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Brian De Palma‘s Scarface is as unapologetic as it gets and has grown to be one of the most iconic and over-referenced mobster flicks in film history. With a narrative focusing on drugs, violence, and the tempting life of crime, it was expected to receive some form of regulation from the film censorship authorities. However, it was initially slapped with an X-rating, a classification usually reserved for pornographic films. This decision by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) kickstarted a protest, one that continues to be a point of discussion regarding film censorship, authorship, and what should and should not be presented on screen.
‘Scarface’ Was Oliver Stone’s Revenge Against His Addiction
There are two main stories regarding the idea to remake the 1932 Howard Hawks classic, and both involve producer Martin Bregman. On one hand, Bregman notes that a late-night viewing of the original Scarface got him thinking of recreating its magic with Al Pacino as the star, and asked filmmaker Sidney Lumet to head the production. Pacino, on the other, states that he got the idea of remaking the picture after a revival screening at the Tiffany Theater in Los Angeles, California.
Both of them may have their own versions, but what is undisputed is that Bregman approached Oliver Stone to write the script for the film. Stone, who was hooked on cocaine for about two and a half years before writing the film, used the screenplay as revenge against his addiction. He knew the world of using the drug, and he finished a script that was full of excitement, panache, and violence as only Oliver Stone can. Unfortunately, Lumet and Stone butted heads, and Lumet left the production. Brian De Palma, who wanted to work with Pacino, entered the fray and formally started filming the gangster epic. While things looked alright at this point, a wave of controversy was awaiting Scarface, and subsequently crashed down even when it wasn’t done filming yet.
‘Scarface’ Faced Many Setbacks While Filming
In 1982, three years before the official release of the film, Miami City Commissioner Demetrio Perez Jr. expressed his objections to how the film would represent the Cuban community. Writing to the offices of Bregman, Perez even offered suggestions on how the film should go, claiming that the filmmakers should frame Tony Montana as a character who was working for the Castro government whose aim is to discredit the Cuban-Americans. Moreover, he also asked to devote 20 percent of the film to the anti-Castro events and activities led by the Cubans in Miami. Perez also included a draft of a resolution preparing to ban filming on city property. There were also other figures joining the campaign against the film. Miami Herald columnist Guillermo Martinez also wrote an editorial piece that stated the concern that the film might further amplify anti-Cuban sentiment in Florida.
Bregman didn’t budge, and should these changes be forced onto the film, they will be taking production out of Miami. Eventually, the governor of Florida, Bob Graham, took the side of the production team, claiming that in order for the state of Florida to be taken seriously as a place for movie production, they should not infringe on their artistic liberties. Bregman and his team met with local leaders to discuss their sentiments but also kept the option of shifting locations in the back of his mind. While the production team finally secured the go-signal to film in Miami, Bregman and Universal Pictures already opted to film in Los Angeles. Despite further setbacks which include Pacino burning his hand on a hot gun and a premature bomb explosion injuring two stuntmen, Scarface finally wrapped up shooting by May of 1983. All the film needed was an MPAA rating and they were ready to release it in theaters, but here is where the controversy over its content came to a fever pitch.
Brian De Palma Argued With the Mpaa Over ‘Scarface’
On October of 1982, two months before its release in theaters, the MPAA slapped Scarface with an X rating after its initial review. The filmmaking team had spent over $23 million during production, and getting an X rating would nullify any possibility for them to profit, let alone break even. Most TV and radio stations would not allow any ads of X-rated movies to run on the air, and newspapers would downright refuse to have them on their pages. Brian De Palma had already cut the film four times, but the board still insisted that the film was excessively violent and profane. And the incensed filmmaker, who was getting tired of the board’s insistence, refused to make any more changes. De Palma was also willing to be sacked from his job if the production company wanted to make any more changes to appease the board. However, De Palma was fortunate to be backed up by Universal. Robert Rehme, an executive from Universal Pictures, then said that they would not release the picture should it be given an X-rating.
Historically, the original Scarface was also at the receiving end of film censorship issues. Hawks’ work was asked to be edited by those enforcing the Hays code. Moreover, this wasn’t the first time a non-pornographic film was rated X. (The best picture of 1969, John Schlesinger‘s Midnight Cowboy was also given the X-rating classification.) It was later re-classified as R in 1971, but Bregman and De Palma couldn’t afford to wait. Bregman immediately appealed the decision, and De Palma restored his original cut of the film. He got X ratings on all previous attempts, and in the name of artistic integrity, saw to it that his vision was going to be final, whether it would be given an R rating or not. Fortunately for them, the board retracted and gave them an R rating on November 1983. While it did not fare well critically and commercially during its release, Scarface eventually became successful as one of the first runaway hits of home video.
‘Scarface’s Violence Is Important to Tony Montana’s Story
Under a modern lens, there isn’t anything remotely excessive in De Palma’s Scarface. While some may mention, its gratuitous use of the F word, it’s hardly enough to merit a rating equivalent to pornography. Film censorship is ideological in nature. These values continue to undergo changes and will morph depending on a number of factors. Whatever those factors are, hindering a film to be seen by a multitude of audience members is detrimental to the idea of a filmmaker. It was not De Palma’s intention to sleaze up the film, nor was it to present meaningless amounts of blood and profanity. In fact, every single bit of Scarface‘s rebellious frames presents significance in the rise and fall of Tony Montana.
Of course, people weren’t supposed to identify with Montana. He’s a criminal, and to think that viewers would simply imitate his actions, or embody his life of crime is insulting not only to Brian De Palma, but also to moviegoers in general. Perhaps audiences were not ready for the boisterous spirit of Scarface in 1983. However, its status as one of the most iconic gangster films in the history of cinema proves that it is more than a plain bloody mobster feature. It is a tragedy that aims to warn people of the dangers of greed and a complete disregard for the rules. If that is what merited an X-rating back then, imagine what some of the more exuberant films of today would have gotten during that time.
The Big Picture
- Scarface faced objections and controversy due to its portrayal of the Cuban community, but ultimately won the support of the governor and continued filming in Miami.
- The film was initially given an X rating by the MPAA, which threatened its profitability, but director Brian De Palma refused to make changes and it was eventually re-rated as R.
- Despite initial critical and commercial reception, Scarface has become a highly influential and iconic gangster film that serves as a cautionary tale about greed and the consequences of a life of crime.
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