Scarface (1932)
| Scarface (1932)
Plot Outline: An ambitious and near insanely violent gangster climbs the ladder of success in the mob, but his weaknesses prove to be his downfall. (more) User Comments: Muni, Robinson and Cagney (more) User Rating:   7.9/10 (3,817 votes) 
Also Known As: Scarface, the Shame of the Nation The Shame of a Nation Runtime: 93 min Country: USA Language: English / Italian Color: Black and White Sound Mix: Mono Certification: UK:A (original rating) / UK:15 (video rating) / Norway:16 (1984) / Spain:13 / Sweden:15 / USA:PG (re-release) / USA:Passed (original rating) / Germany:16 Trivia: The "serious" play in which Tony is so interested is an adaptation of Somerset Maugham's "Sadie Thompson". (more) Quotes: Title Card: [opening message] This picture is an indictment of gang rule in America and of the callous indifference of the government to this constantly increasing menace to our safety and our liberty. Every incident in this picture is the reproduction of an actual occurrence, and the purpose of this picture is to demand of the government: 'What are you going to do about it?' The government is your government. What are YOU going to do about it? (more) Awards: 1 win (more) FAQ: This FAQ is empty. Add the first question. |
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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful:- Inevitably, Scarface will be compared with the near-contemporary gangster films, Little Caesar and Public Enemy, and Paul Muni with their stars Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney. What does it tell us about that era: that all three careers took off with portrayals of gang leaders? The three performances significantly differ. Robinson rises to the top by the use of a crafty intelligence as well as violence; Cagney by a type of shrewdness and personal charisma. Paul Muni's Tony Comonte is neither intelligent nor personable; his manners are crude; and at times he is almost childlike in his behavior: for instance, when he is enjoying a play and is interrupted after the second act, summoned to do another killing,and leaves a henchman behind, who can tell him later how it came out, then is delighted to hear that the "guy with the collar" didn't get the girl; rather, the rougher suitor. He can be described as cunning and animistic: a young wolf who eliminates any rival who stands in his way; finally the leader of the pack One can be moved by Robinson's last words, "Is this the end of Little Caesar?" or by Cagney's body falling through the open door of his family home, he having been killed off-screen. Comonte's death is that of a trapped or cornered animal, wordless in a beautifully staged sequence,as brutal as his life, depicted for the audience in every detail. Of the three portrayals, Muni's comes across to me as the most chilling, in its enactment of instinctive evil. How ironic that He would later win his greatest fame for his performances as Emile Zola and Louis Pasteur. Check for other user comments.
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