Scarface (1932)

Best of the classic 30s gangster sagas tells the story of a Capone-esque hood named Tony Camonte who terrorizes the city of Chicago during his rise through the gangland ranks, seducing his boss’ moll (Morley) along the way, even though he’s secretly hung up on his little sister (Dvorak). Tough, brutal crime picture packs a wallop (the censors went crazy over the level of violence and suggested incest); Muni is electrifying as Camonte, driven and unhinged, a charismatic but ruthless villain you can’t tear your eyes away from. In playing Camonte’s twit of a secretary, Barnett’s comic relief feels incongruous, but he’s still amusing; the film’s only major misstep is the heavy-handed scene with a newspaper publisher (Pratt) railing against the scourge of corruption and criminality, even addressing the camera directly a few times (the bit was added to address concerns that the film was glorifying the American Dream gangster lifestyle). Loosely remade in 1983, but doesn’t hold a candle to the O.G.

90/100