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Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Robert Loggia ... see more see more... , Miriam Colon , F Murray Abraham , Paul Shenar , Harris Yulin , Angel Salazar , Pepe Serna , Michael P. Moran , Al Israel , Dennis Holahan , Mark Margolis , Michael Alldredge , Ted Beniades , Richard Belzer , Paul Espel , Angela Aames , Gil Baretto , John Brandon , Cynthia Burr , Victor Campos , Albert Carrier , Gary Cervantes , Carlos Cestero , Lana Clarkson , Roberto Contreras , Caesar Cordova , Emilia Crow , Richard Delmonte , Ben Frommer , Ronald G. Joseph , Ava Lazar , Mario Machado , John McCann , Victor Millan , Santos Morales , Shelley Taylor Morgan , Mike Moroff , Manuel Padilla , Michael Rougas , Arnaldo Salazar , Geno Silva , Pat Simmons , Garnett Smith , Terri Taylor , Katt Shea Ruben , Oliver Stone , Marii Mak , Joe Marmo , Jim Towers , John Carter , Richard Caselnova , Michel François , Chuck Tamburro , Tony Perez

Al Pacino stars as Tony Montana, an exiled Cuban criminal who goes to work for Miami drug lord Robert Loggia. Montana rises to the top of Florida's crime chain, appropriating Loggia's cokehead mistres... read more read more...s (Michelle Pfeiffer) in the process. Howard Hawks' "X Marks the Spot" motif in depicting the story line's many murders is dispensed with in the 1983 Scarface; instead, we are inundated with blood by the bucketful, especially in the now-infamous buzz saw scene. One carry-over from the original Scarface is Tony Montana's incestuous yearnings for his sister Gina (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). The screenplay for the 1983 Scarface was written by Oliver Stone. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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R, 2 hr. 50 min.

Directed by: Brian DePalma

Release Date: September 19, 2003

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DVD Release Date: September 30, 2003

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Flixster Reviews (41,348)

  • mumby1988
    March 30, 2013
    mumby1988
    Scarface is often held up at the quintessential violent gangster film. While The Godfather series is arguably the most revered gangster saga, Scarface is the film whose posters adorn student walls and whose many quotable scenes are a meme generator's wet dream. But after 30 years... read more, the film that took so long to become cool has started to lose some of its sheen, and is now, for good and bad, the epitome of 1980s indulgence.

    Scarface was a watershed for many a career. For Al Pacino, this performance can be seen as the beginning of his over-the-top streak, which slowly but surely started to erode his technique and which has rarely been reigned in since Scent of a Woman. For Oliver Stone, it was the film which launched his career: a few short years later he was the toast of Hollywood, directing Platoon and Wall Street and penning The Untouchables. And for Brian De Palma, it marks the point where his love of visual extravagance began to dominate his sense of discipline; his later works are, for the most part, a never-ending pursuit of style with little time or care for substance.

    In remaking the 1932 film by Howard Hawks, Stone and De Palma shift the setting from Chicago to Florida and change the central crime from bootlegging alcohol to shipping cocaine. The original was modelled around the real-life gangster Al Capone - who allegedly liked the film so much that he bought one of the original prints. But while both films feature a protagonist who rises to the top by running his former bosses out of town, this version adds the twist of our lead being a foreigner. In making Tony Montana a Cuban immigrant, the filmmakers are attempting some kind of satire of the American dream, in which anyone can come to America and make it as a successful businessman.

    At least, you'd like to think so. In reality Scarface is far more interested in how best to shoot excess or bloodbaths than it is in offering any insights into their cause, repercussions or wider meanings. No-one can deny De Palma's brilliance in terms of cinematography and choreography, not to mention his use of Giorgio Moroder's famous score. But once you stop admiring how well a given shot is framed, or how sleazy Pacino looks, there isn't a great deal more going on to justify the running time. In short, the film has all the style in the world, and all the depth of a teaspoon.

    To put it another way, this is how The Godfather I & II would have looked, had Francis Ford Coppola only been interested in period detail. While both parts are longer than Scarface, clocking in at around 3 hours each, Coppola's films are better-paced, have much more nuanced characters and have a far greater amount of depth. Even in its slowest, quietest, least consequential moments, The Godfather series had a lot to say about family dynamics, the position of outsiders, the role of crime in American history and the corruption of the human soul. Scarface looks lavish and excessive, but it has nothing to say beyond the old adage that crime doesn't pay.

    Part of the problem is that the film is incredibly episodic. It takes an awfully long time to set up Tony Montana, and an equally long time to go through the familiar motions of a gangster story: the initial encounters, the rapid rise, the enjoyment of one's success turning to hubris, and the fall from grace. The film is one of many memorable moments which loosely connect together until the last 20 minutes - which might help to explain why it is so easily quotable. You might say that this this is the closest we got to a Quentin Tarantino film before Quentin Tarantino; certainly the violence rivals anything in Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction.

    One of the big disappointments of Scarface is that De Palma doesn't make a great deal out of the modern-day setting. This is surprising considering what a political filmmaker Stone is: you would expect him to use an event like the Havana boatlift as a springboard for some kind of commentary on race relations or American politics. The opening montage is very well-assembled, so that we cannot tell whether we are watching actual news footage or fake footage shot on different formats (something that Stone is known to do). But after this there is little or no attempt made to tie Montana's story into wider ideas about immigration, police corruption or the influence of Latin America on American crime.

    More than any other film of the 1980s, Scarface raises the question: at what point does depicting excess become revelling in excess? We're not just talking about the impressively stylised violence, but also the lifestyle enjoyed by Montana, Sosa and the other characters. The film's narrative arc and unlikeable, sleazy characters would seem to support the argument that the visual excess demonstrates how bankrupt their lifestyle is. But this is somewhat undermined by the many long, wide-angle establishing shots which show off the characters' wealth. The director may not approve, but the camera is in love with the money.

    Ultimately the visual style of Scarface is enough to drive the film over the line of ambivalence. We're still left with plenty of questions about the intentions of the film, but the experience of watching it is so full-on that these concerns are not always at the forefront of our minds. The film is operatic in scale and intent, with every scene playing on big emotions and impulse where The Godfather thrived on subtlety and nuance. It's not hard to see the influence of the film in contemporary music videos, with the 'push it to the limit' montage being a good example of what was to come.

    Accepting the operatic nature of Scarface is in many ways the secret to appreciating it. We could sit there looking at our watches, wondering where cuts could have been made or whether in real life the characters would behave like this. Or we can take the grandiosity and indulgence at face value, seeing them as extensions of the acting style and regarding the film as a hallucinogenic trip. The film unwittingly draws us into the same high as the characters, and our discomfort and desire for things to be over is as much out of objective frustration as it is a shared subjective experience.

    If we allow ourselves to be seduced by Scarface's repulsive extravagance, the performances begin to feel like more than pantomime tomfoolery. In any other context Al Pacino would come across as a ham, but Tony Montana is so larger-than-life, so much a symbol rather than an individual, that he holds our attention even in his nastiest, scuzziest moments. Paul Shenar is terrific as Alejandro Sosa, conveying genuine threat while keeping suave and restrained. And Michelle Pfeiffer manages to make the best out of what is essentially a nothing role. Pfeiffer would later joke that she won her part when she accidentally cut Pacino with a plate during her screen test.

    Having flannelled around and drawn itself out for so long, Scarface really starts to gather pace and reward its audience in the final act. The last 20 minutes are worth the price of admission alone, as all the different aspects of Tony's life begin to collapse and the film begins to focus on what little it has been trying to say all alone. In these last few scenes the screen is veritably dripping with cocaine, and we find ourselves in the middle of Tony's desperate and tragic high. The final fire-fight is very well-orchestrated and the pay-off is both memorable and blackly funny.

    Scarface is a bloated and indulgent epic which leaves its audience enthralled, exhausted and ambivalent all at once. Enjoying it involves suspending a great deal of critical judgement, treating the film as an experience rather than an analysis, and for all its memorable moments it is ultimately very shallow. But for all its many flaws and excesses, it remains an essential watch, for those who can last the distance and tolerate its reckless showboating.
  • rayman0071
    January 30, 2013
    rayman0071
    At the time this movie came out there was no better actor out there than the great Al Pacino who could brilliantly bring Tony Montana to life in this classic remake of the 1932 Howard Hawks film of the same title. When "Scarface"came out in 1983,it was panhandle by audiences and ... read morecritics for its use of strong graphic violence and gory content along with persuasive scenes of drug abuse and raw language. This was the forefront of the "gangsta" flick and it shows here in graphic detail directed by Brian DePalma.
  • fb1463751009
    October 15, 2012
    fb1463751009
    With P. Diddy praising this movie left and right, I was hesitant to jump into this movie. And man was it intense. A powerful statement to those who strive for power and how without a calibrator to keep us human beings in check, we smash and fail. Al Pacino was not Al Pacino - he ... read morewas Tony Montana. Unfortunately, almost the rest of the cast suffered to be on the same caliber. "Scarface" exudes style that has been kindly borrowed from influential directors including Quentin Tarantino. A riveting, entertaining drama of a man that rises up the ranks because of an uncontrollable trigger finger on his ego.

    Unfortunately, with such solid source material to work with, "Scarface" suffers from weak technical filmmaking and pacing issues. Cinematography can be ugly at times and has a running time of a whopping 2 hours and 50 minutes that surely outstays its welcome towards the end. Nevertheless, "Scarface" is an adequate remake but not nearly as great as the original.
  • fb733768972
    September 6, 2012
    fb733768972
    Technical-wise, Plot-wise, and Character-wise, "Scarface (1983)" is the best gangster film ever put on the big screen. Al Pacino is a powerhouse in his role as Tony Montana, a ruthless criminal who is now working for a drug lord in Miami. From brutal murders to downright offensiv... read moree dialogue, this film will definitely not appeal to the average movie watcher, but for someone who understands, it is a work of art. My favourite shots in this picture are when the elements noticed in the scenery, reflect the events that are ongoing in the film. The emotions are captured with purity and nothing else. "Scarface (1983)" is one of my favourite films!
  • fb1442511448
    August 28, 2012
    fb1442511448
    A blood-drenched red portrayal of the 1932 film. Brian De Palma illustrates a gangster film that is led by a masterful Al Pacino. And with Oliver Stone the head of writing, Scarface is an impact - filled picture that is ultra violent and morally dramatic. 4.5/5
  • emilkakko
    July 11, 2012
    emilkakko
    Word overblown is the first thing when i think De Palma's Scarface. Here is a film with worst performance that legendary Al Pacino has gave us so far. it is a performance so over the top that it is more closer to an parody than a seriously taken character.
    Brian De Palma shows f... read morelashes of his visual mastery in this film, but still overall it is far from his best works.
    It is possible that Scarface has gained a such a high reputation as a film because so many consider it as the ultimate 80's gangster film. Or some even think of it as the greatest of all gangster films, which is a bit far out.
    For me it feels more like cheap and dated entry into a criminal life and it's glory and downfall. If you look De Palma's filmography it certainly includes much more accomplished films than Scarface in it. Sisters, Carrie, Casualties of War, Carlito's Way, Snake Eyes, Femme Fatale and especially his fantastic Mission Impossible are proof of his abilities as a great director. Scarface is much closer to De Palma's flawed works like Wise Guys, Dressed to Kill, Bonfire of Vanities or Mission to Mars. Overrated.
  • fb100000040220993
    February 10, 2012
    fb100000040220993
    It's hard to believe that this tale of Mariel Boatlift refugee, Tony Montana, is nearly 30 years old. Aside from some very aged wardrobe and scenery, this movie is still very hip. Speaking of age, the violence Scarface introduced into the crime drama pushed the envelope 30 year... read mores ago, and would still hold it's own in this day and age. That may never change, since Brain DePalma decorated the screen with criminals being hung from helicopters and dismembered by chainsaws, among other things. The real value of this film is Al Pacino's portrayal of Tony Montana. Pacino's quotable performance of the Cuban sociopath, is what truly elevates this film above average. Ultimately I feel that the film is slightly overrated, nevertheless, it deserves it's iconic status. Really, a must see.
  • fb100000257973100
    January 14, 2012
    fb100000257973100
    To say that this film has been the source of inspiration for gangsters in the eighties as The Godfather was in the seventies and Goodfellas was in the nineties is something of a drastic understatement. In fact, I am left wondering if Oliver Stone and Brian de Palma new what they ... read morewere getting themselves into when they decided to remake the original 1932 gangster classic. Well, whatever it is, I doubt they were prepared for a film that has become such a staple in pop-culture that even Hip-Hop/ Rap artists credit this film as being the story of their lives (for those that do just to fit in, I hope they know how this film ends).
    But on the film itself, it will take a lot to cover in terms of my opinion. Like a lot of great films, this is one that took me a while to get into. The reason was simple: this is a long, mind-numbing film that takes it time to establish the world that our antihero (portrayed by Al Pacino) lives in. De Palma takes his time to show us how the women stand their grounds, how the drugs get distributed, and how dirty, sick, and blood soaked everything is. As I said, this was a film that takes a while to get into, no matter how many parodies or clips you have seen. Personally, looking back on the film, I feel like I can give this the benefit of the doubt. The reason is simple: this was the first time De Palma makes a film of this caliber. Now, is it a great direction piece? Honestly, no. But not as terrible as what some people think (this film did win the Razzie for Worst Direction). But, it is acceptable for the most part. Just wished it was more absorbing and more interesting at the beginning.
    This film, while sucks at direction, is made up for by two very powerful aspects: writing and acting. While doing research on this film, I ended up learning that Oliver Stone made a documentary about his stay in Cuba where he went and talked to Castro for a total of three days. My guess is that after that, after viewing the original, and after reflecting on his own rise to power as a director that he knew how to tell a story about obsession, greed, and power (he would do so again in the wonderful film Wall Street). What makes me love this film is how he is able to write a character like Tony Montana, make him likable yet hate-able, while showing us a reflection on a combination between the stereotypical, comedic gangsters of the thirties and the more respectable and intelligent gangsters of the seventies. The characters he writes are from good to over the top. With someone like Tony Montana, he needs to be over the top. Just think about him: how he acts, his morals, his loves, obsessions, ways, idea, logic, even ruthlessness and recklessness. These are all the characteristics for someone who has to be over the top and reckless as hell. But, in the end, while it seems Tony seems to be abnormal due to his ways, we learn to like Tony and in the end he is the only normal character there.
    Now for the acting. This film has mostly unknowns with two actors that are well known: Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino. But when you ask people about this film, they will only remember Pacino due to his performance. Think back to the seventies when he established himself as an actor for the Godfather films that were made then. Now, think of the character he played in those films: Michael Corleone. Think of the characteristics of that character. Michael is intelligent, smooth, controlled, logical, moralistic, and cold when needed to be. Tony is the polar opposite in every way imaginable. For Pacino to play a character that will likely get into fights with Corleone, he does a performance that has been underestimated for some time. By being underestimated, I mean that people don't realize how good of a performance Pacio does in this film. Everything from the way he struts to his ridiculous voice is not that of a Cuban (I have yet to meet a Cuban that talks like that), but it is America's idea of Cubans. Now, this conclusion is created by the fact that he is the only Cuban that acts like this in the entire film. All of the other Cubans act like, well, normal Cubans. None of them have that accent, shoves their nose into mountains of cocaine, nor have odd attractions to their sisters (though I might be mistaken by that). Tony Montana is not a real Cuban. He is the idea of one, and that is what makes this film so grand.
    If this film should ever be remembered for anything, it will have to be how historic changing this film is. Like The Godfather before hand and Goodfellas afterwords, Scarface changed how people viewed gangsters with it's blood-soaked film, the gratuitous amounts of bullets, the legendary 'F-Bomb', and some of the most quotable lines in cinema. But, in terms of impact, this film beats Goodfellas simply because of the impact it has had on Cuban, Mexican, and African American pop-culture. I am still wondering if any of the people who worked on this film could have for seen that, but who knows. This is still a great film and one that is worth checking out.
  • DreamExtractor
    October 2, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Scarface is Brian DePalmas masterpiece and the most influential gangster film of all time. The story is about Tony Montana (Al Pacino) who starts out as a Cuban refugee, but then he meets the Miami Drug Lord and soon starts a chan of events that make Tony at the top of the Flori... read moreda crime chain and as he goes completely insane. The plot is one of the coolest, most vulgar, and smart gangster films that has ever been made, I mean Tony Montana is one of the greatest film characters of all time and its because of this great story and his character that this movie is a cult classic. Al Pacino stands as one of the greatest actors of all time and I think Tony Montana and Micheal Corleone are the two roles ge will always be remembered for when he dies, what a incredible actor in every way. The direction by Brian DePalmais great, I mean he uses every correct move and he knowswhat kind of film he is making and he doesn't stray away from the story. Scarface is one of the single greatest gangster films ever made, I don't know if its my favorite gangster film, but its definently one of my favorites and I can honestly say Scarface is a movie that will never be forgotten and will live on forever.
  • CreedsDelight
    September 22, 2011
    CreedsDelight
    To call Scarface a masterpiece seems like an understatement at this point. I've just come back from seeing the beautiful restoration and it was absolutely spectacular. Watching this is an experience like no other, and proves to be the greatest gangster film of all time, no argume... read morent there.

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Critic Reviews

James Berardinelli
April 30, 2009
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Viewed today, while Scarface seems less shocking than it did during its initial theatrical run, it's no more substantive or interesting. Full Review

Tom Huddleston
February 9, 2006
Tom Huddleston, Time Out

An unashamed study of selfish, sadistic criminality, and all the better for it. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 15, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

What were Pacino's detractors hoping for? Something internal and realistic? Low key? The Tony Montana character is above all a performance artist, a man who exists in order to gloriously be himself. Full Review

Richard Roeper
September 29, 2003
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

I like it as a kind of B-movie version of The Godfather. There are a lot of classic lines and a handful of memorably horrific scenes ... Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

The dominant mood of the film is anything but funny. It 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. Full Review

David Nusair
February 15, 2012
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

...much, much longer than it generally needs to be... Full Review

R. L. Shaffer
January 29, 2012
R. L. Shaffer, IGN DVD

One of the best gangster dramas ever made, driven by Pacino's haunting performance and De Palma's lightning pace. Full Review

Sean Axmaker
September 15, 2011
Sean Axmaker, MSN.com

It's a whole new spin on the immigrant story and the American Dream as an underworld nightmare and a fitting bookend to the two Godfather films. Full Review

James Kendrick
September 12, 2011
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

the very definition of excess, which is perhaps why it has persisted so long as a cultural totem: Its florid pleasures can never be exhausted Full Review

Emanuel Levy
April 24, 2011
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Paciono gives a riveting performance in the lead in De Palma's over-the-top but engaging modern version of the classic gangster Full Review

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    • Tony Montana: You want to play games? Okay, I play with you.
    • Elvira: So, you want to dance, Frank, or you want to sit there and have a heart attack?
    • Bernstein: Don't go too far, Tony.
    • Tony Montana: I'm not, Mel, you are.
    • Bernstein: You can't shoot a cop!
    • Tony Montana: Who ever said you was one?
    • Bernstein: Wait a minute! You let me go, I'll fix this up.
    • Tony Montana: Sure, Mel. Maybe you can hand yourself one of them first-class tickets to the Resurrection. So long, Mel, have a nice trip.
    • Bernstein: Fuck you!
    • Tony Montana: You die, motherfucker!
    • Immigration Officer: Where'd you learn English, Tony?
    • Tony Montana: In school. And my father, he was from the United States, just like you, you know? He was a Yankee, he used to take me a lot to the movies. I learned, I watched the guys like Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney. They teach me to talk. I like those guys. I always know one day I'm coming here, United States.
    • Tony Montana: Say 'hello' to my little friend!
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  • In Scarface (1983),what does Tony Montana (Al Pacino) tell Manny (Steve Bauer) that he has to get in order to get the girls  Answer »
  • "I always tell the truth. Even when I lie" is a quote from which famous film toni  Answer »
  • Who was AL Pacino's character in Scarface?  Answer »
  • which movie does the line "say hello to my little friend!" come from?  Answer »
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