...And never lets go of it's frantic pace. Howard Hawks 'Scarface' is an amazing product of the 30's, a Pre-Code gangster film that broke many, many boundaries.
Muni's Tony Camonte is an ugly, ape-like figure who is supposed to represent Capone (scarred cheek and all). Camonte is psychotic, primitive, volatile and ambitious, ardently believing in a sign that beams 'The World Is Yours'. His Napoleonic delusions and drive lead him to break more than a few vital 'mob rules', and he quickly goes from being the hunter to the hunted as he rises in power.
The first time I viewed Muni in the role I thought he wasn't very good at all, with over-the-top gesturing and crude attempts at psychology...then I re-watched. Now I believe that Muni's performance is one of the best you'll find in in the gangster/crime genre. So, why the change of heart? Well, at the time I wasn't very exposed to early 30's (talkie) acting styles, so I thought he was overblown. Then I realised how convincingly brutal and animalistic Muni is in the role, and I was bowled over with his skill. Needless to say, I'm a Muni fan now.
This film is Pre-Code and has, to put it bluntly, a lot of sex in it. Most of the women we see in the film are prostitutes like Poppy, scantily clad tart who Muni leers over. But the most interesting sexual element is the incest angle. Muni may make a play for Poppy, but it's blatantly obvious that it's his kid sister Cesca, who he lusts after and truly loves. Their encounters are raw and brutal, but tinged with a steamy, very sexual element. In one encounter, Muni rips off half of Dvorak's dress, revealing her bra, in anger and jealousy. In another, he shoots down Cesca's lover/husband Guino Rinaldo because he believes that Guino has violated her (what Tony wishes to do to her himself?). Strong stuff.
Dvorak is quite good in her role, nailing most of her scenes with an effective manner. She overacts a little, but her last scene with Muni is great. She's also sexy. George Raft seems to be doing little more than coin-flipping in his role, and it does bug you after a while. But he has a strong screen presence despite his lack of dialogue, so he comes out of it OK. Karloff even portrays a gangster! I'm not too sure whether it comes off that good, but it's an interesting role for him and he does get the best death sequence in the film.
This is a very fast paced movie; the action never lets up. Hawks made a name for himself with this film, and his direction is a credit to the film's success. The only thing I wonder about is the material that would have been left on the cutting room floor...
Hawks is having a lot of fun here with Camonte. The film is very entertaining, and one gets the sense that the moralizing typed prologue is only half-hearted, slipped in occasionally to appease film executives who couldn't possibly be seen to be glorifying the mafia (How times have changed- look at Penn's 1967 effort 'Bonnie And Clyde').
The expressionistic lighting and sets would contribute to the noir genre that took off in the 40's.
10/10.
Muni's Tony Camonte is an ugly, ape-like figure who is supposed to represent Capone (scarred cheek and all). Camonte is psychotic, primitive, volatile and ambitious, ardently believing in a sign that beams 'The World Is Yours'. His Napoleonic delusions and drive lead him to break more than a few vital 'mob rules', and he quickly goes from being the hunter to the hunted as he rises in power.
The first time I viewed Muni in the role I thought he wasn't very good at all, with over-the-top gesturing and crude attempts at psychology...then I re-watched. Now I believe that Muni's performance is one of the best you'll find in in the gangster/crime genre. So, why the change of heart? Well, at the time I wasn't very exposed to early 30's (talkie) acting styles, so I thought he was overblown. Then I realised how convincingly brutal and animalistic Muni is in the role, and I was bowled over with his skill. Needless to say, I'm a Muni fan now.
This film is Pre-Code and has, to put it bluntly, a lot of sex in it. Most of the women we see in the film are prostitutes like Poppy, scantily clad tart who Muni leers over. But the most interesting sexual element is the incest angle. Muni may make a play for Poppy, but it's blatantly obvious that it's his kid sister Cesca, who he lusts after and truly loves. Their encounters are raw and brutal, but tinged with a steamy, very sexual element. In one encounter, Muni rips off half of Dvorak's dress, revealing her bra, in anger and jealousy. In another, he shoots down Cesca's lover/husband Guino Rinaldo because he believes that Guino has violated her (what Tony wishes to do to her himself?). Strong stuff.
Dvorak is quite good in her role, nailing most of her scenes with an effective manner. She overacts a little, but her last scene with Muni is great. She's also sexy. George Raft seems to be doing little more than coin-flipping in his role, and it does bug you after a while. But he has a strong screen presence despite his lack of dialogue, so he comes out of it OK. Karloff even portrays a gangster! I'm not too sure whether it comes off that good, but it's an interesting role for him and he does get the best death sequence in the film.
This is a very fast paced movie; the action never lets up. Hawks made a name for himself with this film, and his direction is a credit to the film's success. The only thing I wonder about is the material that would have been left on the cutting room floor...
Hawks is having a lot of fun here with Camonte. The film is very entertaining, and one gets the sense that the moralizing typed prologue is only half-hearted, slipped in occasionally to appease film executives who couldn't possibly be seen to be glorifying the mafia (How times have changed- look at Penn's 1967 effort 'Bonnie And Clyde').
The expressionistic lighting and sets would contribute to the noir genre that took off in the 40's.
10/10.