In a recent dinner gathering with a few close friends, Airport Friend made a reference to the 1983 Brian De Palma directed written by Oliver Stone. The film features a pair of Cuban refugees with a criminal past, played by Al Pacino and Steven Bauer, with a criminal past that make their way to assembling a cocaine empire in Miami, Florida. Scarface (1983) in the movie that we portrays the exodus and excess that questions loyalty, trust and the meaning of family.
Al Pacino plays Tony Montana, or the title character of Scarface. Montana earns the nickname Scarface owing to an injury that occurred before the events of the movie begin. The film Scarface itself begins Montana and fellow Cuban expatriate Manny Ribera, portrayed by Steven Bauer, being included with a group of families and prison rejects being permitted the opportunity to emigrate to the United States. A disreputable agreement occurs with Miami drug lord Frank Lopez, as played by Robert Loggia, gains Ribera, Montana, and other criminals green cards to enter the country in southern Florida.
Ribera and Montana become a cook and dishwasher at an eatery until an arrangement to purchase cocaine is arranged. After the deal goes really wrong in a tragic way for the expatriates, Ribera, Montana, and a couple of friends engineer a recovery that puts the Cubans into exceptionally good graces with Lopez. It is during the beginning business with Lopez that Montana takes notice of the trophy wife of Lopez, namely Elvira. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Elvira.
As the story of empire growing for Tony Montana and Manny Ribera grow, the introduction to Tony Montana’s mother and sister occurs. It is in this period that we meet Gina, the younger sister of Tony Montana as portrayed by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. We also learn something of the relationship between Montana and Ribera in how Ribera helps address an uncomfortable situation between Gina and Fernando. Fernando is portrayed by Richard Delmonte.
Meanwhile, Lopez sends Montana and Ribera to Cochabamba, Bolivia, which serves to reveal much about loyalty, revenge for perceived disloyalty, and establishes the path towards a couple of significant events that will help resolve the full impact that the movie Scarface ultimately has. The events in Columbia, looking back at the past as well as establishing of a connection between Tony Montana and cocaine kingpin Alejandro Sosa, are decidedly relevant. Paul Shenar plays Alejandro Sosa.
Much of the dynamics throughout Scarface are best experienced firsthand and through the watching of the film. Portrayals of drug use, violence, ethnic and gender stereotypes, and sexual orientation were in ways more cavalier and less inclusive than are similar norms today. These were deliberate elements of Scarface, and in important ways decisive in the way the story of Scarface occurred. Acknowledging these things, my rating for Scarface is 4.00-stars on a scale of one-to-five.
Matt – Saturday, October 24, 2020
Matt Lynn Digital 