Scarface Anniversary Edition

Filed Under: Film, Reviews | Article Tags : DVD review

By: The Dweeb

DVD Features

Video: 2.35:1 Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1

Scarface: The Rebirth – Director Brian De Palma, actor Al Pacino, producer Martin Bregman and screenwriter Oliver Stone examine the history of Scarface from the original 1932 classic to the shooting script.

Scarface: Creating – A fascinating look at the making of Scarface and the controversies and struggles that plagued the filmmakers. Beginning with location changes, filming the chainsaw scene, battles to gain an “R” rating and more.

Scarface: Acting – The filmmakers, Al Pacino and other cast members share behind-the-scenes stories and offer insights into how they craeted these legendary characters.

Scarface: TV Version Montage – A revealing and hilarious montage of film clips comparing the theatrical version to the network version of Scarface.

Theatrical release: 12/9/83
DVD released on 9/30/2003 by Universal
Running time of 170 minutes

Starring: Al Pacino

Director: Brian De Palma

Plot: In the spring of 1980, the port at Mariel Harbor was opened, and thousands set sail for the United States. They came in search of the American Dream. One of them found it on the sun-washed avenues of Miami… wealth, power and passion beyond his wildest dreams. He was Tony Montana. The world will remember him by another name… Scarface.

A lot of movie remakes based on older films usually don’t hold a candle to the original version, and when that certain title is mentioned, one thinks of the original film, not the remake. This is not the case for Scarface, this remake goes to a whole new level. Oliver Stone took the best parts of the original and molded it into this little monster, the new standard bearer in the mob movie genre.
The Godfather series was the premiere mob movie series of the seventies, but all I can say is Micheal Corleone, meet Tony Montana. Brian De Palma has graduated us to the more realistic modern version of the mob. No more family politics and shady business fronts, lets talk guns, drugs, money and violence. Scarface is not beautifully filmed, it doesn’t pretend to make any romantic notions about this gangster lifestyle. De Palma goes for a gritty documentary feel and you don’t feel sorry for anyone in here. He throws us right into the shark tank and we float around wondering who will get eaten first.
I don’t think this movie would have made such an impact on American culture if it weren’t for the Al Pacino. He delivers an electrifying performance as the short tempered Tony Montana. Every second on screen he commands your attention, and I winced everytime he went flying off the handle in some raging fury. I was left wondering if he truly liked anyone, not just himself. He wanted the world, and stepped on anyone who got in his way, which ultimately led to his downfall. But Pacino leaves you wondering if he truly is that cold inside. He did have a soft spot for his sister Gina (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), and he didn’t want to kill the guy in New York with his family in the car. So there still was a shred of humanity in him, somewhere. Ultimately he was a slave to his own flaws, lust for power and money. He sums it up quite nicely with “In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.”
This is the special anniversary edition of the film on DVD, and universal gives us a decent package. The film transfer is quite good, especially for an older film and the soundtrack has been remixed. So now you can hear all the swearing and the really bad porno like music in DTS. The second disc also has a decent array of extras to accompany the movie. There is a good in depth interview with the various major people involved with the production, and they answer how this film came to be. There are deleted scenes as well as a curious examination of the changes needed to make the film ready for prime time. Pretty funny actually. They also include a short documentary on how this film has influenced the inner city culture, and how this film changed a lot of rappers lives. Overall, this is a great disc to own.