstein, a narcotics officer, meets with Tony expecting some bribes every month since he's big time now. He tells him, "Every day above ground is a good day."

Two assassins try to kill Tony with Uzis but fail. He escapes fast with his Porsche. Frank Lopez was behind it and is disposed of by Manny accordingly. Tony shoots and kills Bernstein, the crooked cop and Ernie is offered a job by Tony. 

A blimp outside has the marquee that says "The World is Yours." Tony watches this. 

The just like blimp says the world is Tony's and he is able to buy Gina her own beauty salon shop and brings huge bags of cash to deposit in the bank. He marries Elvira and shows off the tiger he bought. It's ironic he gets married by a priest under the eyes of God considering he does nothing virtuous in his life. 

In a great shot that shows Elvira's addictions worsening is when she drinks alcohol, smokes a cigarette and snorts cocaine. In his tub Tony is mad about getting charged 10 percent to launder his money at the bank. He says, "You know what capitalism is? Getting fucked." 

When counting money that Tony Montana is laundering one guy fans himself with money. That is how ridiculously rich they all are. Tony is set up by cops and is told he has violated the Rico statute. 

Tony Montana makes a good point about the limitations of money by saying you snort, fuck, suck, eat and drink. Is this what it's all about he says. Elvira and Tony get into an argument and Elvira says, "We're not winners. We're losers."

Tony works with a crew of three people in his car after they put a bomb in a journalist car waiting for the right time to detonate the bomb. They see he picks up his wife and kids which Tony doesn't like. He doesn't want to kill women and children. This is the only humanity Tony has other than his superficial charm. The guy they were supposed to kill finds the bomb under the car and now has huge security. Sosa is pissed because they blew the one opportunity to silence this guy. 

Tony goes to Gina's house on Citrus Drive and finds Manny there. He shoots him pissed because he told him not to get involved with his sister. Back at his mansion Sosa's men are seen climbing the fence to kill Tony. His sister, Gina, wants him to admit he loves her in an unnatural way. She is killed by one of Sosa's men. Tony kills him in turn. 

Tony talks to Gina's corpse and gives it a kiss as if she's alive. He tells her he'll be back. This shows his dissociative state from reality. He is also plenty high on cocaine. 

In a shootout Tony kills several men at first and takes so many bullets while he is alive it is a bit cartoonish. He holds his gun between his legs like it is a penis that can shoot bullets. Ironic since the only person he sleeps with in the film is Elvira. Sex is one thing he lacks although it seems he has everything else. He is eventually killed by The Skull behind him by shotgun blast. 

The film is dedicated to Howard Hawks and Ben Hecht 

Trivia:

Oliver Stone wrote the script for Scarface while struggling with his own addiction to cocaine. -Wikipedia

Scarface was actually a nickname of Al Capone who was an Italian-American gangster. - IMDB.com

Tony's reference to "my little friend" when describing his tricked-out assault-weapon is also a reference to his drug-addiction --- this term is often used to refer to a bad habit, personal weakness, or irritating problem/situation; it is often jokingly described as an "invisible friend", just as the famous "little man upon the stair" refers to the poet's having mood/concentration-altering hypoglycemia. Or for another "classic" example, if a machine has an intermittent malfunction and/or sometimes produces an inexplicable noise/vibration/odor, the operators will say, "Our little friend is back" whenever the issue occurs. - IMDB.com

For all the love and desire that Tony professes to have for Elvira, you never actually see them kiss or have any type of physical intimacy. He tries to forcibly kiss her in the car, where she stops him and backs him off. Then, even during their wedding ceremony, you don't actually see them kiss, although it is simulated and obscured by her veil and a fake "Hollywood movie kiss". That's about as close as they get to any resemblance of intimacy. - IMDB.com

Final Thoughts:

Scarface is a good movie but it is detrimental to the image of Cubans and Cuban Americans. That being said it's just a movie but still.

Works Cited:

IMDB.com
http://remezcla.com/features/film/scarface-cuban-representation-35th-anniversary/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarface_(1983_film)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086250/trivia?ref_=tt_ql_2
https://scarface.fandom.com/wiki/Home_Page