Scarface (1932)

Directed by Howard Hawk

Scarface is one of the first classic gangster films, outlining the rise and fall of gangster Tony "Scarface" Camonte. The genre of gangster films have been captivating audiences for nearly a century because they provide a window to a world unseen. The general public has no idea what goes on in the underbelly of organized crime in America's major cities, and these films, while dramatizations, provide the excitement that average citizens crave. It also gives average people a glimpse at what it's like to have money and power, which are things nearly everybody fantasizes about. The genre basically takes the crime genre and removes a little suspense, but replaces it with something much more polarizing. Violence. You either love it or hate it, and most people choose the former. It stirs our blood, and gets our adrenaline going.

Scarface gets an extra benefit in this category, because it was produced prior to the adoption of the Production Code in 1934. This code was the precursor to the modern-day MPSAA film rating system, and begin to restrict the amounts of violence and other inappropriate content allowed in the film. Because of this, Scarface is not only one of the first gangster movies, it is one of the most violent gangster films. The film was so violent people actually became frightened, and there was an outcry to the law to crack down on gang activity. In a way, Scarface was very useful as a social commentary that ultimately helped society become a little safer.

Tony "Scarface" Camonte's
trademark X

Roofing struts provide 7 X's for 7 of
Comonte's soon to be deceased enemies

Director Hawk had an interesting use of symbolism when showing all of the violence in Scarface. Whenever a character was about to be killed, an "X' would somehow be worked into the scenery before or after their death. The X could be a symbol reflecting Scarface himself, as the mark on his cheek matches the X left in the scene every time he kills a man. The X could also just model the slang term for killing someone (getting X-ed out). In certain scenes the X is even used to foreshadow death even when no violence is in the scene.

This use visual motifs to pair with a plot is something that many directors have taken from in years since Scarface was produced. In the 2006 film The Departed, director Martin Scorsese uses the exact same X motif whenever a death is imminent. He also uses fences and split frames as motifs for relationship boundaries in his 1980 film Raging Bull. This technique has been studied by many current directors, all stemming from this standard set by Howard Hawk in Scarface.

Camonte (center)  enjoying the high life, something
many immigrants of the time could only dream of.

While it was violent and depicted a frightening underworld of crime, there is a definite upside to Scarface, which has helped it become such a classic. Although it is not necessarily through a standard business, Scarface is nonetheless a story of an immigrant working hard and rising through the ranks until he succeeds. The immigrant angle was particularly appreciated at the time, as the majority of city dwellers were still families of recent immigrants. The message that one of them could succeed was a positive, even though particularly harsh methods were depicted on screen. Albeit twisted, this is a quintessential story of the American dream. Particularly during the Depression era, tales of hard work and success were needed and loved. To round it off, Camonte dies because he goes too far, teaching the public a moral lesson as well. A good work ethic is important, but you must also stay clean of mind and follow the rules. This message is so true, it was updated when the film was remade in 1983; a Cuban immigrant using the narcotics racket to gain wealth and power. This hit home for audiences in the 80's because those were the issues of the time.

And that's what makes Scarface a classic that stands the test of time. In addition to ushering in the gangster film genre for years to come, it provides a message that audiences can relate to as much now as they did when it was first written.