What are you going to do about it?' Hawks' question begins this film along with a claim that it is an indictment of gang rule in America and of the callous indifference of the government'. This film is not an indictment against organized crime and crooked politicians but rather an entertaining rise and fall story of an ambitious and arrogant gangster wrapped around an impossible unrequited love for his own sister. Loosely based on the life of Al Capone, it is wanting to know when this wild cannon will get mowed down in gunfire as he continuously ups the stake to increase his power, that keeps me riveted, not the depiction of a wronged society.
Pocked with symbolism and shadowy cinematography, Howard Hawks takes us right into the underworld of the gangster through the life of Tony Camonte (Paul Muni), the rough but charming gangster whose goal is to take total control of the bootleg beer business, with the help of machine guns. Realistic car chases, crashes, rat-tat-tat drive by shooting and plenty of violence are shown to us as part of this gangster's working day. While it follows the Classical Hollywood Style and low-key lighting for the stark dark world of crime, the film runs at a steady building pace. This gangster life is exciting it comes with girls, silk robes and fancy cars, but it is always choked with danger from enemies, a double-crossing boss to police who are keen to do final judgment on the spot. But it is this danger that increases the urgency of Tony Camonte to take over the world' and with this urgency is the chance that he will make a mistake - and we wait for this mistake. Each scene tops the last in terms of the stakes and danger. He does make a mistake and that is revealed in a slow build up with warning signs splattered as often as machine gun fire. All of his actions up to that was part of a strategy to gain complete control of the booze empire; once he crosses a sacred line, he is doomed.
In the life of Scarface, we see his personal life as the only son in a poor fatherless broken home with a reproachful mother and fun loving sister whom he protects violently. We see his career life with his smart Brutus style crime. He is a keen strategist with a strong grip on reality. He can clearly spot weaknesses in his bosses and his enemies and then quickly take advantage of them. Camera close-ups to his steely looks let us know he is always on the verge of violence or a joke but you never know which. He disregards authority but recognizes the power of the gun. His strategy is made clear when he points to the machine gun in his hand There is only one thing that gets orders and gives orders and this is it'. In an earlier scene he tells his right hand man Guino Do it first, do it yourself and keep on doing it'. This clearly shows how he intends to go about his goal. However, what does he really want? This is symbolized in an obvious way by the neon sign for a travel agency outside his apartment window The World is Yours' But why does he want it? This is hinted throughout the film as we jump into both his personal and 'business' life and spot his own weakness.
Though Tony seeks the pretty girl the real girl he wants is his sister, There are several examples in the film where the relationship was less than squeaky clean - see if you can spot them, but look at the poster for this film shows Tony going for his Sister in a lecherous way with her in a skimpy dress. No sign of supposed love interest, Poppy the platinum blonde. This relationship with his sister certainly makes the movie more interesting and is a theme often copied in more difficult American showpieces such as in Arthur Miller's play A View from the Bridge' (1960) . The production code was not in full use until 1934 but the censors had plenty to say about the indecent relationship between the two, requesting that some scenes be reshot. His sister is quite a cookie; passionate, sexy and has designs on the opposite sex. I have adult ideas' she tells Guino.
The film makes plentiful use of symbols. The X for death is used liberally, I spotted 5 scenes with the X, see how many you can find. This X seems to symbolize the fatalistic nature surrounding Tony; when he decides someone is to die, death itself comes and helps him out. Other techniques such as a man whistling every time someone is killed is copied in more recent movies like Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction when Jules recites Ezekiel from the bible before killing people.
The film opens with a statement of purpose as an indictment' against gangsters. But the film clearly is no such thing. There are however, several scenes where this opening statement ties in and each scene has it's own purpose though they definitely distracts us from the full' life of the gangster we are connected to and I wonder why they are really there. The police chief, symbolizing the good solid American, elucidates what is wrong with gangsters, lawyers and politicians. The ruling-class meetings discuss the problem and decide that it is the lack of gun laws and illegal immigration that supports the gangsters. These topical issues are cited as root cause. Whether they are or not is irrelevant, what is important is that they incite public reaction. The opening statements only purpose is to get the viewer even more riled up about the film. Hawks cared less about society's gangster problem than his film as he rejected censors requests for inclusion of changed scenes.
The movie's dark substance is complemented with humor and romance. There is a running joke throughout the film where Scar face's secretary can't answer the phone properly until the very end, which is funny. Sexual humor surrounds Scar face's ambition to claim Poppy. In an early scene she is bent over with her rear to the camera and says Why don't you do it' (in reference to sending flowers), the next shot is of him giving a protracted gaze in the direction of her butt only to be moved on by Johnny Lovo.
What are you going to do about it?' Well, enjoy this well made, fast paced gangster flick! A great show of tough monkeys, sultry dames and great car chases. A film about blind ambition for an impossible love.
Scarface was one of Howard Hawks most famous movies and is the standard for the gangster genre, influencing future directors such as Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. Though Scarface was not the first gangster movie, similarities and copycats followed quickly and often.
Pocked with symbolism and shadowy cinematography, Howard Hawks takes us right into the underworld of the gangster through the life of Tony Camonte (Paul Muni), the rough but charming gangster whose goal is to take total control of the bootleg beer business, with the help of machine guns. Realistic car chases, crashes, rat-tat-tat drive by shooting and plenty of violence are shown to us as part of this gangster's working day. While it follows the Classical Hollywood Style and low-key lighting for the stark dark world of crime, the film runs at a steady building pace. This gangster life is exciting it comes with girls, silk robes and fancy cars, but it is always choked with danger from enemies, a double-crossing boss to police who are keen to do final judgment on the spot. But it is this danger that increases the urgency of Tony Camonte to take over the world' and with this urgency is the chance that he will make a mistake - and we wait for this mistake. Each scene tops the last in terms of the stakes and danger. He does make a mistake and that is revealed in a slow build up with warning signs splattered as often as machine gun fire. All of his actions up to that was part of a strategy to gain complete control of the booze empire; once he crosses a sacred line, he is doomed.
In the life of Scarface, we see his personal life as the only son in a poor fatherless broken home with a reproachful mother and fun loving sister whom he protects violently. We see his career life with his smart Brutus style crime. He is a keen strategist with a strong grip on reality. He can clearly spot weaknesses in his bosses and his enemies and then quickly take advantage of them. Camera close-ups to his steely looks let us know he is always on the verge of violence or a joke but you never know which. He disregards authority but recognizes the power of the gun. His strategy is made clear when he points to the machine gun in his hand There is only one thing that gets orders and gives orders and this is it'. In an earlier scene he tells his right hand man Guino Do it first, do it yourself and keep on doing it'. This clearly shows how he intends to go about his goal. However, what does he really want? This is symbolized in an obvious way by the neon sign for a travel agency outside his apartment window The World is Yours' But why does he want it? This is hinted throughout the film as we jump into both his personal and 'business' life and spot his own weakness.
Though Tony seeks the pretty girl the real girl he wants is his sister, There are several examples in the film where the relationship was less than squeaky clean - see if you can spot them, but look at the poster for this film shows Tony going for his Sister in a lecherous way with her in a skimpy dress. No sign of supposed love interest, Poppy the platinum blonde. This relationship with his sister certainly makes the movie more interesting and is a theme often copied in more difficult American showpieces such as in Arthur Miller's play A View from the Bridge' (1960) . The production code was not in full use until 1934 but the censors had plenty to say about the indecent relationship between the two, requesting that some scenes be reshot. His sister is quite a cookie; passionate, sexy and has designs on the opposite sex. I have adult ideas' she tells Guino.
The film makes plentiful use of symbols. The X for death is used liberally, I spotted 5 scenes with the X, see how many you can find. This X seems to symbolize the fatalistic nature surrounding Tony; when he decides someone is to die, death itself comes and helps him out. Other techniques such as a man whistling every time someone is killed is copied in more recent movies like Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction when Jules recites Ezekiel from the bible before killing people.
The film opens with a statement of purpose as an indictment' against gangsters. But the film clearly is no such thing. There are however, several scenes where this opening statement ties in and each scene has it's own purpose though they definitely distracts us from the full' life of the gangster we are connected to and I wonder why they are really there. The police chief, symbolizing the good solid American, elucidates what is wrong with gangsters, lawyers and politicians. The ruling-class meetings discuss the problem and decide that it is the lack of gun laws and illegal immigration that supports the gangsters. These topical issues are cited as root cause. Whether they are or not is irrelevant, what is important is that they incite public reaction. The opening statements only purpose is to get the viewer even more riled up about the film. Hawks cared less about society's gangster problem than his film as he rejected censors requests for inclusion of changed scenes.
The movie's dark substance is complemented with humor and romance. There is a running joke throughout the film where Scar face's secretary can't answer the phone properly until the very end, which is funny. Sexual humor surrounds Scar face's ambition to claim Poppy. In an early scene she is bent over with her rear to the camera and says Why don't you do it' (in reference to sending flowers), the next shot is of him giving a protracted gaze in the direction of her butt only to be moved on by Johnny Lovo.
What are you going to do about it?' Well, enjoy this well made, fast paced gangster flick! A great show of tough monkeys, sultry dames and great car chases. A film about blind ambition for an impossible love.
Scarface was one of Howard Hawks most famous movies and is the standard for the gangster genre, influencing future directors such as Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. Though Scarface was not the first gangster movie, similarities and copycats followed quickly and often.