There are few actors more recognized and respected in Hollywood than Al Pacino, who has been a fixture on the big screen since the 1970s. Pacino first became a star in 1972 with the release of Francis Ford Coppola's film The godfathera crime epic that is now widely considered one of the greatest films of all time. Pacino would reprise his role as Michael Corleone in the acclaimed The Godfather Part II in 1974 and The Godfather Part III in 1990, but he also went beyond this franchise, playing several iconic characters in several successful films.
In 1975, for example, Pacino starred Dog Day Afternoonand in the following decades he would star in projects such as DickTracy (1990), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), Warm up (1995), and Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019). One of Pacino's most iconic roles, however, came in 1983. in the form of a collaboration with director Brian De Palma, with the pair ultimately making what is now considered a cult crime thriller classic.
Scarface Gets Grim Accuracy Grade From Weapons Expert
Al Pacino's Big Shootout Features Some Notable Mistakes
A firearms expert analyzes Scarin the final shootout, dropping accuracy points but admitting he still enjoys the scene. Serving as a remake of a 1932 film of the same name Scar features Pacino starring as Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant who becomes Miami's most powerful drug dealer. The film, which was written by Oliver Stone, had only modest box office success in the 1980s and Critics' reviews were mixed to negative, but it has since become a cult classic, largely due to the iconic final gunfight..
In a recent video for Insideranalyzes firearms expert and former special operations soldier Patrick McNamara Scarclimactic shootout, revealing that the entire sequence seriously lacks realism. Despite featuring exaggerated flashes, a misrepresentation of a grenade launcher, and a general lack of gun skills, McNamara admits he still really enjoys the scene. Check out his review and score for the film out of 10 below:
It wasn't real, but I liked it anyway. He launches himself towards the door and is only seven meters away. The arming distance I believe for the M203 is about 20 meters, so it wouldn't have detonated when it hit the door, it would have just gone through that door.
The rate of fire at which Tony Montana's rifle fired was quite accurate. I mean, the muzzle flash, that was extreme. So what muzzle flash refers to is the amount of light that comes out of that muzzle when the bullet exits the muzzle of the gun itself. You don't want the muzzle flash because that could give away your position.
I understand that he is not a commando in this. He looks like a drug dealer shooting a gun. Shooting from the hips, spraying and praying. You know, when I talk about spray and pray, all I'm saying is you're just squeezing the trigger, you're oriented toward the target somewhere, but you're not aiming. It's indiscriminate fire. You're praying that those bullets hit, that all that indiscriminate fire hits what you're potentially aiming for. No way would I teach people to spray and pray.
He has his magazines taped together jungle-style. Some guys have two magazines and they put something to create a space between them so they can drop one when it's empty and change it and the other, the full one, goes in the magazine compartment. […]
I would classify this clip as a [out of 10]not necessarily based on weapon handling. The volume of fire from a particular weapon system, the inability to understand what the arming distance is on the M203, so for mechanical reasons, you know, I just thought it wasn't good.
Our opinion on Scarface's lack of realism
How much does it really matter?
Although ScarWhile the big gunfight may not be realistic, it's clear that McNamara still recognizes the entertainment value of the scene. Furthermore, as he explains, it makes sense that Tony isn't handling the gun like a soldier, as he has no formal training. Despite its lack of precision, ScarPacino's final action sequence remains one of the reasons the film now enjoys the reputation it does, and Pacino's"Say hello to my little friend"The line is now one of the most iconic and quotable lines in film history.
ScarIts critical reception has varied over the years, but it currently has a 79% critic score and a 93% audience rating on Rotten tomatoes. Clearly, this is a film that now appeals to viewers, and his exaggerated violence is certainly one of the reasons for his new success. Scar It may not be accurate, but it's certainly entertaining, which is why it's now widely considered a cult classic.
Source: Insider