Some characters embody the absolute worst in human
nature. They represent the most
repugnant qualities in all of us. Sometimes,
they do their job a bit too well and bring us face to face with things we’d
rather not confront. These characters,
and the films they inhabit, are often dismissed as dangerous and without a
shred of socially redeeming value. On December 9th, 1983, one such
character was born. He is a bit of an
odd duck in the history of motion pictures, equal parts grim reality and bloated
fantasy. He would come to be as the main
character in a big budget remake of the classic Howard Hawks gangster film Scarface.