I haven't posted in a quite a while, but I've been watching a lot of great movies lately due to the awesome streaming capabilities of Netflix. Since then, my blu-ray and DVD collection has also grown, so I'd like to share my thoughts of what I've been watching, even if it's only for my own personal record.
I just finished watching the original Scarface (and no, not the "gangsta" Al Pacino version). After the beginning credits, the creators at the time felt the need to put title cards for the audience to question their government on how to handle crime. Once the camera starts rolling, the rest of the film is pretty much popcorn fun with one "behind the office door scene" discussing how "the people" are the government and it is their responsibility to protect their neighborhoods. However, I'm not sure how a political discussion between ordinary citizens and men with Tommy guns is going to resolve fairly.
Some interesting parallels between this film and the DePalma version are:
I just finished watching the original Scarface (and no, not the "gangsta" Al Pacino version). After the beginning credits, the creators at the time felt the need to put title cards for the audience to question their government on how to handle crime. Once the camera starts rolling, the rest of the film is pretty much popcorn fun with one "behind the office door scene" discussing how "the people" are the government and it is their responsibility to protect their neighborhoods. However, I'm not sure how a political discussion between ordinary citizens and men with Tommy guns is going to resolve fairly.
Some interesting parallels between this film and the DePalma version are:
- "The World is Yours" - this is the tagline for both films.
- Tony works his way up and then kills his boss to take control of the empire.
- Tony's mom doesn't like him that much.
- Tony kills his right hand man after he finds his sister in the same apartment.
Although the 1932 version doesn't have a crazy chain-saw scene, a tiger, and a doped-up massacre finale, this film is quite enjoyable. It definitely gives insight on how the world viewed gangsters, a time even before Batman started battling them in the funny pages. Although I'm not sure if this film is considered "film noir," it definitely has some the elements with the shadows and lighting. My hope is to watch more Noir and see how it develops into some of Tarantino's favorite movies, Exploitation.
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