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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic hard-hitting epic!, 7 Mar 2000
By A Customer
If you think that the summary above is overstated then you'd be wrong. It is impossible to capture the true brilliance of Brian De Palma's creation.When it was originally released in 1983 it was received in similar fashion to that of "The Exorcist", utter disgust and fascination. Al Pacino plays a cuban refugee who, to get a start in the USA, does a 'job' for the local mafia. This assignment is his stepping stone up the 'gangster' ladder, and features the famous 'chainsaw' scene! Al Pacino plays one of the craziest, hardest and to begin with, focused characters you could wish to see. Nothing, it seems, can stop him rolling over everybody and everything in sight. Throughout the three hour rollercoaster you may think it is cliched in parts. However, this is only testimony in itself to the film. Remember every film of this genre has immitated Scarface since its release in some way or another. Scarface is a brilliant story of greed and self-destruction that has turned into a cult classic. It set the standard for the rest to follow, and is a must for every video collection.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
meet tony montana,the ultimate cool villain , 25 July 2006
Scarface is a 23 year old masterpiece directed by brian de palma and is so influential that it defined a decade in some ways,in terms of the fashion that main character tony montana(al pacino) wore and the music and the era of the drug industry that also defined the 80s.
The story revolves around the actual event of cuba throwing its prisoners onto boats headed for america and the film picks up on thgis idea and invents the character of montana who along with friend manny enter america as illegal immigrants and through a chain of events rise up to head an organisation that smuggles drugs.But just as life seems cosy for montana a war erupts among a rival drug lord and the violence really kicks in and if you ever wondered what a death by chainsaw looks like,it is here in all its glory.This is a film that certainly glorifies violence and creates a cool guy who is also a real nasty piece of work,the film is iconic with great quotable lines and a new generation has embraced this fully,so its legacy is safe and in terms of being a masterpiece,yes this is clearly one of the great movies of all time.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The World Is Yours, 8 Mar 2005
By A Customer
Scarface is one of those rare, rare film experiences you'd be hard-pushed not to enjoy. Brain De Palma's 1983 remake of the 1930's flick had all the ingredients of a classic: a great script, a defining soundtrack and a leading actor in his all-time prime. Al Pacino's performance as Cuban gangster Tony Montana has now almost received iconic status among film fans. Few would deny that Pacino's take on cocaine-snorting Montana is not one of his career best. Scarface is seen nowadays as one of the top gangster films, maybe not in the same ilk as say The Godfather, but still a thoroughly entertaining piece of cinema. This 2 Disc Special Edition, although not loaded with features, still should be part of any respectable DVD collection out there.
For those unfamiliar with the story, Scarface follows the path of Tony Montana, a charismatic Cuban refugee, who arrives in Miami looking for the American dream. Tony's up-front and tough personality makes him go right to the top of the cocaine underworld. However, no one, as they say, stays at the top forever. There are consequences to his success, and as Tony learns, money and power can't give you everything. A special mention should go to Michelle Pfeiffer, who superbly plays Tony's love, in what was her first major film role.
The sound and picture quality was in my eyes the highlight of this DVD package. The new digital transfer was near flawless, and the comparisons between this and the old VHS are unbelievable to be honest. Hearing Pacino talk so clearly in that hilarious accent of his was a delight and the famous 'Say Hello To My Leetle Friend' ending blows you away with all the sound.
The extras shown on disc 2 are not in abundance, but what you get here is quality not quantity. You have some decent documentaries with recent interviews with Pacino, De Palma and scriptwriter Oliver Stone. I must stress they are not very long, but don't let that put you off. You get some really fascinating information about the making of the film (including Stone's trip to South America!), that more than satisfied me.
Scarface is a tremendously powerful, violent and moving film which is made by a really talented team on and off camera. It is loaded with famous scenes throughout which Pacino makes his own, once you see Scarface you'll never forget it. If you are wanting to own a genuinely brilliant piece of 80's cinema, you have came to the right DVD package. Do yourself and your collection justice. You won't look back.
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