Prince – Ashley M

I think Prince’s ideas apply to the 1932 Scarface. The relatively new dimension of sound certainly adds to the violence in the film. Not only do you hear the dialogue and eerie music, but you also hear every gunshot and cry of pain. This is shown when Cesca is shot and you hear the agony in Camonte’s voice. It is very chilling to hear a man’s cries as his sister dies in his arms.

I feel Prince’s ideas about violence have been represented over time. He argues of the power that the lighting and editing have in a movie and although the lighting in black and white movies are very powerful, I believe it’s power is greater in films of color. Also, the editing of films have come a long way since the thirties. Films, especially violent ones, have become more real than ever.

When the 1932 and 1983 versions of Scarface are compared, I personally, am more entertained by the latter. I love action movies that lay everything out on the table. Now, in hindsight, the 1983 version is a bit unrealistic, when I watch a movie, I am too caught up to even care. I also don’t think the 1983 version is any more harmful because I think the ending puts a dose of reality into the movie and makes the life of a gangster less attractive. You watch a man fall so far and it captivates yet scares you.

Computer Games – Ashley M

I grew up playing many video games and I don’t think it took away from my school work. I also think it definitely helped with my reasoning skills. I know this is going to make me sound like a loser, again, but I love riddles and I have even figured out einstein’s riddle (it’s not that hard). In my opinion this is largely due to the many computer games I played growing up.

Rewriting Mutual – Ashley M

Any movie that is humorous, educational, or harmless to the public, will not be censored. Any film thought to be detrimental to the viewing public will be censored. If a film tries to sneak in any dangerous messages, that film will also be censored. This holds true for absolutely any film whether it be intended for adults, children, or the family.

Mutual Decision – Ashley M

This was an incredibly difficult piece to read and, much like a political debate, you are bombarded with lots of repitition and circular reasoning instead of just getting to the point. It made it legal to censor films thought to be dangerous. This drastically changed many factors in the movie Scarface. One side of the argument was that censoring inhibited the right to free speech. The other side of the argument was that Congress had no right to inhibit free speech, but this was not congress making the law, it was a private organization.

Hays code – Ashley M

The Hays Code states “the moral importance of entertainment is something which has been universally recognized.” I don’t agree, I think some aspects of entertainment can entail moral lessons, however not all entertainment is centered around “moral importance”. I think this section is the one that most effects the production of Scarface.

1st Amendment – Ashley M

     By not allowing Hawks’ and Hughes’ original script to be shown to the masses, The Hays Office did violate the first amendment. The law may have said “Congress shall make no law…” but that is a silly technicality. The intent of this amendment was to allow people to voice their opinions and not be persecuted for them. The law had every intention of making America a tolerable society that belonged to the people, which meant the people of this country could voice their opinion, good or bad.

Scarface Endings – Ashley M

The original ending of Scarface is significantly more captivating than the alternate ending however the latter ending best suits the film due to social standards. Although the begging for his life and then finally submitting to the police is a bit out of character, I find it more fitting to see a gangster fall so far. The American public had not seen what we see today and perhaps could have sent some people over the edge. Normally, I am one to oppose such censorship, such as the censorship we saw in Scarface; however I was not alive in these trying times in American history. We as citizens of the 21^st century have yet to face the obstacles people in the 1930′s have faced. I can’t imagine what it is like to try and bring together a nation of people for a more noble cause than themselves. At the beginning of the film I thought it was stupid to censor such things as a mother supporting her sons’ illegal business. However, after looking deeper inside of the trying times these people were facing, I felt it suitable to give this captivating film an ending that would renew a sense of faith in the government with its people.

Production History – Ashley M

It was interesting to see how Hawks’ battles with the censorship board only intensified from movie to movie. Just as soon as people thought Hawks couldn’t push the envelope anymore, he begins production of his next movie and people are more shocked than ever. Not only did he fight with the censorship board, he also fought with production companies who questioned his vision. He never let any board or any company mess with his works of art because he knew he knew best. That is what’s so great about Hawks, he endured great sucess on his own terms.

Intro Text – Ashley M

The censorship board was all over this movie making sure that the filmmaker did not discredit the institution of family, or that it did not portray government officials to be corrupt. However, they allowed the intro text to directly accuse the government of allowing gangsters to take over during this time. It draws attention to the fact that the government knew exactly what was going on and yet they still did little or nothing to stop it. This is by far Howard Hawks’ most blatant attempt to discredit the government and frankly, it is probably the truest thing in the movie.

Reaction to Camonte – Ashley M

            Tony Camonte is not a typical gangster. My initial reaction when he killed Castillo was that he had no heart; after all, Camonte was the bodyguard of Castillo. Camonte got close to Castillo, got Castillo to trust him, and then killed him. Worst of all, Camonte whistled a tune as he murdered a man in cold blood. In addition, he shows absolutely no fear of the north side gangsters despite the fact that everyone else does. After watching the movie a little more, it was interesting to see how protective Camonte was of his sister. That showed that he actually did care about something beyond the life of a gangster.

            Tony Camonte shows disrespect for the sheriff on several occasions. He strikes his match on the sheriff’s badge as a sign of disrespect for his position. Also, Camonte moves slowly which is intended to send a message to the sheriff that he is on his own time, he isn’t going to move quickly for anyone. Even though Camonte seems like a typical thug in his utter disdain for authority, he actually demonstrates a superior amount of control. Camonte knows when to give in to the police which shows how intelligent he is.

            I expect to discover more of Camonte’s different layers as the film goes on. Aside from being a gangster, Tony Camonte has a lot going on. I believe Camonte’s mother’s sheer disdain for what he does is going to be a recurring storyline in the film. Also, I anticipate Poppy to cause some inner turmoil within Camonte.

            I do feel the film glorifies gangsters. Typically, in films, we as an audience are rooting for the “good guys” to prevail and serve justice however, Camonte’s humor and controlled skill makes him rather likeable. When he is not dealing with authority he appears to be friendly and respectful. This contradiction has made it so that I find myself siding with Camonte.