Scarface [1983]

 Watching Scarface on VHS in college is a Gen X rite of passage, yes? I remember my libertine freshman roommates watching it and doing their best Tony Montana impressions - his signoff to the Miami cop "have a nice trip" was a favorite, followed by Harris Yulin's "fuuuck youuuu".  

Watching it again in 2025, through the lens of Pacino's culturally iconic characterization, I was struck by how uncool Montana is. He's not charming - he wants Michelle Pfeiffer like a dog wants a steak, but he is incapable of romancing her- when she finally capitulates, we are left to imagine why she agrees, except for the free cocaine, and possibly she's afraid for her life after he kills her boyfriend. Montana isn't clever or witty. He's not even a cold-blooded badass - he's a sociopath with impulse control issues and a madonna/whore complex. He doesn't outsmart anyone: he only begins climbing the ladder because he's useful as a lethal weapon with no fear, and then, he kills his way to kingpin status. The first time his suppliers in Colombia can no longer make money off his utility, they kill him. The number of would-be mentors who advise him how to get ahead, advice he constantly does the opposite of, nears self-parody. I will admit I like his personal style - that Cadillac is a fine ride.

I also can't help but be continually distracted by the non Hispanic-ness of the whole production. Obviously, if Al Pacino, a non-Cuban A-list movie star wants to play a Cuban in your movie, you say yes. He's a convincing Cuban sociopath. But with two exceptions, the rest of the main cast is all non Hispanic actors playing Latinx characters: F. Murray Abraham, Robert Loggia, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Paul Shenar. Without forgiving the racism of a Hispanic crime epic produced, directed, and almost entirely cast with non-Hispanic actors, on a pragmatic level it's just distracting. Montana's best friend Manny, and his mother, are the only major speaking roles cast with actual Cuban-Americans.

 

For a nearly three-hour movie, it feels like it flies by, with so many set pieces and so little time for texture. Or maybe there's no texture to linger over? As we've seen many times in the last 25 years, a gangster epic is better served in a television series than a 170 minute movie.