Scarface

Storyline

Directed with operatic flamboyance by Brian De Palma and scripted with ferocious vulgar poetry by Oliver Stone, Scarface (1983) stands as one of the most culturally seismic, quoted, and influential crime epics in motion picture history, permanently reshaping hip-hop culture, modern video games, and global pop mythology. A loose, modern reimagining of Howard Hawks's 1932 gangster classic, the narrative begins during the 1980 Mariel boatlift, as Tony Montana (Al Pacino in a volcanic, legendary performance of ferocious intensity and Cuban accent) arrives in Miami as an impoverished, politically rebellious refugee with nothing to lose. Refusing to scrub dishes or live in squalor, Tony's unbridled ambition, ruthless violence, and fearless audacity propel him through Miami's blood-soaked underworld following a harrowing chainsaw encounter in Little Havana. Overthrowing drug kingpin Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia), Tony seizes control of South Florida's cocaine empire, amassing mountains of illicit cash, a gaudy marble mansion, and Lopez's glamorous, cocaine-addicted trophy wife Elvira Hancock (Michelle Pfeiffer in a mesmerizing, icy breakout role). However, Tony's megalomania, unchecked cocaine addiction, and obsessive, incestuous protectiveness over his younger sister Gina (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) lead to catastrophic paranoia, culminating in a doomed battle against Bolivian cartel kingpin Alejandro Sosa's mercenary hit squad. Armed with an M16 grenade launcher, shouting 'Say hello to my little friend!', Tony meets his apocalyptic end, cementing Giorgio Moroder's synth-wave score and Scarface as the definitive, tragic cautionary tale of the American Dream gone mad.