Scarface (1983)

In 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel while succumbing to greed.

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writer:

Oliver Stone (screenplay)

Stars:

Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer

Top 250 #128 | Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

When Fidel Castro opens the harbor at Mariel, Cuba, he sends 125,000 Cuban refugees to reunite with their relatives in the United States. Among all the refugees, there is one who wants it all, his name is Tony Montana. Tony and his friend Manny arrive in the United States and start in small time jobs. Soon, they are hired by Omar Suarez to pay money to a group of Colombians. When the deal goes wrong, Tony and Manny leave with the money and succeed in their job. Soon Tony meets with drug kingpin Frank Lopez and falls for his boss's girl, Elvira. Pretty soon Tony will know that those who want it all, do not last forever; that is the price of power. The world will know Montana by one name....SCARFACE.

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Plot Keywords:

cuban | refugee | friend | cocaine | drugs | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

9 December 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Caracortada

Filming Locations:

485 West Matheson Drive, Key Biscayne, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$242,821 (USA) (19 September 2003)

Gross:

$656,161 (USA) (26 September 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

170 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert De Niro was offered the lead role but turned it down.

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Goofs

When making the drug deal with the Colombians, there is a "USA Today" newspaper box on the corner of the street as they are arriving - "USA Today" did not begin circulating until 1983.

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Quotes

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

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Crazy Credits

In the opening we see a crawl text (with narrator) that reads: "In May of 1980, Fidel Castro in an effort to normalize relations with the Carter Administration opened the harbor at Mariel, Cuba with the apparent intention of letting some of his people join their relatives in the United States. Within seventy-two hours, 3,000 U.S. boats were headed for Cuba. In the next few weeks, it became evident that Castro was forcing the boat owners to carry back with them not only their relatives but the dregs of his jail population. By the time the port was closed 125,000 'Marielitos' had landed in Florida. An estimated 25,000 had criminal records. This is the story of that minority those they call 'Los Bandidos'."

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Connections

Referenced in Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project (2002)

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Soundtracks

"Vamos a Bailar"
Performed by Maria Conchita Alonso (as Maria Conchita)
Music by Giorgio Moroder
Lyrics by Maria Conchita Alonso (as Maria Conchita)
Courtesy of A&M Records

User Reviews

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.