Scarface (Howard Hawks, 1932, USA)

Scarface is one of the great pre-code films. Directed by the great Howard Hawks, the film is remarkably punchy and dynamic. Based on a novel by Armitage Trail, which was in turn based on the real-life Capone, the film tells the story of Antonio "Tony" Camonte - an Italian-American gangster rising through the ranks of the Chicago underworld. Deeply controversial upon its release, Hawks made changes to the film's ending to ensure that the Scarface character wasn't glorified. Paul Muni stars as the titular character, and his performance is one of the highlights of the film. Brooding and intense, Muni conveys an air of menace that permeates the film.

Legendary screenwriter Ben Hecht was from Chicago and used his experience there to inspire the script for Scarface. Purportedly, associates of Capone visited the set and may have served as consultants during the making of the film. One of the more distinct and troubling aspects of the film is Camonte's relationship with his sister Cesca (Ann Dvorak). This is not particularly subtle, and Camonte's jealousy over his sister's relationships with other men was controversial upon the film's release. Edits were also made to the film to appease the Italian-American community, who were outraged at the portrayals of Italian-Americans in the film.

The film's finale - perhaps the scene most echoed in Brian De Palma's 1980s remake of the film - is one of the great finales in all of gangster movie history. Tony Camonte going out in a nihilistic blaze of glory still leaves an impression even after all these years. This finale was so controversial that it had to be replaced with a finale in which Camonte is brought to justice, tried, and hung. Thankfully today we can watch the film's ending as it was meant to be seen.

8/10