Scarface (1983)

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writer:

Oliver Stone (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 December 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

He was Tony Montana. The world will remember him by another name...SCARFACE.

Plot:

In 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug empire while succumbing to greed. (Cartel not Mafia)

Plot Keywords:

Drug Smuggling | Crowd | Clown | Convertible | Out Of Control

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 3 nominations

US Showtimes:

(register to personalize)

Cast

Al Pacino	...	Tony Montana
Steven Bauer	...	Manny Ribera
Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Elvira Hancock
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio	...	Gina Montana
Robert Loggia	...	Frank Lopez
Miriam Colon	...	Mama Montana
F. Murray Abraham	...	Omar Suarez
Paul Shenar	...	Alejandro Sosa
Harris Yulin	...	Mel Bernstein
Ángel Salazar	...	Chi Chi
Arnaldo Santana	...	Ernie
Pepe Serna	...	Angel
Michael P. Moran	...	Nick The Pig
Al Israel	...	Hector The Toad
Dennis Holahan	...	Jerry The Banker

Also Known As:

Caracortada (Argentina) (Chile) [es]
A Força do Poder (Portugal) [pt]
A Sebhelyesarcú (Hungary) [hu]
Balafré, Le (Canada: French title) [fr]
Czlowiek z blizna (Poland) [pl]
Pneey Zaleket (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Precio del poder (Scarface), El (Spain) [es]
Scarface (Brazil) [pt]
Scarface (France) [fr]
Scarface - Arpinaama (Finland) [fi]
Scarface - Toni, das Narbengesicht (West Germany) [de]
Sicilyali (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Skarfejs - Lices sa oziljkom (Yugoslavia: Serbian title) [sr]
Yarali yüz (Turkey: Turkish title) (video title) [tr]

Runtime:

170 min | 81 min (DVD version by VCA)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

South Korea:18 | Germany:18 (JK/SPIO) | West Germany:18 (video premiere) (cut) (1985) | Mexico:C | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1990) | Netherlands:18 (original rating) | Canada:R | Canada:18+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Finland:K-15 (DVD version) (re-rated) | Finland:K-18 | Brazil:18 | Colombia:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (re-rating) | Belgium:KNT | Iceland:16 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Denmark:15 | France:-12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R-15 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 (re-rating) (2000) | Norway:18 (original rating) | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/18 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Taiwan:PG-12 | UK:18 | USA:R (re-rating on appeal) | USA:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

728 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

In the final shootout sequence, Al Pacino grabs the gun by the barrel. Although only blanks were used, his hand was badly burned, and production had to be shut down for a few weeks.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Hector jumps out of the hotel and onto the landing, a bit of the ground moves, revealing it to be a crash mat.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Fidel Castro: ...al esfuerzo y al heroísmo de una revolución... ¡No los queremos! ¡No los necesitamos!
[... to the effort and heroism of a revolution... We don't want them! We don't need them!]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Porn King Versus the President (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Shake It Up

Pure Pacino

Pacino gives an amazing performance that is both comic and tragic in this remake of the 1932 classic about corruption in America.

Brian De Palma updated the original Prohibition story to the era of the Mariel boat-lift and the heavy traffic in drugs that still infest the United States. The film is an uncompromising revelation of humanity's dark side as Pacino's character learns never to underestimate the other guy's greed. He neglects to learn the other important lesson -- never get caught in the vice you are pushing on others.

Pacino's character wants the world and everything in it. That's what he gets. We are reminded to beware of what we wish for.

The film is violent but never makes drug dealing seem glamorous.