Random Fascinating Facts You Probably Didn't Know About 'Scarface' (15 items)

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  (#5) Martin Scorsese Knew The Movie Was Going To Be A Critical Failure

  When Scarface first hit theaters, it was universally panned by critics. According to costar Steven Bauer, during the premiere of Scarface, Martin Scorsese said to him, "You guys are great but be prepared, because they're going to hate it in Hollywood." Bauer asked Scorsese why and he replied, "Because it's about them."

  The film explored the illusion of the American dream. Tony believed that more wealth and more power would lead to his happiness. Scarface can be viewed as an allegory to what was going on in Hollywood during the dysfunctional 1980s. At that time, the industry was filled with substance abuse and corruption. And of course, there has always been the myth that rising to the top of the celebrity food chain would lead to personal fulfillment. Apparently, that message hit a little too close to home for some of Hollywood's elite. 
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  (#3) Al Pacino Injured His Hand On Set

  Al Pacino and costar Steven Bauer, who played Manny Ribera, rehearsed for the gangster movie for several weeks before filming began. During one session, Pacino seriously hurt his hand with a machine gun. The injury would keep him out of the rehearsal room for two weeks.

  He explained how he received his injury: "I got shot! [...] I shot off 30 rounds. I get hit with the squibs. I start leaping up in the air, flying up in the air and I land and I go to grab the gun and guess what? I grabbed the barrel...on the gun that just shot off 30 rounds. My hand stuck to that sucker. That was it. I couldn't get my hand off of it. I couldn't work for two weeks." Now that's some commitment. 
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  (#14) 'Scarface' Is Al Pacino's Favorite Movie

  Al Pacino has been in some of the finest films in movie history, but his favorite is still Scarface. Despite the film's controversy and initial poor reviews, the actor always believed that the movie would remain relevant for decades to come.

  "The picture had a fire to it. That was part of Brian's concept, to do everything in an extraordinary way - to have the violence blown up, the language blown up," he explained. "The spirit of it was operatic. It didn't opt for sentiment but had an almost fable-like quality to it. It was probably the most popular picture I ever made, but the reaction to it was stranger than any of my other films. That picture did something to me. It was a lot of movie. You go to a movie, you get a lot of movie with Scarface."
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  (#12) Steven Spielberg Made A Directing Cameo

  You probably know this climactic scene; it's one of the most memorable in movie history. Tony Montana waits in his Miami mansion for his enemies to come and end him. There's an insane pile of coke on his desk as he clutches onto an M16 and grenade launcher. This is the part where he says, "Say hello to my little friend."

  Steven Spielberg was visiting his friend Brian De Palma on set the day the legendary scene was filming. The Jaws director wound up shooting one of the shots for the scene, in which a gangster tosses a grappling hook to the top of Tony's mansion. Spielberg did not receive a directing credit for his effort, just a chance to be part of cinema history. 
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  (#15) Brett Ratner Was An Extra In The Movie

  Hollywood producer and director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, X-Men: The Last Stand) lived in Miami when he was a teenager. He played an extra in Scarface during a Miami street scene. Ratner said that he would skip school and go to the set every day where he would watch De Palma give direction to Pacino. That image of a director telling an actor what to do would stick with Ratner.

  Ratner did a Variety cover shoot with Pacino in 2007. He told Pacino how seeing him on the set of Scarface made him want to become a director. When Pacino asked him why that was, Ratner explained, "Because I saw you act and I could never be that good, so I wanted to be the guy who told you what to do."
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  (#1) 'Scarface' Initially Received An X Rating

  Due to the film's language, violence, and substance use, the MPAA initially gave Scarface an "X" rating. Because an X rating (normally associated with adult material) would have severely limited ticket sales, director Brian De Palma re-edited the movie four times to try and change the board's decision. However, even after the edits, the MPAA still felt that the film was too violent.

  De Palma eventually gave up and refused to cut the movie any further. He even told Universal that they would have to fire him and find someone else to hack away at his film. The studio decided to appeal the MPAA's verdict. Eventually, the decision was overturned and Scarface received an R rating. 

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