Scarface (1983)

Tuesday night’s showing of Scarface was jaw-dropping. 170 minutes flew by. I, along with a very enthusiastic cross-section of Generation X males (I think I saw two women) squeezed into screen 2 of Shaftesbury Avenue’s Cineworld and was transported in time and space to what now seems like an era long gone. Not so much in memory but in film representation. On the way out, “they don’t make ‘em like that anymore” echoed audibly around the auditorium.

Part of Cineworld’s rather limp campaign of re-released modern classics (The Blues Brothers (1980), The Thing (1982), Animal House (1978) et al.) this again was scheduled without any fanfare or promotion and yet digitally re-mastered and beautifully presented in pristine condition. It seems a shame.

It must be 6 or 7 years since I last saw it. Whilst being familiar enough to appreciate nods of respect from the likes of Gomorra (2008) and Vice City (2002), watching it with a sense of hindsight allows further appreciation of the look, feel and style accomplished by De Palma and clan.

Notable mentions go towards composer Giorgio Moroder (a one-time only collaboration with De Palma) and script-writer Oliver Stone. Four years later Stone would reiterate his 80’s greed theme replacing Elvira Hancock’s (Pfeiffer) message “nothing exceeds like excess” with Gordon Gecko’s (Douglas) “greed is good”.

The film is dedicated to Howard Hawks and Ben Hecht, the un-credited writers of the 1932 original, Scarface: Shame of a Nation – well worth checking out if you can get a hold of it.

The next film in the series is John Carpenter’s The Thing, showing around the country for one day only on the 15th September, 2009