Luke
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CibbuanoScarface: The Shame of a Nation
August 29th 2006 11:38
Scarface (1932)
Despite the 50 years between them, 'Scarface: The Shame of a Nation' and Brian De Palma's gaudy 80s re-imagining actually have a lot in common. Their characters might have different names, they might inhabit different cities and trade in different commodities, and they might be of differing ethnic backgrounds, but the arc they both follow are strikingly similar - even down to the oedipal subplot. And both films were incredibly controverisial in their heyday - coming under fire by the censors for their violence and alleged glorification of criminal excess.
The talented and chamelionic Paul Muni plays Tony Camonte, a lowly hood and immigrant who claws his way to the top of the criminal ladder. He's callous and of low intelligence and - in spite of these unsympathetic traits - he's everything a glamourous gangster believes he is... proud, strong and attractive. An alpha male standing tall on the underbelly of society.
Like De Palma's remake, this scarface's downfall comes via his own personal faults and weaknesses... he hits a glass ceiling and cuts himself to shreds in his own greedy push to go higher and higher. The degeneracy that coloured his character as the smalltime thug he started out as proves to be his biggest enemy.
It's an exciting and memorable film, surprisingly violent and chock full of gangster revenges and shootout action. Boris Karloff appears as a rival hood and George Raft made his name here as the coin-flipping sidekick to Muni's scarface. The quick pace and various nefarious exploits ensure that the film still stands up some 80 years on.
The censors had a lot of trouble with this film... they forced the addition of the subtitle 'The Shame of a Nation', as well as changes to the opening and closing sequences. The film's release was delayed for two years whilst the filmmakers and the censors battled it out, and the film was eventually allowed out with an ending showing Camonte sentenced to a hanging by a lawfully-appointed court. Thankfully, the version available today features the restored and much more relevant original ending.
TRIVIA: The main character of the film was loosely based on Al Capone, who reputedly liked the film enough to own a print of it.
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
A well made story that has good performances and retains its edgy violence.
I haven't got the new DVD version of this yet, maybe time to revisit this classic.
Comment by Luke
Old Movies
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