Serving as a major inspiration to gangster rappers the world over, Brian De Palma's intoxicatingly '80s crime epic - which chronicles the rise and fall of a Cuban immigrant named Tony Montana, played memorably by Al Pacino - stands as one of the most iconic crime films ever made. It has held influence every facade of the media; in music, video games and television shows. It's also a deeply strange and obnoxious film; both cheesy and violent. And yet, whereas an overwrought sense of an '80s vibe might have derailed a lesser film, Scarface retains most of its power through its sheer number of gripping and iconic scenes, coupled with Pacino's mesmerising lead performance, which explodes all over the screen like a volcano filled with cocaine. But Scarface was never supposed to be subtle; it's very much shares a with that of the recent The Wolf of Wall Street: "more, more, more" is very much its mantra.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
