Brian De Palma's Scarface has become a widely known and well-regarded crime epic, but here's how it compares to the original version from 1932. 1983's Scarface, which can be rented online, stars Al Pacino as the infamous Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant with the urge to soar straight to the top tier of the American Dream from the moment he first settled in Florida. He has no qualms with killing or crime in general, and this indifference aids him in swiftly climbing the ranks within the cocaine business--that is until it all comes brutally and messily crashing down.
Littered with gritty violence and an overall sense of palpable darkness, the project fuses the gangster film vibe with an unflattering depiction of a drug lord's life of excess, self-indulgence, and self-absorption. Interestingly, the 1932 original of the same name--which was directed by Howard Hawks--was much more of a traditional gangster flick, filled with "roaring '20s"-type violence. But, even so, the core story is pretty much the same, following a true life-inspired character named Tony. Both Brian De Palma's version of Scarface and the original follow a flawed, anti-hero of a protagonist with a scar on his face and an insatiable hunger for upward mobility within his specific echelon of crime.
But the films also have a slew of differences. One blatant contrast is the different time periods that they're both set in. De Palma's Scarface famously takes place within the excess-infused glitz and glamor of the 1980s, whereas the original follows Tony Camonte (Paul Muni) during the 1920s Prohibition Era in the United States. This time difference is also emphasized by the visual contrast of the two films; the original is in black and white, whereas the De Palma version capitalizes on its use of color to drive home its signature flashiness. Due to differing eras, the vices that the two Tonys profit from also vary in each iteration of Scarface. Al Pacino's iconic Tony Montana is a cocaine kingpin, whereas Tony Camonte provides speakeasies with beer, which was illicit at the time of the plot. And while the original is set in a gang-divided Chicago, the '83 version is mostly set against the backdrop of sun-soaked Miami.
The original film is also much shorter, clocking in at 95 minutes. De Palma's Scarface, on the other hand, is nearly three hours long. It's an epic that follows Tony Montana and his friend, Manny, all the way from entering the U.S. as refugees up until they both meet untimely demises after climbing to some of the top positions on the coke industry ladder. Another difference between the two Tonys is where they hail from. Paul Muni's protagonist is an Italian immigrant, whereas Al Pacino's Tony is Cuban.
There are plenty of similarities and differences alike between the original and the renowned remake of Scarface. But, luckily, along with everything else that De Palma did right with his version of the film, the story was molded into a fresh, more modern iteration while keeping many beneficial plot pieces intact. Tony's exhaustingly unbridled ego and sense of entitlement that motivates him to always keep taking what he wants transfers over to the '83 version, as well. And the main character's overprotectiveness for his sister and grandiosity that comes back to bite him are also important threads in both projects. The story of Scarface is a classic, effective crime lord arc, and both versions of the movie bring their own valuable artistic contributions to how it's portrayed.