Scarface · reception & legacy
1983 · Brian De Palma
How Scarface has been received, argued over, and remembered.
The arc
Critics in 1983 largely trashed it as vulgar, excessive, and morally bankrupt — Universal even fought the MPAA over its rating — but it was resurrected by hip-hop culture in the '90s and now sits comfortably in the gangster-movie canon.
What's debated
The forever-debate: is it a satire of American excess or a glorification of it — and does De Palma's operatic remake actually surpass the 1932 Hawks original?
Its footprint
"Say hello to my little friend" is one of the most quoted lines in movie history, the poster is a dorm-room and rap-video staple, and Tony Montana is arguably hip-hop's single most referenced movie character.
Where it stands
A canon climber turned untouchable — the rare critically-panned film that pop culture, not critics, voted into the pantheon.
Named by the director
Influences Brian De Palma has publicly named — the director's own word, distinct from the inferred lines of influence.
- Scarface (1932) — De Palma's film is an explicit remake of the Hawks original and is dedicated to it on screen.
- Howard Hawks — De Palma dedicated the film to Hawks, director of the 1932 Scarface.
- Ben Hecht — The on-screen dedication also names Hecht, screenwriter of the 1932 original.