History of Cinema
  • About Us
  • Blog
    • Drama

      Children of Men (2006)

      April 28, 2019

      Drama

      Heat (1995)

      February 19, 2019

      Drama

      All About Eve (1950)

      February 18, 2019

      Drama

      The Big Short (2015): The Disaster Movie That…

      January 28, 2019

      Drama

      First Man Review: A Grounded Biopic

      September 13, 2018

      Drama

      On The Waterfront (1954): The Hollywood Blacklist

      August 9, 2018

      Drama

      Short Films (A Short History)

      June 30, 2018

      Drama

      Mouchette (1967): A Minimalist Tragedy

      June 7, 2018

      Drama

      Mexican Narratives in Hollywood: Coco (2017) & Frida…

      June 5, 2018

      Drama

      Vertigo (1958): An American Obsession

      May 31, 2018

  • Gallery
  • Videos
  • Shop
    • Action & War
    • Adventure & Comedy
    • Crime & Gangster
    • Drama & Musical
    • Sci-fi & Fantasy
    • Series
    • Movie Posters
  • Contact Us

History of Cinema

  • About Us
  • Blog
    • Drama

      Children of Men (2006)

      April 28, 2019

      Drama

      Heat (1995)

      February 19, 2019

      Drama

      All About Eve (1950)

      February 18, 2019

      Drama

      The Big Short (2015): The Disaster Movie That…

      January 28, 2019

      Drama

      First Man Review: A Grounded Biopic

      September 13, 2018

      Drama

      On The Waterfront (1954): The Hollywood Blacklist

      August 9, 2018

      Drama

      Short Films (A Short History)

      June 30, 2018

      Drama

      Mouchette (1967): A Minimalist Tragedy

      June 7, 2018

      Drama

      Mexican Narratives in Hollywood: Coco (2017) & Frida…

      June 5, 2018

      Drama

      Vertigo (1958): An American Obsession

      May 31, 2018

  • Gallery
  • Videos
  • Shop
    • Action & War
    • Adventure & Comedy
    • Crime & Gangster
    • Drama & Musical
    • Sci-fi & Fantasy
    • Series
    • Movie Posters
  • Contact Us
0
Crime & GangsterHistory of Cinema

Scarface (1983): Nihilism in Film

written by Ben Jones May 29, 2018
Scarface (1983): Nihilism in Film

WARNING: This analysis contains Spoilers for ‘Scarface’.

“What goes up, must come down.”

This mantra lies at the heart of Scarface, Brian De Palma’s 1983 Gangster epic. In the end, everyone loses. Over the course of this article, I aim to dissect what many consider one of the best gangster films ever made, in order to outline the film’s underlying nihilistic qualities.

Introduction: What Is Nihilism?

Nihilism, in short, is the belief that life is practically meaningless. There are many types of nihilism. These include:

  • Epistemological Nihilism — The belief that everything that has existed could also have not have existed.
  • Political Nihilism — The belief that for a better future, religious, political, and social orders must be abandoned.
  • Moral Nihilism — The belief that concepts like good and evil are meaningless, as there is no definitive “right” in the universe.
  • Existential Nihilism — The belief that life itself has no meaning or value.

For this article, I am specifically looking at how Scarface contains elements of moral, political and existential nihilism. The story arc in Scarface is – as we would it call it – ‘rags to riches’ in the most literal sense. At the start of the film, Tony has next to nothing and works long hours as a dishwasher. By the end of the film, he owns an enormous mansion, multiple cars, and a tiger. He is insanely rich.

However, Tony (Pacino) isn’t happy. Despite reaching ‘the top’, he has arguments with his wife, Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer) over dinner, and sits alone in his house snorting cocaine. He has everything he wants, and yet he still feels unfulfilled. Cinematographer John A. Alonzo frames Tony as a tiny figure in the midst of his overblown “throne room” to accentuate this.

Elvira (Pfeiffer) also faces an existential crisis of her own. In Tony’s words:

“You got nothing to do with your life, man. Why don’t you get a job? Do something, be a nurse. Work with blind kids, lepers, that kind of thing. Anything beats you waiting around all day, waiting for me to fuck you, I’ll tell you that.”

The only joy she gets out of life comes from her drugs. She also realises this herself, and this comes to a head during a public argument over dinner:

“Can’t you see what we’re becoming, Tony? We’re losers. We’re not winners, we’re losers. Later on, at dinner, she also takes aim at Tony’s way of life: How dare you talk to me like that? What makes you so much better than me? What do you do? Kill people? Deal your drugs? The real contribution to human history, Tony! What makes you think you can be a father? You don’t even know how to be a good husband!”

Director De Palma underlines Scarface with the moral message that wealth, even copious amounts of it, will not get you true happiness. However, for most people, getting to Tony’s position of wealth is the ultimate goal. So what is the point of trying if even our highest aspirations will not bring us the fulfilment we think we deserve? De Palma takes a bold stance here, taking aim at our own dreams and aspirations. Tony’s belief in himself eventually allows him both success and wealth, but only for a short period of time before he is killed.

Through his death, Tony becomes yet another victim of the drug trade, a meaningless statistic.

Moral Nihilism In Scarface

First of all, moral nihilism is personified here by Tony Montana, who is himself morally ambiguous. While Tony won’t kill woman and children, he will kill scores of men, and deal large quantities of his drugs across the US border. His moral compass is flawed. Even the film’s now-iconic theatrical poster portrays Tony as being a man stuck between the black and the white, the good and the bad.

In the film, Tony kills out of his own twisted version of justice. He kills many of his victims because they have betrayed him. He doesn’t kill Mel (Harris Yulin), Frank (Robert Loggia), or even Manny (Steven Bauer) because he dislikes them. They all betray him at some point during the film. In that case, then, he isn’t a bad man. He is essentially just protecting his best interest: himself. From an audience’s perspective, we don’t see Tony as a bad man, because we relate to his insatiable desire to get to the top of the food chain — but does that make us bad people?

Tony faces a crisis of morality during the dinner scene with Elvira that I mentioned previously, as he breaks down and rants at the other diners saying:

“What you lookin’ at? You all a bunch of fuckin’ assholes. You know why? You don’t have the guts to be what you wanna be? You need people like me. You need people like me so you can point your fuckin’ fingers and say, ‘That’s the bad guy.’ So… what that make you? Good? You’re not good. You just know how to hide, how to lie. Me, I don’t have that problem. Me, I always tell the truth. Even when I lie. So say good night to the bad guy! Come on. This the last time you gonna see a bad guy like this again, let me tell you. Come on. Make way for the bad guy. There’s a bad guy comin’ through! Better get outta his way!”

Tony is realising here that his own moral code is flawed. Despite having certain redeemable qualities, Elvira’s words have had an effect on him. Murder and drug dealing is not something that is normal in an ordinary society. The only thing he can use to defend himself is the fact that he is honest about his sin, which is his self-denial speaking. Tony’s own moral code wouldn’t stand up in a court of law, obviously, and the weight of his violent actions fully hits him during the final act, when friends and family alike abandon him.

Political Nihilism in ‘Scarface’

While Tony isn’t an out-and-out political nihilist, he does possess certain traits of one. For example:

  • Tony is against Communism, as it takes away control and forces people to follow orders.
  • Tony is against Capitalism, as stated with his famous “Capitalism is getting fucked!” line. Doubly ironic, as he uses the same system to launder his dirty money.
  • Tony trusts no one but himself and makes decisions selfishly. This is highlighted in the iconic –  “Who do I trust? Me!”  – scene.
  • Tony acts outside the law, and states that “there are no laws these days.”
  • Tony doesn’t really follow any particular code or creed apart from his own moral code.

Personally, I feel like director De Palma is against nihilism. Tony has possessed the qualities of multiple nihilist beliefs and ultimately ends up dead. Tony is selfish to the point that he trusts no one else but himself and becomes consumed by wanting more. Someone who believes in nothing but money will end up unfulfilled.

What do you think? Is Tony Montana a Nihilist?

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

1983Al PacinoBrian De PalmaMichelle PfiefferOliver StoneScarface
0 comment
14
Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
Ben Jones

Ben Jones is a Journalism student studying at City, University of London, originally from Wales - with a keen interest in both music and film. He enjoys long walks on the beach, mismanaging his finances, and writing, when he has the time to. (Or more specifically, when he isn't procrastinating.) He has written and edited for History of Cinema since April 2018, and has run sister account History of Series, over on Instagram since March 2019.

previous post
The Lasting Influence of Disney’s Fantasia (1940)
next post
Vertigo (1958): An American Obsession

You may also like

Heat (1995)

February 19, 2019

Pulp Fiction (1994)

February 4, 2018

Chinatown (1974)

March 2, 2018

The Godfather (1972)

January 30, 2018

Taxi Driver (1976)

February 4, 2018

Bonnie & Clyde (1967)

March 2, 2018

Sicario (2015): How Does Denis Villeneuve Create Accessible...

April 29, 2018

City of God (2002)

March 26, 2018

Shopping

Publicity

Social Media

Facebook Instagram Youtube Spotify

Categories

  • Comedy (2)
  • Crime & Gangster (9)
  • Drama (17)
  • Editorial (3)
  • Fantasy (2)
  • Feature (3)
  • History of Cinema (37)
  • Horror (3)
  • Interview (2)
  • Musical (1)
  • Opinion (1)
  • Pop Culture (1)
  • Retrospective (2)
  • Review (1)
  • Sci-fi (3)
  • Thriller (1)
  • War (3)
  • Western (2)

Popular Posts

  • 1

    Mexican Narratives in Hollywood: Coco (2017) & Frida (2002)

  • 2

    ‘Into the Wild’ (2007): In Conversation with Emile Hirsch

  • 3

    Children of Men (2006)

  • 4

    The Shining: A Retrospective

  • 5

    The Making of Apocalypse Now (1979)

History of Cinema

Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

Recent Posts

  • A Thousand Words: Analysing the Timeless Ending of ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ (1969)

    January 29, 2020
  • From The Red Carpet: ‘1917’

    December 28, 2019
  • ‘Into the Wild’ (2007): In Conversation with Emile Hirsch

    December 10, 2019
  • Blade Runner (1982): A Retrospective

    November 4, 2019
  • Being Nicolas Cage: The Story Of Marco Kyris

    August 31, 2019

HISTORY OF CINEMA UPDATE

Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Spotify

© 2014-2018 History of Cinema All Rights Reserved