Is there a film I quote more frequently than Scarface? Very unlikely, although Star Wars would come close I'd reckon. Let's face it though everyone loves talking like Scarface's hero Tony Montana, I mean he's Cuban and he loves to swear, I've heard the band Blink 182 based their name on the number of times the F word is uttered during this film. Al Pacino really does shine in this film and you can never fault his accent or his performance as the ambitious Tony whom is brought to Miami from Cuba as a refugee. The power hungry Tony not only became an icon for many thanks to his carefree "the world is yours" attitude but also gained a firm spot in the pop culture mindset, a spot which has strengthened over time.
Scarface wasn't recognised by the academy or given any outstanding accolades on its release, in fact according to many critics the 1932 original was far superior to this 80s rehash. Despite all this it's still recognised as a classic by audiences who can't get enough of director Brian De Palma's vision. The fact that the violence is so over the top makes it impossible for censors, though they did try, to have a case against the film. For me Scarface defintely shouln't be taken seriously and its beyond me how anyone could when considering the amount of excess within the film, everything is over the top and that's what makes it so damm entertaining to watch.
Scarface isn't realistic or hostorical in any way, shape or form, nor is it trying to be. It's a heavily quotable, laugh out loud film that is bursting with energy and I think these are the reasons as to why I can watch it repeatedly. Unfortuntely I don't think the mojority of female audiences really get this feeling when watching the film and it's pretty hard for them not to take offense to the words and actions of Tony Montana. Primarily I think it's a guy's film and I'm defintely okay with that. I can only hope that I will someday be capable of making a movie that comes even close to Scarface's timeless pop culture status.
Here's a classic scene from Scarface...
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