Even when it’s less exciting, Scarface is just admirable for how ballsy it is. And how strange. That’s not to say all the unexciting parts of the movie work really well; I’d say there’s a good middle portion of it that feels kind of flat. But even in the midst of some clunkiness there are details thrown in, like the scene that takes place with Tony in the bathtub for its entire duration. We get to see in a few sequences just how ornate Tony’s digs are once he becomes king of the cocaine scene, but this room is one of the most striking, laid out in gold coloring and just massive. The expanse of the space is a method we’ve seen used all the way back to Citizen Kane’s massive Xanadu mansion. It creates a feeling of isolation for the protagonist. We also get to witness the growing tension between Tony and his inner circle, including his wife played by Michelle Pfeiffer. Their relationship is an absolute mess. And all this transpires with Tony naked in the tub. On one hand it signifies luxury and decadence, and at the same time possibly foreshadows Tony’s tragic end, which finds him once again lying in water, except next time he’s face down, full of bullet holes.
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