Scarface : the film that changed Michelle Pfeiffer’s career
In the cult film genre par excellence, Scarface (1984) arises there. Although Brian De Palma’s film was not appreciated for its true value at the time of its release, it subsequently entered the collective unconscious and popular culture, becoming a symbol of the urban environment and a reference in the world of rap and hip hop. For this remake of Howard Hawks’ work (1932), De Palma and Oliver Stone (screenplay) had the good idea of transposing the story of this small-time criminal who will reach the peak and collapse in Miami in the 80s.
Tony Camonte became like that Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee expelled from Cuba and sent to the United States, like many of his compatriots during the Mariel exodus. First parked in a shelter, he then found himself doing odd jobs as a cook. Except Tony dreams of something else. As he says he in the brilliant French version of Scarfacehe has “hands made for gold, but they’re in troubleThis is how he agrees to do the dirty work for a Miami boss, before climbing the ladder. Except Tony will always want more, starting with Elvirahis boss’s partner who he will eventually take over before building his own criminal empire and becoming more rotten than ever…
Because even if Tony Montana has something fascinating, helped by the charisma ofAl Pacino, remains a problematic and amoral character, who destroys everything he touches, even his sister who he unconsciously desires. Although he has been seen by some as a hero of a disadvantaged class, Brian De Palma has never praised him and in no way hides what Tony Montana really is.
Michelle Pfeiffer’s fears
In addition to Al Pacino’s brilliant performance, Scarface highlights Michelle Pfeiffer in one of his most important roles. A role that could have eluded her, because at the time few people still believed in her. It must be said that the actress (25 years old at the time of the film’s release) was still at the beginning of her career and was coming out of the enormous failure of Fat 2 (1982). That’s why Al Pacino, very involved in the project, wasn’t convinced. Which made Michelle Pfeiffer very nervous when her agents told her that she might audition for the film. As you explained in the podcast The skinny confidentialhad a reaction”mixed“, at the same time “happy to come out of poverty” but also “tortured“from the idea that it would be bad.
I had so little hope of getting this role.
However, the actress managed to turn the tables during a test audition during which she injured the actor. A positive thing for her career, even if Michelle Pfeiffer experienced some difficult filming.
“I cried myself to sleep”
This is what he said during an interview with Darren Aronofsky (via Farout magazine), explaining first of all a certain discomfort in being, with Maria Elisabetta Mastrantonio, the only woman on the set. According to her, some condition of hers created it sometimes he even ended his days in tears.
I was terrified. They were filmed for six months. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and I were the only women. It was a boys club. And there was also the nature of the relationship with Tony Montana, the fact that he was very dismissive of my character. Because of all this, some nights I ended up crying myself to sleep.
Also Michelle Pfeiffer”refugee“in her character of Elvira, a disconnected, drug-addicted woman. A role that therefore had an impact on his state of mind, but also on his physique. Elvira actually appears very thin, due to her regular cocaine use. In Scarface, Tony Montana attacks him on this element in a scene in which he is particularly obnoxious. In reality, it was mainly the prolonged filming of several weeks that caused this problem the actress’s weight loss, so much so that some people on the team started to worry about it. He would joke about it years later, stating that “he survived by eating tomato soups and Malboros“.
Source: Cine Serie
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