How Scarface became a cinema classic

“As de Palma's Scarface film approaches its 40th anniversary, let's take a look back at this cinematic masterpiece.”

De Palma’s “Scarface” poster (1983)

5min reading time

The film "Scarface", released in 1983 and directed by Bryan De Palma, is a cinema classic, and over the years has become one of the greatest films in history. It boldly tackles themes such as the American dream and its main character's obsession with power. It is also a free adaptation of the 1932 film (which was also an adaptation of the 1930 book by Armitage Trail). 

The Plot

The character of Tony Montana, played by actor Al Pacino, is a Cuban-born criminal who arrives in Miami and decides to become a drug trafficker and gradually climb the ladder of criminal power. He will not hesitate to use violence and cunning to achieve his goal. He perfectly embodies the archetype of the anti-hero, for the viewer, goes from carefree young rebel to big mafioso hungry for power, wealth and revenge. What's terrifying but also interesting about this character is the fact that his sense of morality and justice seems to disappear completely towards the end of the film.

The themes

The film tackles a number of timeless themes such as greed, ambition and the cruelty of the street, as well as a depiction of violence and corruption that raises real questions about the devastating consequences of the pursuit of power at any cost.

The technical aspect

From the point of view of the film's imagery, you might expect a rather dark film with a color scheme to match, but this is not the case: the film has some very pretty shades of color, as well as the neon effects so iconic of the 80s. It's also important that the music contributes to the film's atmosphere, whether it's composed by Giorgio Moroder or the famous "Push It to the Limit" by Paul Engemann.

A film that will live long in the memory

If we take a closer look at the film's emblematic side, we could say that over the years it has acquired a great reputation and become a huge source of inspiration in many areas of popular culture, not only through its music but also through emblematic quotes such as the famous phrase "Say hello to my little friend". 

The other side of the coin

Not surprisingly, the film has also been criticized by some for its crude depiction of both the violence and the character, who is in a way iconised by De Palma. Indeed, some critics thought that viewers might interpret the character of Tony Montana as a role model However, despite these criticisms, the film stands out for its specific atmosphere and the themes it tackles, such as the fragility between human dreams and reality. And the profound questions that the film asks still arouse a great deal of interest today. Cependant et malgré ces critiques le film aura su se démarquer de par son atmosphère spécifique mais aussi par ses thèmes abordés tels que la fragilité entre les rêves des hommes et la réalité. Et les questions profondes qui interrogent les spectateurs suscitent encore aujourd’hui énormément d’intérêt.

Matthis Boreaniz MMI1/B1 : matthis.boreaniz@edu.univ-fcomte.fr