Scarface 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Scarface 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 23, 2024

Howard Hawks' "Scarface" (1932) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include new program with critic Megan Abbott and actor and comedian Bill Hader; new program with film scholar Lea Jacobs; and alternate ending. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

It is interesting to see how similar yet very different the two popular Scarface films are. For example, they are both fully aware that what they do partially glamorizes the gangster lifestyle and express concern. However, they dive into the gangster lifestyle with such unbridled enthusiasm that by the time their final credits roll it becomes awfully difficult to tell whether the concern is not just a necessary protective façade. If it was meant to be, it makes perfect sense why both films became so popular. Their messaging is very similar, too. The world is yours, so claim it. It is the timeless philosophy of life that all ambitious gangsters embrace. In the original film, it is spelled out. In the second film, Tony Montana carefully explains it to his best pal Manny Ray.

Very little separates the profiles of the characters Paul Muni and Al Pacino play, too. Both have foreign accents and are quickly carving a niche for themselves in a country that respects bullies. Initially, they become friends and start working for the right people, then they use their knowledge and strength to take their bosses out. Both are womanizers and psychopaths. Both can never have enough money and power. Muni’s character is not hooked on something, but only because the right drug is not around and it would have been too risky to reveal his addiction before the camera. Pacino’s character has buckets of coke around him. They have friends, but even the closest ones are expendable.

The two films direct and observe these characters differently, but it is not only because they come from drastically different eras. Howard Hawks places Muni’s character in a less glamorous environment that at times feels right for a documentary. There are only a few sequences where Muni’s character and his boss (Osgood Perkins) are seen among the privileged and they all look slightly out of sync with the rest of the film. Muni’s character becomes comfortable being in this elite environment but remains an outsider, which is a crucial detail. Brian De Palma unleashes Pacino’s character in South Florida and it does not take long before he blends in. In fact, he becomes so comfortable there that at the right time decides to claim ownership of it. Also, the demise of Pacino’s character is initiated by his delusions of grandeur, while the demise of Muni’s character begins after a terrible misjudgment of his righthand man’s (George Raft) intentions for his young sister (Ann Dvorak). So, while at the top, and on the way down, the two gangsters look very different.

Which is the better film? Both hit hard. The original film must have shocked many people because its grasp of organized crime and the men that dominated it is spot on. Visually it is not as striking as the second film, but this is entirely understandable considering that it was completed in 1932. The second film is more dangerous because its grasp of organized crime becomes a promotional campaign for it. (This is the very reason why so many R&B artists love it). It is more violent and disturbing, but it has plenty of eye candy that makes it more effective.

Ben Hecht, who adapted the original material from Armitage Trail’s novel, was apparently confronted by enforcers working for Al Capone. Hecht was asked whether Muni’s character was in any way related to their boss in Chicago.

After Hawks completed Scarface, the Chicago Police Department banned it, and theaters in the city were unable to screen it. Following successful runs in other markets nationwide, the ban was lifted and Scarface finally opened in Chicago in 1941.

Richard Rosson earned a co-directing credit for shooting an alternate ending for Scarface. Earlier, Hawks had refused to revise his film, as censors had requested.

Scarface 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Criterion's release of Scarface is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray disc is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray disc is Region-A "locked".

The following text appears inside the leaflet provided with this release:

"This new 4K restoration was created from a 35mm duplicate negative. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from a 35mm nitrate composite fine-grain provided by the Cinematheque quebeqoise.

Restoration: NBCUniversal StudioPost, with additional processing by MTI Film."

Please note that some of the screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

Screencaptures #1-26 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #29-33 are from the 4K Blu-ray.

The release introduces a 4K restoration of Scarface. In native 4K, the 4K restoration cannot be viewed with Dolby Vision or HDR grades. I viewed it in its entirety in native 4K and later spent time with the 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray.

The overall quality of the native 4K presentation is very good. However, I must immediately state that there are areas with small yet unmissable density fluctuations. Obviously, these are inherited limitations, so their effects cannot be eliminated. Delineation, clarity, and depth range from very good to excellent. In fact, I was quite surprised to see how good darker areas look because background nuances and shadows are very nicely exposed and balanced. I did not see any crushing. There are no traces of problematic digital tinkering. Image stability is very good too, but some transitions can be slightly uneven. (This is an inherited limitation as well). The entire film is very healthy.

I compared different well-lit and darker areas. On the Blu-ray, the visuals look similarly sharp, nicely detailed, and vibrant. Perhaps in a few areas the density levels of these visuals are slightly less impressive, but given the overall quality of the 4K restoration and the different inherited limitations, it would be very difficult to identify the areas that benefit in native 4K. However, I would absolutely recommend the 4K Blu-ray to viewers with large screens because the bigger the screen is, the easier it becomes to appreciate a range of smaller improvements, rather than one particular improvement, like superior delineation or grain exposure.

Scarface 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The quality is difficult to critique because it has a lot of limitations introduced by the recording equipment. For example, in some areas the audio becomes quite thin and in the upper register light hiss makes its presence felt. The thinning and the hiss are not introduced by aging. They are on the original soundtrack. Also, the music can be quite thin and uneven, which is another inherited limitation. Generally speaking, the dialog is easy to follow, but there are a few lines here and there that are easier to get with the volume turned up slightly more than usual.

Scarface 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Bonus Features - there are no bonus features on the disc.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Megan Abbott and Bill Hader - in this new program, critic Megan Abbott and actor and comedian Bill Hader discuss the unique qualities of Scarface. In English, not subtitled. (38 min).

• Lea Jacobs - in this new program, film scholar Lea Jacobs examines Howard Hawks' innovative techniques for editing the sound and dialogue in Scarface. In English, not subtitled. (18 min).

• Alternate Ending - the alternate ending for Scarface was mandated by the Hays Office censors. Unwilling to revise his film, Howard Hawks delegated the shooting of these scenes to Richard Rosson, who consequently earned a co-director credit. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Imogen Sara Smith and technical credits.

Scarface 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Even now, many decades later, it is immediately obvious why Howard Hawks' Scarface troubled a lot of people and was banned in Chicago. It can easily be misinterpreted as a film that does a lot to promote gangster culture. This is why it is very similar to Brian De Palma's Scarface. However, these films visit unique criminal environments and explore them differently, so they are effective for different reasons. Criterion's upcoming combo pack presents a strong 4K restoration of Scarface that looks wonderful on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.