Characteristics Of A Great Movie example essay topic

The Greatest Movie Ever Made Perhaps the best movie to ever bless the eyes of any American is the 1983 Brian De Palma gangster movie classic, Scarface. Scarface is the tale of Tony Montana and his journey through his new life in America in the early 80's Cuban immigrant movement. The movie depicts the American dream, to be successful, perfectly. Scarface and its main star, Al Pacino, also shows movie watchers in detail, the process of going from "rags-to-riches" since that is what he did in the feature. Lastly, Scarface is perhaps the best movie to ever be made because it basically contains all the characteristics that are that of a great movie.

First of all, Scarface is one of the greatest feature films ever because it illustrates the American dream perfectly, which is to be successful. This story goes in to detail on what some people are willing to do in chase of the American dream. Tony Montana or Scarface was a man who knew what he wanted, but did not have the patience to get it honorably. This description fits many of today's Americans.

The fact that so many people can relate to this obsession with obtaining the American dream, is the reason this movie is considered a classic. Though the way he achieved this dream was not honorable and honest, Montana, through illegal means, became very successful at what he did. This movie, perhaps better than Wallstreet (1987), New Jack City (1991), or any other movie that has tried to depict the American dream, also captured America through its unbelievable realism. In America, being successful is probably the ultimate goal of everyone. No one wants to grow up and be unsuccessful. To many it's easily obtainable and to others it's just a dream.

In Scarface, the film shows Montana getting onto the boat that brought him to America, in Mariel, Cuba. When he steps off the boat on the coast of Florida, he is a bum who many would look at in disgust. At the end of this epic tale, as he steps out of his office right before he is killed, he is more successful than most people are today and as successful as many people dream to be. To Montana, a Cuban refugee, "everyday above ground is a good day" (Scarface), so obtaining success to him, was truly a dream and in this Universal Pictures movie, it's clearly shown, making it the best movie of all time.

Another reason that Brian De Palma's classic, Scarface, is probably the best movie of all time is because it epitomizes the process of going from "rags-to-riches" very clearly. When Tony Montana, stepped off the boat in Florida, he had less than nothing in his pocket and no way to get anything in them either. As the movie evolves, through determination, dedication, hard work, and commitment, among other things, Montana was able to have everything he could dream of. This film shows the process in which Tony went through to go from rags to riches, and shows it in a way that far surpasses any other movie that has attempted to do the same. The attention to details and the emphasis on the major events that brought him the riches are brilliantly displayed throughout this movie.

The movie, under the guidance of its brilliant director, held nothing back in a very successful attempt to show this process. Rather it was the gruesome chain saw scene at the Sun Ray Motel to earn him nearly nothing, or the awesome shot of Pacino sitting behind mounds of cocaine after he's practically rich, the process of rags-to-riches, was shown unbelievably, which is yet another reason why this is the greatest movie of all time. Lastly, the reason that Scarface should be considered the best movie of all time is simply because it has all the characteristics of a great movie. Rather it's the great screenplay by Al Pacino, the unbelievable script by Brian De Palma, or the awesome development of the plot, Scarface has all the elements of a legendary film.

If one was to list the characteristics or ingredients of a movie that is to be considered the best, Scarface would for certain have most if not all of those qualities. For example, if someone was to say that a great movie must have a great plot, a nice setting, a good director, an awesome actor and an abundance of other things, Scarface could suffice in all of those categories, and far easier than any other movie in history could. Many may argue that Scarface is not quite to the level of greatness that I feel it is, but if isn't, riddle me this: what in the hell does great have to be?

Bibliography

Scarface" Scarface. Dir. Brian De Palma. 1983.
VHS. Columbia Tristar Home Video, 1983.