Scarface (1932)

Otherwise known as Scarface: The Shame Of A Nation or Scarface: The Shame Of The Nation, Howard Hawks’ significant gangster pic was a comment upon the US government and their lack of action against the gangster influence on society. Loosely based on the 1929 novel by Armitage Trail (itself inspired by Al Capone), Scarface was filmed in the pre-code era of Hollywood, in which films were haphazardly censored. After this era came to a close, Scarface was cut and banned, eventually being re-released with an alternate ending. Having bought the recent Blu-ray release, which offers both cuts of the film, I chose to watch the original theatrical cut. Paul Muni is a joy to watch as Tony Camonte; swiftly working his way up the chain dispatching enemies so swiftly you can barely keep up. Calling Brian De Palma’s 1983 Scarface a remake does both films a disservice, as each are very much their own films, but Hawks’ film is without doubt a hugely important blueprint for the entire gangster sub-genre. If Hawks’ film was remade shot for shot today in colour using today's techniques, it would be quite staggeringly violent; his film accurately portrays the lack of empathy these people had for anyone or anything. All they’re bothered about is stature and status. If you look close enough you can see Hawks sly touch in showing you who’s about to snuff it; an X will appear somewhere on screen beside or behind someone just before they hit the grave. This restored version looks sharp on Blu-ray, making you feel a part of the black and white world of the twenties and thirties. Camonte’s rise and (almost) rise does invite similarities with Al Pacino’s Tony Montana in their spiral into madness, but once again there are important differences (most notably Camonte’s face isn’t constantly covered in cocaine). Hawks’ film is one of the first true great gangster films, and its influence can still be felt frequently with the releases of today. 7.7/10