Film chronicles the rise and fall of Tony Camonte (Paul Muni) an ugly, stupid and violent gangster.

This film was originally shot in 1930 but was held from release until 1932 because the censor demanded cuts. Watching it, I can only imagine how bad the missing material was. The film is full of shootouts and gun fights--they're quick, violent and just incredible. The body count has to be in the triple digits. The best scene has Boris Karloff as a gangster (!!!) shot to death in a bowling alley. As incredible as the violence is, the film condemns it--they make it clear that Scarface and his gang are cold-blooded killers and nothing more.

Also the film has PLENTY of sexual innuendo. Ann Dvorak plays Scarface's sister and it is made clear that she and her brother are VERY interested in each other. Also she does a very sexy dance in front of George Raft which is more than a little suggestive. I'm surprised that the censors let all this get by! The acting is superb. Muni plays Scarface as dumb, stupid, violent and ugly--and, in a way, very sexy. When he shoots down people it seems that he's actually getting a sexual charge from it! Also Muni, a very handsome man, was purposely made to look ugly. He looks more like an ape than human. George Raft as his best friend is also good--cold-blooded and heartless. Dvorak overplays it a bit but she is incredibly sexy. Hell, even Karloff is good as a gangster! The film is very well-directed by Hoaward Hawks--he pulls no punches. The script is quick and intelligent--it never stops moving.

After it was released (to great acclaim) in 1932 it was abruptly pulled--many people said glamorized gangsters (which is just ridiculous). It didn't surface until 1979 (Francis Ford Coppola helped get it re-released) and it was finally recognized for the classic it is.

Quite simply a GREAT film. Don't miss this one!

This movie is a thinly veiled biography of Al Capone. Some names and incidents were changed, but many were left intact (such as the nickname "Scarface" and the St. Valentine's Day Massacre). The biggest difference was the ending. In the film, Scarface died in an expectedly melodramatic way, whereas in real life, Capone slowly wasted away due to the ravages of syphilis.

For the most part, the film is what you'd expect from a film about gangsters, but it was a little more crude in its execution. In contrast, Warner's other two big gangster hits from the year before, LITTLE CAESAR and PUBLIC ENEMY, seemed more polished and with better, less shrill acting (particularly Muni's and Dvorak's). I definitely prefer these other two films.

About the only really unusual and unexpected thing about the film was its strongly implied incestuous relationship between Scarface and his trampy sister. While they never exactly said they slept together, their relationship was very, very unnatural and the audience was left to wonder and draw their own sordid conclusions! The addition of this plot element and liberal sprinkling of violence and sexual innuendo isn't all that surprising, really, as Howard Hughes produced this film and these are pretty much the norms for his films.

Scarface doesn't make my favourite movies list, but it is a brilliant film. While people may say the 1983 remake is better, I'd say this is better by quite a significant margin. The film does look good, the cinematography is skillful and the costumes and sets are top-drawer. The script is excellent, and the story draws you in and never lets go.

The film also moves very briskly, without feeling too rushed, and while the film is quite short, if I had a slight criticism it could have been a tad longer, a lot of other factors make it not matter that much. The direction from Howard Hawks is also superb, while the violence and innuendos was and is shocking for its time(this is what I and other people mean by it being ahead of its time). The acting is fine, Paul Muni is quite brilliant, Ann Dvorak is sexy and surprisingly good in her acting and Boris Karloff is also very good. It does helps that the characters are credible at least.

So all in all, this is a brilliant film and definitely worth seeing. 9/10 Bethany Cox