Page 3 of 3
The Blu-ray set also contains a DVD copy of the original Scarface (1932). A Molotov cocktail of a movie, Scarface was, like its remake, one of the most controversial films of its era. Loosely based on the mob activities of Al Capone and other Chicago hoodlums, this film so agitated the Hays Office censorship board that they insisted producer Howard Hughes and director Howard Hawks make numerous changes; when those edits failed to satisfy the censors, the two Howards opted to go back to their original cut and release the film without official approval (it was a box office smash). Paul Muni gives a dynamic, animalistic performance as Tony Camonte, a natural born killer who rises from mob flunky to crime kingpin. Unlike the gangsters played by Cagney, Bogart and Robinson, Muni's Camonte isn't particularly smart, brave or self-aware; instead, he's a simple-minded ape who succeeds by pure force and is eventually exposed as a coward when the chips are down. The film's violence drew the bulk of the protests, though it's difficult to believe anyone could have missed Tony's incestuous feelings toward his teenage sister (Ann Dvorak). George Raft, who counted numerous gangsters among his real-life pals, is effective as Tony's coin-flipping henchman, while Boris Karloff, a year after attaining stardom in Frankenstein, pops up as a rival crime lord.
Blu-ray extras on the 1983 Scarface include on-screen scorecards tracking the number of F-bombs dropped and bullets fired (229 and 8,509, respectively) during the course of the film; a picture-in-picture option with access to cast and filmmaker interviews; the 39-minute featurette The Scarface Phenomenon; 22 minutes of deleted scenes; a 12-minute short in which real-life law enforcement officers discuss the movie's setting and characters; three retrospective pieces (totaling 55 minutes) in which De Palma, Stone, Pacino and others discuss the making of the movie; and an amusing 3-minute comparison between the theatrical cut and the edited-for-network-TV version. The set also includes 10 collectible art cards. DVD extras on the 1932 Scarface include an alternate ending and an introduction by Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne.
Scarface (1983): ***
Scarface (1932): ***1/2
Extras: ***1/2
