---
title: "Scarface"
year: 1932
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/scarface-1932"
fi1m_id: "scarface-1932"
imdb_id: "tt0023427"
tmdb_id: 877
wikidata_id: "Q471306"
fi1m_score: 85
critics_score: 81
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-25T01:05:41.512560+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-25T01:05:42.026899+00:00"
region: "ES"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Scarface (1932)

Directed by Howard Hawks · 1h 33m · ICAA 16 · Crime, Action, Drama, Thriller

## Identity

Scarface

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/scarface-1932
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** scarface-1932
- **IMDb ID:** tt0023427
- **TMDB ID:** 877
- **Wikidata ID:** Q471306
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023427/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/877, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q471306

**Fi1m score: 85** · Critics 81 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* George Raft makes tossing a coin look like all the character development a gangster needs

> Howard Hawks’s *Scarface* is a vicious, funny gangster film we readily recommend. The moral lectures interrupt its momentum, but George Raft’s restraint and the restless camera give it pleasures beyond its historical importance.

## Synopsis

Antonio ‘Tony’ Camonte (Paul Muni) is a mobster with ambitions beyond his present position. Around him are John ‘Johnny’ Lovo (Osgood Perkins), Poppy (Karen Morley) and the coin-tossing Guino Rinaldo (George Raft). Insp. Ben Guarino (C. Henry Gordon) represents the law. Tony wants power, and the violence of the criminal world offers him a way to claim it. But there are other men with authority, and he has little inclination to accept their limits. His pursuit of control brings the prospect of advancement and the resistance of those who stand in his way.

## Review

Howard Hawks’s [*Scarface*](https://film.one/film/scarface) is a vicious, funny gangster film, and we recommend it with one substantial reservation: it keeps stopping to tell us that gangsters are bad. That would be less irritating if the rest were less assured. Ben Hecht’s screenplay gives criminal ambition an ugly sense of humour, and the direction lets us enjoy the swagger long enough to become uneasy about it. The excitement comes from watching dangerous people find their work agreeable.

The opening tracking shot immediately makes the film feel alert and mobile. Cinematographers Lee Garmes and L. William O’Connell use stark contrasts and expressive shadows to give the images a threat of their own. Darkness makes us look harder, while the camera movement prevents the compositions from becoming merely handsome arrangements of light and shade. There is confidence here about how long to look and when to move.

Paul Muni plays Antonio ‘Tony’ Camonte with enough force to make the hunger for power feel exhausting, as it should. We are not encouraged to spend much time hunting for a misunderstood decent man underneath. His swagger occasionally becomes too insistent, and the performance benefits from the screenplay’s readiness to make criminal self-importance look ridiculous. The humour gives us a little relief without making Tony harmless.

George Raft, as Guino Rinaldo, provides a welcome change of scale. The coin-tossing gives us a small, repeated action to watch, and his restraint makes it more compelling than a larger display would be. We smiled at his composure, then felt uneasy about how readily we had taken to him. That casual handling of the coin suggests a man entirely comfortable with himself, and the surrounding cruelty makes his ease disturbing.

Edward Curtiss’s editing supplies much of the film’s growing speed, particularly in the rapid montages. The cuts have an impatience that suits Tony: there is always somewhere further to get, and little appetite for waiting. Adolph Tandler’s music matters less to that excitement than the editing, which keeps pulling us forward before we have quite settled. At 93 minutes, the film has room for its offbeat humour without letting the jokes hold everything else up.

The moral lectures are another matter. They slow the film precisely when its cruelty has already made the case against these men, and the instruction feels unnecessary. Howard Hawks is so persuasive when showing how attractive gangster confidence can be that the preachiness seems especially clumsy beside it. The change of pace does real damage: we are taken out of a film that has taught us to watch closely and made to sit through an explanation.

*Scarface* helped establish gangster-film habits that became familiar, but there is no need to treat it as homework. The wit still has bite, and George Raft’s economy would be worth watching in any company. Admirers of crime films should allow for the sermons and give the brisker, nastier passages their attention. We would sooner return to that coin-tossing than sit through another gangster explaining what sort of man he is.

*Fi1m score 85, published 25 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics regard Scarface as a major early gangster film whose force survives its historical importance. Praise centres on Hawks’s inventive direction: the opening tracking shot, expressive shadows, visual contrasts and rapid montage give the violence pace and character. The reviews also find considerable wit beneath the brutality, with several praising the dark humour, lively script and cast, while its depiction of gangster style is repeatedly credited with helping establish the genre’s conventions.

The spread is broadly favourable rather than unanimous, with seven positive assessments, two mixed and none negative. Reservations concern the film’s moralising and the handling of its cruelty: the Los Angeles Times notes the unusual combination of brutality and preachiness, while Variety finds it unusually cruel, though softened by moralising and punishment. Variety also singles out George Raft’s restrained, coin-tossing performance as a source of sympathy within that harsher assessment.

## Straight answers

**Is Scarface worth watching?**

*Scarface* is well worth watching for crime-film admirers, and we score it 85 for its vicious humour, restless camera and George Raft’s restraint. The substantial caveat is its habit of stopping to lecture us about gangsters, interrupting a brisk film whose cruelty already makes the point.

**How long is Scarface, and what is it rated?**

*Scarface* runs 1h 33m and is rated 16 by the ICAA in Spain. It is a crime and action film.

**Where can I watch Scarface in Spain?**

*Scarface* is streaming on SkyShowtime in Spain. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Scarface, and is it suitable for children?**

*Scarface* carries a UK 15 certificate and is unsuitable for children, with gangster violence and a cruel atmosphere that make its humour uneasy. We recommend it for older teenagers and adults comfortable with threatening crime drama; the disturbing quality comes partly from how much these men enjoy their work.

**How does Scarface compare to The Public Enemy?**

*Scarface* and [*The Public Enemy*](https://film.one/film/the-public-enemy) both make gangster swagger disturbing, but we favour *Scarface* for its visual movement and George Raft’s quiet composure. *The Public Enemy* is the better fit for anyone drawn to James Cagney’s brash, frightening presence and brisk storytelling, particularly if *Scarface*’s interrupting moral lectures sound tiresome.

**Is Scarface based on a true story or a book?**

*Scarface* is adapted from a novel by Armitage Trail. We recommend approaching it as a gangster film without treating the book as required reading: Tony’s appetite for power, the ugly humour and the threatening atmosphere give a newcomer plenty to follow.

**What should I watch after Scarface?**

After *Scarface*, try [*The Public Enemy*](https://film.one/film/the-public-enemy) (1931, Fi1m 83): Another early gangster film whose swagger makes the violence harder to dismiss. Then [*Gomorrah*](https://film.one/film/gomorrah) (2008, Fi1m 84): A harsher look at criminal ambition, with little patience for the glamour.

### Reviews we read (9)

- **Radio Times**, Adrian Turner (5/5): Turner calls it the greatest gangster film of the 1930s, and even the greatest ever. He praises its gritty realism, while noting that Hollywood’s moral watchdog interfered with the production and ending. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-88xt0v/scarface/)
- **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (95/100, inferred): Brody regards the film as a landmark of cinematic modernity, praising its audacity and lasting power. He especially singles out Hawks’s inventive direction, from the opening tracking shot to the striking visual contrasts throughout. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/scarface-startles-anew-on-the-criterion-channel)
- **Time Out**, PT (90/100, inferred): The review presents the film as both historically seminal and still exhilarating. It singles out its brilliance as a landmark of early gangster cinema. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/scarface)
- **Empire**, Kim Newman (85/100, inferred): Newman regards the film as a true classic of the gangster genre. He praises its atmospheric, darkly comic tone and sizzling script and cast. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/scarface-2-review/)
- **Evening Standard**, The Standard (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the film remarkably fresh and influential despite its age. They single out its vivid depiction of gangster style and the conventions it helped establish. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/scarface-1932-version-7434135.html)
- **Los Angeles Times**, MARK CHALON SMITH (80/100, inferred): Smith considers the film one of the best early gangster movies, praising its wit and building velocity. He singles out its consistently interesting visual style while noting its unusual mix of brutality and preachiness. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-05-03-ca-931-story.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Derek Smith (4/5): Smith praises the film’s enduring swaggering power and its balance of social commentary with offbeat humor. He singles out Hawks’s rapid-fire montage and expressive shadows as especially potent. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/scarface-4k-uhd-blu-ray-review-howard-hawks/)
- **The New York Times**, Mordaunt Hall (65/100, inferred): The article is identifiable as a review, but its text is inaccessible here. I cannot verify the critic’s verdict or what the review singles out for praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1932/05/20/archives/paul-muni-as-scarface-tony-in-a-story-of-chicagos-murderous-beer.html)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (50/100, inferred): The review finds the film unusually cruel, though its moralizing and punishment of sinners soften the impact. It singles out George Raft’s restrained, coin-tossing performance for sympathy. [Read](https://variety.com/1931/film/reviews/scarface-1200410563/)

## Details

- **Director:** Howard Hawks
- **Director:** Howard Hawks
- **Screenplay:** Ben Hecht
- **Novel:** Armitage Trail
- **Cinematography:** Lee Garmes, L. William O'Connell
- **Editor:** Edward Curtiss
- **Music:** Adolph Tandler
- **Producer:** Howard Hawks, Howard Hughes
- **Cast:** Paul Muni as Antonio 'Tony' Camonte; Ann Dvorak as Francesca 'Cesca' Camonte; Karen Morley as Poppy; Osgood Perkins as John 'Johnny' Lovo; C. Henry Gordon as Insp. Ben Guarino; George Raft as Guino Rinaldo; Vince Barnett as Angelo; Boris Karloff as Gaffney
- **Runtime:** 1h 33m
- **Certificate (ICAA):** 16
- **Release (Spain):** 21 November 1932
- **Genres:** Crime, Action, Drama, Thriller
- **Budget:** $800,000
- **Box office:** $600,000

## Where to watch in Spain

- SkyShowtime: streaming, hd

*Checked 2026-09-25.*

Also available in: BG, CZ, DK, ES, FI, GB, HR, HU, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *The Public Enemy* (1931), Fi1m 83: Another early gangster film whose swagger makes the violence harder to dismiss. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-public-enemy.md)
- *Le Doulos* (1962): For criminal friendships conducted with enough suspicion to make conversation feel dangerous.
- *Branded to Kill* (1967): Gangster vanity becomes stranger and funnier, with images that refuse to behave.
- *The Friends of Eddie Coyle* (1973): For more criminals whose quiet working habits make them deeply unsettling.
- *Gomorrah* (2008), Fi1m 84: A harsher look at criminal ambition, with little patience for the glamour. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/gomorrah.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/scarface-1932