Art and entertainment

Story

Although Scarface has a simple plot, the storytelling has so much depth! I could analyze all of the characters in large detail!  

I love how the intro. of the film exposes us to Cuban struggles, culture, and motives. The Cubans didn't even need to speak much if at all during the exposition!

I love Tony's sense of humor at the start of the film. Already, you can see his fierce attitude and defiance. He's not scared of the cops. He exposes them for being communists who pretend to promote democracy. When he said "there's nothing you can do to me that Castro hasn't already done! Nothing!" - that was savage! 

I love how ferocious and fearless Tony is even when he's outnumbered as well as outgunned! He has the burning desire to overpower far more formidable threats than him and claim the world for himself! Tony is a man who will not let anyone, no matter how tough or feared, treat him lightly. Tony will commit reckless, senseless acts just to send a message. While Tony was getting shot at, he launches a grenade at gunmen.  

I loved the slow tension the film builds as well as the action scenes. Tony took charge of the situation. He wasn't even intimidated by the gunmen!       

I love Tony's intuition! There's sexual tension between Tony and Elvira! He senses it and says "the eyes never lie!"

I love how aggressive and dominant Elvira is! She has exceptionally high standards! 

Tony's mom had a heated talk with Tony! She was a woman of principle! It was disheartening watching her reject her own son! I was stunned when i saw her throw a thousand dollars to the floor, rendering Tony's power useless as he picked up the money!

The film does an excellent job of building tension at the beginning. You don't know who or where the attack on rebenga will come from! When the man shouts "libertad!", they make it look like a political protest against tyranny! The stab Tony gave him was brutal!

Omar looked uncomfortable Tony built a relationship with Sosa! Tony commits the reckless act of negotiating with Sosa on Frank's behalf! 

Elvira is afraid of Frank and seemed unhappy with him since the beginning. She was terrified of taking risks with men like Tony. 

I love how tension builds during the car bomb scene. Montana is pressured to make a critical decision. We see how strong his character is. 

The tension in this scene was incredible! Tony looked catatonic! After he killed Manny, you feel the regret in his demeanor!   

Sosa is more powerful than Frank. Tony doen't realize Sosa is using him as a pawn in a much more dangerous game. Tony's arrogance blinds him to that fact. 

Tony wears the same clothes Frank wears, implying Frank gave him clothes from his own wardrobe. 

The violence in this film was brutal! In a deleted scene, Omar fought for his life! He is seen screaming in terror and pain as Sosa's gunman repeatedly pistol whips his fingers with the butt of his gun. Omar holds onto the chopper for dear life. 

The dialogue was also memorable and hard-hitting! There are loads of unforgettable lines besides the infamous "say hello to my little friend!" line. In one deleted scene, Tony sees Rick at a dinner party. Tony says this.    

Tony: "Rick! I watch you everyday on TV! You know that uhh 200 kilo DEA bust you was congratulating the cops for on the tube the other night?..Rick! Check it out! I heard it was 200 and 20 kilos that went down there...that means 20 is missing right? Ask your friends, the cops, about that..and keep up the good work ok? Only don't believe everything you hear!"

Tony's words during the dinner scene were thought-provoking!  

Tony: "you don't have the guts to be who you wanna be! You need people like me..you need people like me so you can point your fu--in fingers and say 'that's the bad guy!' so? What that make you? Good? You not good! You just know how to hide..how to lie! Me? I don't have that problem! Me? I always tell the truth...even when i lie!'" 

You can feel the sense of hopelessness and confusion in Tony after losing Manny. He deeply regretted killing him. You feel a heaviness in the room as Tony sits there alone in reflection. He snorts crack to drown out his guilt, paranoia, and loneliness.      

I love how as the film progresses, Tony's wardrobe changes as well as the buildings. You get a taste of the wealth coming from Tony's illegal business.  

I love how Scarface makes you feel sad for Elvira. She has wealth, beauty, and a man but she was dreadfully alone. You could feel her sorrow when she said things like "i have Nick, the pig, as a friend!" You feel the emptiness Tony and those around him experience after his rise to power. Elvira was smart for leaving Tony. She realized the drug business was impoverishing her emotionally. 

I admire Frank Lopez's restraint and wisdom. He respects other people in the drug business. At first, he is enthusiastic about Tony's fearlessness and boldness. Gradually, he realizes Tony as a liability to the business and decides to eliminate him.   

The scene where Gina walks into Tony's room sent a shockwave of dread and moral revulsion! She passive-aggressively exposed Tony for his incestuous feelings to her! You feel she nullified his ruthless character. She shot him in the leg. If the gunman hadn't come out of hiding to spray a hail of bullets at her, she most likely would've killed Tony. He couldn't bring himself to kill his own sister. When Gina claims Tony has incestuous desires to her at the near-end of Scarface, i was horrified! My blood ran cold! Deep down, Tony knew it was true. He was horrified because his "protection" was a cage for his own forbidden desires. This explains why he neglected Elvira. 

Tony is a hypocrite. He says he's always loyal but tried to flirt with Frank's woman at the start of the film. Tony hints Frank won't last long, almost implying Tony will get rid of him completely. Tony claims he's protecting Gina but slaps her and kill Manny, her husband. Tony claimed he was protecting Gina from drug-dealers but ironically, she gets killed because of his involvement in the drug business. Tony was one of the very same drug-dealers he was criticizing.  

Cinematography

I love the cinematography at the beginning. It made the film look more like a documentary. The camera shots made you feel rebenga was a powerful figure until the attack scene. It made you feel he was just as equal as everyone else. After he gets stabbed and the camera shot gives you a somewhat aerial view of him, you'll see he's just a defenseless human. 

The cinematography during the chainsaw scene also did an incredible job at building suspense! The close-up shots of Angel's eyes as we hear the sound of the chainsaw was bone-chilling! You can feel the terror and dread Angel faced when he realized the gravity of the situation! More discomfort slowly seeped into my mind at the fact i couldn't see Angel's face! I was left to imagine his mental and physical state in that moment! The chainsaw scene was bone-deep dreadful and barbaric especially because we actually didn't see the graphic amputation of Tony's friend!

I'm surprised by how fast Montana's face changes and how the cam. makes him look slightly more intimidating than the Columbians!

The slow motion is used very rarely but when its used, it is used with purpose! When its used, it builds suspense! The slow-motion effect makes you feel Tony will commit reckless and explosive acts of violence! In many movies, directors rely too much on slow-motion to try to build suspense. This move often backfires because you can tell the slow-motion effects are hiding a lack of substance.  

The cam shows the aspirations of Montana and his friend to be wealthy.

The aerial view of the buildings makes you feel like you're watching the Ottoman empire in the past!  

Acting

The acting in Scarface is out of this world! The actors and actresses played their roles exactly how they should have! Nothing was exaggerated or under-emphasized! When the cam. filmed them, the actors and actresses pretended it didn't even exist! That's how natural they were in their roles!    

Tony looked like a bull ready to charge at his enemies!  

The actress who plays Elvira enunciates words very well! She gets very intense! 

Music

Elvira seems completely neglected emotionally. She explains how empty their married life truly is despite all the money and power. I love the fact there's no music during this scene. The dialogue and acting deliver the tension.

The music helps you relax. Sometimes, it sounds like video game music. The music reminds me of retro arcade games. The lack of music during the dinner scene where Elvira leaves Tony made the scene impactful! The director made a fantastic decision in allowing the acting and script to elevate the emotional tension to new heights!  

Theme 

This film warns about the consequences of ambition and greed. Recklessness and greed can cause you to make very poor decisions.  

I feel Frank is content with what he has because as he said "the guys who want it all..they don't last!" If Tony followed the same mindset and enjoyed what he had even if it wasn't much, Tony would've lived. Although Tony had everything, he still felt empty and had no peace because he was paranoid his enemies were plotting against him.       

The film delves with themes relevant to our times. This is what made it such a classic film. It echoes through our time. Americans fear latin Americans are bringing crime from their countries into America.  

Scarface leaves us with a portrait of a man consumed by his own hunger for power. It’s chaotic, loud, and unforgettable — a film that refuses to fade into oblivion, and one that still sparks conversation decades later.