The Island Cinephile

The Untouchables: Captain America takes on the Mafia

Directed by Brian de Palma

“Never stop, never stop fighting till the fight is done.”

Eliot Ness

The Untouchables is a bonified, thriller film released in 1987 and is based on a true story. It retells the work of Agent Eliot Ness who worked tirelessly to take down Al Capone. Ness acts as the Captain America of 1930s New York embroiled in a war with a local crime boss – who seems to be a villain with little complexity. He assembles his avengers one by one as the film progresses, who all fight to enact justice. Merely four years after directing the highly praised Scarface, Brian De Palma returns to the screen. Unfortunately, this film was a bit of a let-down for me. There seemed to be a disconnect regarding the tone. The soundtrack is a Grammy-Award winning score composed by Ennio Morricone, yet it makes it seem something less than a thriller or crime flick. Instead, it comes off as an inspirational film. For instance, there would be brutality sprinkled between inspirational musical swells, so it felt very off at times. Even the acting oftentimes erred on corny, especially the unrealistic death scene after nearly 35 bullet wounds – which I consider the Scarface Special. However, the pacing of the story moved along well-enough and had a few thrills along the way.

Regarding the heavy-set cast, headlined by Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness, his performance seemed to be the most uninspired. He needed a bit more character, but he stayed true to the expected moral compass of the protagonist with all his bravado and goodness. Perhaps his character suffered on account of the surface-level personality and simple dialogue. In contrast, Sean Connery played as a strong support to the lead and proved to remain a formidable force on screen even in the emergence of new Hollywood. He went on to receive academy awards for this role. Robert de Niro as Al Capone was unusual and lacked depth, but it was interesting to behold. Undoubtedly, the best part of the film were those classic tailored suits by Giorgio Armani. The suits proved to be a vital part in the effectiveness of the storytelling as it reflected 1930s men’s fashion.

The Untouchables is a good movie that provides some semblance of entertainment, but the acclaim that is has received over the years escapes me.

Watch trailer for Singin’ in the Rain.