At the time of release, audiences were generally positive.[46] According to George Raft, who met Al Capone a few times at casinos, even Capone himself liked the film adding, "you tell 'em that if any of my boys are tossin' coins, they'll be twenty-dollar gold pieces."[83] Variety cited Scarface as having "that powerful and gripping suspense which is in all gangster pictures is in this one in double doses and makes it compelling entertainment", and that the actors play, "as if they'd been doing nothing else all their lives".[84] The National Board of Review named Scarface as one of the best pictures of 1932.[85] However, at the time of release in 1932, there was a general public outcry about this motion picture and the gangster genre in general, which negatively affected the film's box-office receipts.[2] Jack Alicoate gave Scarface a scathing review in The Film Daily, stating that the violence and subject matter of the film left him with, "the distinct feeling of nausea". He goes on to say the film "should never have been made" and showing the film would "do more harm to the motion picture industry, and everyone connected with it, than any picture ever shown".[86] Although Ben Hecht was often critical of his work for Hollywood, he admitted that Scarface was "the best-directed picture [he has] seen". Hecht did, however, criticize Muni's performance. Having known Al Capone, Hecht claimed that Muni portrayed Capone as too "silent" and "moody", more similar to "Hitler".[87] Some critics disagreed with the casting of British actor Boris Karloff, believing his accent was out of place in a gangster film; a New York Times article stated "his British accent is hardly suitable to the role".[88] However, other critics considered him a high point.[89] The film earned $600,000 at the box office, and while Scarface was more financially successful than Hughes's other films at the time, due to the large cost of production, it is unlikely the film did better than break even.[2]
The film initiated outrage among Italian organizations and individuals of Italian descent, remarking a tendency of filmmakers to portray gangsters and bootleggers in their films as Italian. In the film, an Italian American makes a speech condemning gangster activities; this was added later in production to appease censors. This, however, did not prevent the Italian embassy from disapproving Scarface.[90] Believing the film to be offensive to the Italian community, the Order Sons of Italy in America formally denounced the film and other groups urged community members to boycott the film and other films derogatory towards Italians or Italian-Americans.[91] Will Hays wrote to the ambassador in Italy, excusing himself from scrutiny by stating the film was an anachronism because it had been delayed in production for two years and was not representative of the current practice of censorship at the time.[90] Nazi Germany permanently prohibited showings of the film.[92] Some cities in England banned the film as well, believing the British Board of Film Censorship's policy on gangster films was too lax.[81] The film had been banned in Ireland on August 19, 1932, and on August 29, 1941, (under the alternate title of 'Gang War'). The decisions were upheld by the Films Appeal Board each time. It was banned on April 24, 1953, (under its original title). No appeal was lodged. Various reasons include pandering to sensationalism, glamorizing the gangster lifestyle and implying an incestuous relationship between the protagonist and his sister.[93]
Several cities in the United States, including Chicago, and some states refused to show the film. The magazine Movie Classics ran an issue urging the people to demand to see the film at theaters despite the censorship bans.[94] The film broke box-office records at the Woods Theatre in Chicago after premiering Thanksgiving Day, November 20, 1941, after having been banned from showing in Chicago by censors for nine years.[95] Despite the favorable reception of the film among the public, the censorship battles and the unflattering reviews from some press contributed to the film's generally poor performance at the box-office. Upset at the inability to make money from Scarface, Howard Hughes removed the film from circulation.[60] The film remained unavailable until 1979 except for occasional release prints of suspect quality from questionable sources.[96] Hughes had plans in 1933 to direct and produce a sequel to Scarface, but due to stricter censorship rules, the film was never made.[97]
Based on a sampling of 46 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, Scarface holds a 98% rating, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The critics' consensus reads: "This Scarface foregoes his "little friend" and packs a different kind of heat, blending stylish visuals, thrilling violence, and an incredible cast."[98] It holds a rating of 90 on Metacritic based on 12 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[99]
Industry reception
In 1994, Scarface was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[100] The character of Tony Camonte ranked at number 47 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains list.[101] The film was named the best American sound film by critic and director Jean-Luc Godard in Cahiers du Cinéma.[102] In June 2008, the American Film Institute revealed its "Ten Top Ten"—the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres—after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. Scarface was acknowledged as the sixth best in the gangster film genre. The 1983 version was placed 10th, making Scarface the only film to make the same "10 Top 10" list as its remake.[103]
