If you're in the mood for a classic gangster film with a lot of action and violence, this one may suit you. Paul Muni is in the role of Tony Camonte, an up and coming gangster with a scar on his face that resembles a giant cross. He's far from saintly though, and aggressively pushes to expand his territory, piling up bodies as he goes, and lusting after both his boss's girlfriend (Karen Morley) and his own sister (Ann Dvorak).
Muni exaggerates his facial expressions a bit too much, but he's fantastic in some scenes, such as the one where he fixes an icy stare at his boss (Osgood Perkins), when he finds he's been betrayed. As an aside, some of his expressions reminded me of James Franco; see if you agree. As for the rest of the cast, it's a mixed bag. Perkins (incidentally, Anthony Perkins' father) isn't all that convincing as his boss, he's just not tough enough. It's interesting to see Boris Karloff (and in one scene, bowling no less), but he doesn't quite seem to fit. Ann Dvorak is strong as his sister who has just turned 18 and is looking for a good time. My favorite scene with her is when she tries to get Muni's right-hand man (George Raft) to dance. Raft turned in what I thought was the best performance, understated but tough, flipping a coin menacingly (so iconic!), and really looking the part.
Most of the scenes director Howard Hawks gives us aren't all that special from my perspective. The ones that stand out are the St. Valentine's Day massacre execution shot, which had seven shadows on a wall mowed down by machine gun fire, and then later, a body dumped out of a moving car with the ominous note "stay out of the North Side."
The political messages in the film are heavy-handed, but it's interesting in that they span both sides of today's political spectrum, arguing for tougher gun control laws, while at the same time, to deport illegal immigrants. It's also interesting that while the film ostensibly states it purpose is to show true events to spur action against gangsters and violence, it seems to do a fair bit of glorifying them, just as 'The Public Enemy' had the year before. Oh, how America loves its guns and gangster films, and how well this film fits in with understanding its character, and a long history of violence.
This is certainly a decent film, especially if you like the genre, though I liked 'The Public Enemy' better, mainly because of Cagney. Muni himself is far better in 'I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang' which he also did in 1932, and I would recommend it over 'Scarface' as well.
Muni exaggerates his facial expressions a bit too much, but he's fantastic in some scenes, such as the one where he fixes an icy stare at his boss (Osgood Perkins), when he finds he's been betrayed. As an aside, some of his expressions reminded me of James Franco; see if you agree. As for the rest of the cast, it's a mixed bag. Perkins (incidentally, Anthony Perkins' father) isn't all that convincing as his boss, he's just not tough enough. It's interesting to see Boris Karloff (and in one scene, bowling no less), but he doesn't quite seem to fit. Ann Dvorak is strong as his sister who has just turned 18 and is looking for a good time. My favorite scene with her is when she tries to get Muni's right-hand man (George Raft) to dance. Raft turned in what I thought was the best performance, understated but tough, flipping a coin menacingly (so iconic!), and really looking the part.
Most of the scenes director Howard Hawks gives us aren't all that special from my perspective. The ones that stand out are the St. Valentine's Day massacre execution shot, which had seven shadows on a wall mowed down by machine gun fire, and then later, a body dumped out of a moving car with the ominous note "stay out of the North Side."
The political messages in the film are heavy-handed, but it's interesting in that they span both sides of today's political spectrum, arguing for tougher gun control laws, while at the same time, to deport illegal immigrants. It's also interesting that while the film ostensibly states it purpose is to show true events to spur action against gangsters and violence, it seems to do a fair bit of glorifying them, just as 'The Public Enemy' had the year before. Oh, how America loves its guns and gangster films, and how well this film fits in with understanding its character, and a long history of violence.
This is certainly a decent film, especially if you like the genre, though I liked 'The Public Enemy' better, mainly because of Cagney. Muni himself is far better in 'I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang' which he also did in 1932, and I would recommend it over 'Scarface' as well.