Scarface: The Shame of a Nation (film)
"Scarface: The Shame of a Nation" is a 1932 American gangster film directed by Howard Hawks, regarded as one of the most violent entries in the genre. The film follows the character Tony Camonte, played by Paul Muni, who rises to power in the Chicago mob during the Prohibition era. With a screenplay loosely based on Armitage Trail's novel, the film depicts Camonte's ruthless ascent through crime, bootlegging, and violence, featuring numerous killings and his complex relationships, notably with his sister Cesca.
Despite its ambitious themes and strong performances, "Scarface" faced significant censorship issues due to its graphic content, leading to a delayed release and the necessity to tone down certain violent scenes. The film's portrayal of gangsters and its symbolic cinematography, characterized by stark contrasts and significant visual motifs, contributed to its eventual status as a landmark of the gangster film genre, despite not being a box office success at the time. Its historical context, reflecting the societal fascination with crime and corruption during Prohibition, would later elevate its reputation, allowing it to be reintroduced to audiences in the late 1970s. The film remains a critical exploration of the consequences of ambition and violence within the gangster archetype.
Scarface: The Shame of a Nation (film)
- Release Date: 1932
- Director(s): Howard Hawks ; Richard Rosson
- Writer(s): W. R. Burnett; John Lee Mahin ; Seton I. Miller
- Principal Actors and Roles: Paul Muni (Antonio "Tony" Camonte); Vince Barnett (Angelo); Ann Dvorak (Francesca "Cesca" Camonte); Boris Karloff (Tom Gaffney); Karen Morley (Poppy); Osgood Perkins (Johnny Lovo); George Raft (Rinaldo)
Scarface: Shame of a Nation is an American gangster film believed by many to be one of the most violent gangster films in American history. Gangster films were growing by popularity in the 1930s, especially after the number one real-life gangster Al Capone was locked up in jail in 1931. The film includes several incidents from the real gangster’s life. As it was originally made, Scarface outdoes other gangster films in violence (more than two dozen characters are killed in the film), but the actual film released to theaters was much less brutal. Because of censorship and demands from of the Hays Code, Scarface was released much later than intended and with several, less violent scenes.
The screenplay for the 93-minute black-and-white film was loosely based on a novel by Armitage Tail called Scarface.Paul Muni plays the lead character, Tony Camonte. This role helped Muni’s career and made him a star. The film was not a big hit, especially after receiving press about censorship for violence and sex, and versions of the film varied widely because of state-censorship laws.
Plot
The film takes place in Chicago where the Italian mob is engaged in a ring of bootlegging, crime, and murder. Seven sequences are shown that provide some insight into the protagonist, Tony Camonte, and his rise to fame and fortune in the mob world at the expense of others. They include murder, newspaper headlines, the arrest of gangsters, Camonte sitting mute in a police station, Camonte’s meeting with mobster boss and president Johnny Lovo (where he meets Poppy, Lovo’s girlfriend), and the unusual relationship Camonte has with his sister Cesca.
Guino Rinaldo shows Camonte a white flower, a sign that he has made a killing of a rival mob member. The killing is significant because it is the North Side boss, O’Hara. Camonte is pleased and as he climbs the mob ladder of power becomes closer to and more interested in Poppy. He even shows her a symbolic sign that is lit outside his window. It reads, "The World Is Yours." Camonte aspires to this phrase and just when it seems that he and Poppy can start their romance, the police arrive at his house and take him away for questioning for the murder shown in the opening scene. Camonte is subsequently released.
Camonte continues to gain power and control of his crime ring and continues to try to control his sister’s love life. He orders and takes part in a shooting spree that happens on Valentine’s Day in which seven gangsters are executed. Then he sees his sister Cesca at a club dancing with a man. Even though they are siblings, Camonte is very jealous and takes her home to beat her. Soon after, Camonte is chased in his car by Lovo’s thugs but survives the ensuing crash.
Camonte and Poppy head to Florida to hide from police. Meanwhile, Cesca and Guino Rinaldo fall in love and get married, which is unknown to Camonte because he is out of town. When he returns, he finds Guino with Cesca and is irate. In a rage, he kills Guino.
Finally, the police surround Camonte and Cesca at his home. Cesca is shot and killed. It seems the invincible Camonte will get out alive, but he does not. He pretends to surrender to police, but then makes one final attempt to escape. In the end, Camonte is shot. The world is no longer his.
Significance
Prohibition started in the United States in 1919 and ended in 1933, and even though alcohol was banned during this time it still flowed illegally in markets around the country, many of them linked to bootlegging, corruption, and the mob. Enter gangsters and gangster films. Chicago became a key location for gang wars on and off-screen, and with Al Capone as one of the most notorious crime ring leaders ever, Scarface seemed like it would be a natural hit.
Yet Scarface was not very successful at the box office. It did, however, become an icon and landmark of the gangster film genre. The film’s use of violence, darkness, theaters, restaurants, nightclubs, thugs, and sexy ladies is typical of the genre. However, unlike other gangster films that preceded it, Scarface focuses on one hoodlum’s rise in the Chicago mob through crime and bloodshed. Though there are many parallels to Al Capone, Tony Camonte’s character is based on the stereotypical gangster. As Camonte climbs the ladder, he buys expensive, flashy things. He is far from eloquent, he is violent, and he is pompous. He also loves fancy machine guns.
The film’s release was delayed significantly because of censorship issues. In order to get it approved and released, Hawks and Hughes had to add "Shame of a Nation" to the movie’s title. Hawks also made the first scene in which Camonte kills Big Louie Costello softer, using shadows versus showing the actual act of murder. Also, at the end of the film, when Camonte is killed by police, Hawks changed the scene so that the killing is shown with shadows. In the original scene, Camonte is machine-gunned to death.
Critics applauded the work of cinematographer Lee Garmes, and the symbolism used throughout Scarface. Garmes used sharp contrasts, bold camera angles, and close ups. Before each death in the film, the camera focuses on an X sign—which appears on a garage, on a café, the back of a woman’s dress, and even in light.
Concern grew about the glorification of gangsters in film, not just in Scarface but in other gangster films of the period such as Public Enemy. Gangster films were banned from production in 1935, and Scarface was taken out of circulation in the 1940s. It was put back into circulation in the late 1970s.
Bibliography
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