Scarface directed by Howard Hawks

The film Scarface was released in 1932 and was directed by Howard Hawks and produced by Howard Hughes. The film was based off a book by the same title and many of the events depicted in the film are based on real life events. This film was again reproduced in the 1980's, and the films have an almost identical plot line. One of the original gangster films to come out of that genre, the film revolved around prohibition and the men who tried to rule the illegal trafficking of alcohol during that time.

I really enjoyed the use of symbolism throughout the film. The use of an "X" in the scene in some form (either a shadow, a light, on a placard, etc). The use of this symbol was in the scene either before, during or after a murder. Up until this point in the films we've watched I haven't seen a large use of symbolism throughout an entire movie, until Scarface. I'm not certain if the director did this purposefully but, I feel that because it was such a prominent element used for the duration of the film, it was done intentionally. Because murders were not allowed to be shown directly in a scene, the utilization of a signifier, the "X", highlights that someone has just died.

I also felt that the characters were very developed within the film. The main characters Tony, Cesca, and Poppy all had very in-depth character backgrounds and the audience felt as if they could identify with these characters. Some other supporting characters such as, Johnny Lovo and Guino both had a sense of character but was limited in scope. I feel that Cesca, Tony's sister was portrayed in a way that the audience could relate to, in terms of frustration with her hypocritical brother.

Although the film was definitely a drama comic relief was provided by Tony's secretary and I feel was a perfect touch to the movie!