Scarface (1983)

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writer:

Oliver Stone (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

9 December 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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:

Cuban | Refugee | Miami | Friend | Cocaine

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 3 nominations

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
Mark Margolis	...	Alberto The Shadow
Michael Alldredge	...	Sheffield
Ted Beniades	...	Seidelbaum
Richard Belzer	...	M.C. at Babylon Club
Paul Espel	...	Luis
John Brandon	...	Immigration Officer #3
Tony Perez	...	Immigration Officer #2
Garnett Smith	...	Immigration Officer #1
Loren Almaguer	...	Dr. Munoz
Gil Barreto	...	Cuban Refugee
Heather Benna	...	Gutierrez Child
Sue Bowser	...	Miriam (as Dawnell Bowers)
Tina Leigh Cameron	...	Saleslady
Victor Campos	...	Ronnie Echevierra
Robert Hammer Cannerday	...	Marielito
Rene Carrasco	...	Shooter
Albert Carrier	...	Pedro Quinn
John Carter	...	Vic Phillips
Richard Caselnova	...	Driver
Gary Cervantes	...	Shooter #1
Carlos Cestero	...	Matos
Johnny Contardo	...	Miguel Echevierra
Roberto Contreras	...	Rebenga
Caesar Cordova	...	Taco stand cook
Gregory Cruz	...	Shooter #2 (as Gregory N. Cruz)
Dante D'Andre	...	General Strasser (as Dante D'André)
Richard Delmonte	...	Fernando
Wayne Doba	...	Octavio The Clown
Michel François	...	Maitre d'
Ben Frommer	...	Male Patron
Edward R. Frommer	...	Taco Stand Customer
John Gamble	...	Helicopter Pilot
Troy Isaacs	...	Cuban Refugee
Ronald G. Joseph	...	Car Salesman (as Ronald Joseph)
Mario Machado	...	Interviewer
Joe Marmo	...	Nacho 'El Gordo'
Ray Martel	...	Nacho's Bodyguard
John McCann	...	Bank Spokesman
Richard Mendez	...	Gina's Killer
Victor Millan	...	Ariel Bleyer
Santos Morales	...	Waldo
Mike Moroff	...	Gaspar's Bodyguard
Angela Nisi	...	Gutierrez Child
Manuel Padilla Jr.	...	Kid #2
Tony Pann	...	Driver
Ilka Tanya Payan	...	Mrs. Gutierrez (as Ilka Payan)
Barbra Perez	...	Marta
Michael Rougas	...	Monsignor
Anthony Saenz	...	Cuban Refugee
Geno Silva	...	The Skull
Arnold Tafolla	...	Kid #1
Charles A. Tamburro	...	Helicopter Pilot (as Chuck Tamburo)
Jim Towers	...	Cuban Refugee
Robert Vandenberg	...	Gaspar Gomez (as Robert Van den Berg)
Bob Yanez	...	Cuban Man
Angela Aames	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Nancy Lee Andrews	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Dona Baldwin	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Rosa Lee Benton	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Cynthia Burr	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Lana Clarkson	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Karen Criswell	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Margo Kelly	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Ava Lazar	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Emilia Crow	...	Woman at Babylon Club (as Emilia Lesniak)
Marii Mak	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Shelley Taylor Morgan	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Catharine Richardson	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Pat Simmons	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Terri Taylor	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Charlie Adiano	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Lisa Katz	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Jeanette Linne	...	Woman at Babylon Club (as Jeanette Linné)
Margaret Michaels	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Rhonda Sandberg	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Katt Shea	...	Woman at Babylon Club (as Kathy Shea)
Marcia Wolf	...	Woman at Babylon Club
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fidel Castro	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Barclay DeVeau	...	Ambassador's Daughter (uncredited)
Charles Durning	...	Immigration Officer (voice) (uncredited)
Dennis Franz	...	Immigration Officer (voice) (uncredited)
Gregg Henry	...	Charles Goodson (uncredited)
Richard Jasen	...	Little Boy at Pool (uncredited)
Henry Kingi	...	Colombian hitman (uncredited)
Brett Ratner	...	Boy lying on raft in pool (uncredited)
Marcus Shirock	...	Boy at pool (uncredited) (unconfirmed)

Directed by
Brian De Palma

Writing credits
Armitage Trail		(novel) uncredited
Ben Hecht		(1932 screenplay) uncredited and
Howard Hawks		(1932 screenplay) uncredited
Oliver Stone		(screenplay)

Produced by
Martin Bregman	....	producer
Peter Saphier	....	co-producer
Louis A. Stroller	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Giorgio Moroder

Cinematography by
John A. Alonzo

Film Editing by
Gerald B. Greenberg		(as Jerry Greenberg)
David Ray

Casting by
Alixe Gordin

Art Direction by
Edward Richardson		(as Ed Richardson)

Set Decoration by
Bruce Weintraub

Costume Design by
Patricia Norris

Makeup Department
Stephen Abrums	....	makeup artist (as Steve Abrums)
Janice D. Brandow	....	hair stylist (as Janice Brandow)
Barbara Guedel	....	makeup artist
Toni-Ann Walker	....	hair stylist (as Toni Walker)

Production Management
Raymond Hartwick	....	unit production manager (as Ray Hartwick)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Dreyfuss	....	second unit director (as David Hans Dreyfuss)
James Herbert	....	additional second assistant director
Joe Napolitano	....	first assistant director
Chris Soldo	....	second assistant director
Robert Yannetti	....	dga trainee
Jerry Ziesmer	....	first assistant director
Lewis Gould	....	second assistant director: New York (uncredited)

Art Department
Jim Allen	....	assistant art director
Casey Hallenbeck	....	set dresser
Geoff Hubbard	....	set designer
Peter Ivy	....	carpenter foreman
Peter Lamppu	....	carpenter foreman
Daniel Loren May	....	lead man (as Dan May)
Clarence Lynn Price	....	construction coordinator (as Lynn Price)
Blake Russell	....	set designer
Carlos Salinas	....	carpenter foreman
Ferdinando Scarfiotti	....	visual consultant
Steven Schwartz	....	set designer (as Steve Schwartz)
Edmund Villa	....	assistant property master (as Ed Villa)
Will Waters	....	set dresser
'Dangerous' Bob Widin	....	assistant property master (as Bob Widin)
John Zemansky	....	property master
Ronald S. Baratie	....	greensman (uncredited)
Robert Misetich	....	painter (uncredited)
John Sweeney	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Andy Aaron	....	sound effects recordist
Edward Beyer	....	supervising sound editor
Donald L. Bolger	....	boom operator (as Don Bolger)
Charles J. Bond	....	sound recordist (as Charles Bond)
James Briley	....	assistant sound editor
Randall Coleman	....	assistant sound editor
Dave Concors	....	technical sound consultant
Bob Cornett	....	sound editor (as Robert H. Cornett)
Marissa De Guzman	....	assistant sound editor (as Marissa DeGuzman)
Jay Dranch	....	sound editor
Harriet Fidlow	....	dialogue loop editor
Leslie Gaulin	....	assistant sound editor (as Leslie Troy Gaulin)
Lou Graf	....	sound editor
Steve Hodge	....	sound consultant
Michael Jacobi	....	sound editor
Michael Kirchberger	....	sound editor
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	assistant sound editor
C. Darin Knight	....	sound mixer (as Charles Darin Knight)
Robert Knudson	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Buzz Knudsen)
Kevin Lee	....	sound editor
Hal Levinsohn	....	dialogue editor
Joan Metzger	....	assistant sound editor
Barbara Minor	....	assistant sound editor
Yvette Nabel	....	assistant sound editor
Wende Phifer Mate	....	assistant sound editor (as Wende Phifer-Mate)
Mark Rathaus	....	sound editor
Brian Reeves	....	sound consultant
Dave Rideau	....	sound consultant
Louise Rubacky	....	assistant sound editor (as Weezie Rubacky)
Maurice Schell	....	sound editor
Ahmad Shirazi	....	assistant sound editor (as Maddy Shirazi)
Ann Stein	....	assistant sound editor
Brunilda Torres	....	assistant sound editor
Paul Trejo	....	sound editor
Arthur Weiss	....	assistant sound editor
Alfonso Calvo	....	sound dubbing mixer (uncredited)
Michael Colomby	....	sound re-recording mixer: restoration (uncredited)
Randal A. Goya	....	foley mixer (uncredited)
Maurice Schell	....	adr crowd (uncredited)
Maurice Schell	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Stan Parks	....	special effects
Ken Pepiot	....	special effects
George Zamora	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Bill Hansard	....	rear projection

Stunts
M. James Arnett	....	stunts (as Jim Arnett)
Bobby Bass	....	stunts
Clay Boss	....	stunts
Janet Brady	....	stunts
Jophery C. Brown	....	stunt coordinator (as Jophery Brown)
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunts
Cheré Bryson	....	stunts (as Chere Bryson)
David Burton	....	stunts
David Cadiente	....	stunts (as Dave Cadiente)
Steven Chambers	....	stunts (as Steve Chambers)
Gary Combs	....	stunts
Gilbert B. Combs	....	stunts (as Gil Combs)
Steve M. Davison	....	stunts (as Steve Davison)
Tim A. Davison	....	stunts (as Tim Davison)
Mike De Luna	....	stunts
Justin De Rosa	....	stunts (as Justin DeRosa)
Eddy Donno	....	stunts
Tom Elliott	....	stunt double: Al Pacino
David R. Ellis	....	stunts (as David Ellis)
Eurlyne Epper	....	stunts
Gary Epper	....	stunts
Leonard P. Geer	....	stunts (as Lenny Geer)
Alan Gibbs	....	stunts
James M. Halty	....	stunts
Freddie Hice	....	stunts (as Fred Hice)
Billy Hank Hooker	....	stunts (as Bill Hooker)
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	stunts
Hugh Hooker	....	stunts
Tommy J. Huff	....	stunts (as Thomas J. Huff)
Gary Hymes	....	stunts
Al Jones	....	stunts
Donna Keegan	....	stunts
Ed Lang	....	stunts
Buck McDancer	....	stunts
Gary McLarty	....	stunts
John Meier	....	stunts
Alan Oliney	....	stunts
Ron Oliney	....	stunts
Brad Orrison	....	stunts
Chuck Picerni Jr.	....	stunts
Don Pulford	....	stunts (as Donald Pulford)
J.N. Roberts	....	stunts
Mario Roberts	....	stunts
Sandy Robertson	....	stunts
Thomas Rosales Jr.	....	stunts
Michael Runyard	....	stunts (as Mike Runyard)
Sharon Schaffer	....	stunts
Spike Silver	....	stunts
Eddie Smith	....	stunts
Peter Stader	....	stunts (as Peter T. Stader)
Tom Steele	....	stunts
Ron Stein	....	stunts
Charles A. Tamburro	....	stunts
Keith Tellez	....	stunts
Jack Verbois	....	stunts
Danny Weselis	....	stunts
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunts (as Glen Wilder)
Scott Wilder	....	stunts
Dick Ziker	....	stunts
Tom Bahr	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Henry Kingi	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Sidney Ray Baldwin	....	still photographer (as Sidney Baldwin)
Michael Barrett	....	electrician
Michael A. Chavez	....	assistant camera (as Michael Chavez)
Michael Ferris	....	camera operator
James W. Finnerty	....	grip: New York
Donald Glenn	....	best boy grip (as Don Glenn)
Bud Heller	....	key grip
Susan C. Ingram	....	assistant camera (as Susan Ingram)
Horace Jordan	....	assistant camera (as Horace Jordan Jr.)
Thomas Laughridge	....	camera operator (as Tom Laughridge)
Bob Mundell	....	best boy
Dutch Presley	....	best boy
Kevin Presley	....	electrician
Donald Schmitz	....	grip (as Don Schmitz)
Clyde Smith	....	dolly grip
Stuart A. Spohn	....	gaffer (as Stuart Spohn)
John Toll	....	camera operator
Mario Zavala	....	assistant camera
Vincent Contarino	....	electrician (uncredited)
Michael J. Schwartz	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Karl Brindle	....	extras casting
Billy Cardenas	....	extras casting
Bob Morones	....	additional casting
Judy Dennis	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Linda Henrikson	....	costumer
Gregory B. Peña	....	costumer (as Greg Pena)
G. Tony Scarano	....	costumer (as Tony Scarano)
Randi Mavestrand	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Michael Bregman	....	editing room assistant
Laura Civiello	....	assistant film editor
Phil Hetos	....	color consultant: Technicolor
Ray Hubley	....	assistant film editor
Alfred Laurence Kahn	....	editing room assistant
Lori Kornspun	....	editing room assistant
Paul Neshamkin	....	editor: title sequence
David Oakden	....	assistant film editor
Debby Paley	....	editing room assistant
Bill Pankow	....	associate film editor
Shari Smith	....	editing room assistant
Robert Yang	....	editing room assistant
Rick Derby	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)
J. Kathleen Gibson	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Arthur Barrows	....	music arranger
Jim Henrikson	....	music editor
Laurie Kanner	....	music coordinator
Sylvester Levay	....	music arranger
Giorgio Moroder	....	music arranger
Kristian Schultze	....	music arranger
Richie Zito	....	music arranger
Daniel J. Johnson	....	co-music editor (uncredited)
Daniel Walker	....	score arranger (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Dan Anglin	....	transportation coordinator (as Danny Anglin)
Richard Brehm	....	driver
Bob Cornell	....	transportation co-captain (as Bob Cornnell)
Tony Emerzian	....	driver
Frankie Hernandez	....	driver
Junior Newman	....	driver
Ted Reed	....	transportation captain
Pat Seran	....	driver
Frank Khoury	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
David Dreyfuss	....	title designer (as David Hans Dreyfuss)
Robert Easton	....	dialogue coach
Joan Eisenberg	....	unit publicist
Ron Filbert	....	production auditor
Darryl Fong	....	production assistant
Michael Fottrell	....	production assistant
Jack Garsha	....	timing consultant: Technicolor
Gary Hill	....	assistant: Brian Depalma
Joe James	....	craft service
Willie Kapahu	....	production auditor
Jan Kemper	....	script supervisor
Hal Landaker	....	video consultant
Shari Leibowitz	....	production coordinator
Lori Meeks	....	production assistant
Barbrah Messing	....	secretary
Frank Pierson	....	location manager
Judee Roberts	....	talent coordinator
Sandy Russell	....	secretary
Charles A. Tamburro	....	helicopter pilot
Mary Viviano	....	assistant: Mr. Pacino
Susan Zwerman	....	location manager
Dean Gates	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Jeff Most	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Maurice Schell	....	adr loop group (uncredited)
Branko Wohlfahrt	....	armorer (uncredited)

Thanks
Howard Hawks	....	dedicatee
Ben Hecht	....	dedicatee
Rafael Hernandez Jr.	....	special thanks
Nick Navarro	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1984) (Spain) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (198?) (UK) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1987) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• Esselte CIC Video (1985) (Belgium) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2002) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (two-disc special edition)
• Universal Pictures do Brasil (2004) (Brazil) (DVD) (reissue)

Other Companies

• Computer Opticals  optical effects
• Computer Opticals  titles
• MCA Records  soundtrack
• Michelson Food Services  catering
• Technicolor  color
• Zarem  publicity

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:

Belgium:KNT | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1990) | Finland:K-18 | Colombia:18 | Mexico:C | West Germany:18 (video premiere) (cut) (1985) | Germany:18 (JK/SPIO) | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-15 (DVD version) (re-rated) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (re-rating) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:R | Brazil:18 | Netherlands:18 (original rating) | South Korea:18 | Israel:18 | Australia:MA (Cable TV rating) | 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:R-18 | UK:18 | USA:R (re-rating on appeal) | USA:X (original rating) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

728 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The picture of General Cocombre that the cocaine investigator shows during his interview that Sosa shows to Tony and the rest of his guests, is in fact of Col. Luis Arce Gómez, who was an actual member of the infamous "Cocaine Coup" that ran Bolivia 1981-1982.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the original version, in the scene were the "police" were about to arrest Tony, they are helping him count the money (for the second time). The cameraman's thumb can be seen briefly.

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 "Everybody Hates Chris: Everybody Hates Snow Day (#2.13)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Strangers in the Night

"You wanna play rough?? OKAY!"

"Scarface" has a major cult following even now, 22 years after its release.

It has also been widely criticized as being very tacky, unrefined, over-the-top and all bloated up! These are people who compare Scarface to The Godfather movies. It is true that on the technical front, (cinematography, screenplay, direction, etc.) Scarface is way behind 'The Godfather'.

But it is also true, that what Scarface has and some other gangster movies lack, is the rawness, the sheer crude approach of the gangsters. The Latino gangsters in this movie look much more menacing and real than any of the polished Italian or Irish gangsters from other gangster classics like 'The Godfather' or 'Goodfellas'. This is one of the major winning points of Scarface and I strongly believe that this fact has been written off as "tackiness" by most critics! I have seen the original 1932 Scarface, and I must say that both these movies are way too different from each other and should be seen as two different movies instead of praising the original over the "remake"!

Al Pacino has been criticized to be over-the-top and loud in this movie. But how about considering that that is precisely the way the film-makers wanted Tony Montana's character to be! He is this angry young man who takes hasty decisions and throws fits of tantrum every other minute! He is not the calm Michael Corleone here. He is Tony Montana, a very tacky, uneducated individual who doesn't really think much and gets angry all the time!

There is definitely a very 80s feel to this movie. The soundtrack is all 80s! I love some of the songs, including 'Gina and Elvira's theme', 'Push it to the limit' and the title track instrumental.

There are some memorable and beautifully shot sequences, including the famous chainsaw scene, the Rebenga hit, the first meeting with Sosa and Tony's visit to his mother's.

About the performances: Al Pacino is brilliant as the angry Cuban refugee. He has reportedly mentioned that he enjoyed playing Tony Montana the most in his entire career. And it really does seem like he has enjoyed himself thoroughly in all his scenes! One wonders what "Scarface" would be like without Pacino. I just couldn't imagine anyone else portraying Tony Montana and in all probabilities, the film wouldn't be as effective without him!

Steven Bauer shines as Tony's friend Manny.

Robert Loggia is wonderful as Tony's boss, Lopez. So is F. Murray Abraham (as Omar) in a small role.

Then there is some eye-candy in the form of Elvira played by Michelle Pfeiffer. She looks beautiful and is adequate in her role.

The director does go a bit overboard during a particular part in the climax. Without revealing anything, I would only say that that was the only little part that suffers due to improper handling.

"Scarface" is definitely one of the most entertaining and one of the best gangster movies to ever come out. Enjoy it for what it is: a raw portrayal of the Drug Lords and their gangland!