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The Untouchables (1987)
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Movie Review by Chris
November 27th, 2008
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'The Untouchables' tells the story of the last days when Al Capone reigned highest, before he was placed in prison. Directed by Brian De Palma, 'The Untouchables' is a classic film starring Robert DeNiro, Sean Connery, Kevin Costner and Andy Garcia. Most recently De Palma had re-invented the 30's again in The Black Dahlia Murder, which explores the Blach Dahlia killings through the eyes of a reporter. Sadly, that film was almost unwatchable and didnt carry that De Palma feel. This though is a great movie, it's never boring and it's very smart and real. It actually follows the real cases and events which lead to Capone's 11 year sentence in prison. Released in 1987, Sean Connery had won an Oscar for Best Supporting Role and the film was nominated for Best Set Production, an award which this film shouldve won. Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner) will do anything to find a reason to put Al Capone in prison, even if it means digging deep into the mind of Capone and risking his life. He begins a force which soon becomes known as The Untouchables. In this group are Jim Malone (Sean Connery), Oscar Wallace (Charles Martin Smith) and George Stone (Andy Garcia). Along side of Elliot, this group is specifically designed to take down Al Capone.
They track shipments of illegal alcohol and rick their lives, but they always seem to be one step behind Capone. They can never find a real reason why Capone should be in prison, in the judge's eye atleast. They know he's a killer and has broken many laws, these judgements just dont work out in court though. Capone is played by Robert Deniro, this is a tough role since Capone was known to be funny yet mean, kind and a little sketchy at times, but there has been so much known about him that it makes it difficult to get the role exactly right. Capone is the type of guy to joke about something or mess around. There is one scene in particular where he is at a dinner walking around the table with a baseball bat and talking about how much the game of baseball relates to his work. After making the group laugh and convincing them he's right, he goes and begins beating a guy over the head with the bat right at the dinner table. This is a typical gangster scene, it's been done in Godfather, Goodfellas and almost every other film like this. I like the way Capone was handled though by Deniro, whom was the perfect choice for the role.
Kevin Costner stars as Elliot Ness, the guy who begins the group and is responsible for putting Capone behind bars. He has a wife and one son, who was born halfway through the movie. Elliot really doesnt love his job, he doesnt like killing people and would love to put Capone behind bars, but he seems almost desperate, now willing to do anything for it. I like Costner, I like the way he handles a scene and the way he makes a character his own. I know nothing about the real Elliot Ness so I cant compare the two in their alikes and differences, but I really liked Costner in this role. Sean Connery really took over the screen though as Jim Malone, a beat cop who takes the smarter route in capturing Capone. Through the movie, Jim tells Elliot the rules of becoming a cop, and each one of the rules deals with a mistake Elliot has made or something he is about to do. It's sad to say that Jim doesnt get to see Capone be put in prison, but he plays an extremely likeable character. Winning an Oscar is nothing new for him, but this role was the perfect choice. Also starring here is Andy Garcia looking better then ever. He was assigned in the group for his amazing shot with a weapon. He is very calm and smart, a great role for Andy to take over.
Brian De Palma has never created a so called "action" movie, his films deal with characters put in violent situations. Most of all, he never really tries to rush his films either, and the running times are mostly around the two hour limit. All his films are calm and let us take in the sets and atmosphere built around the movie. The film was nominated for an Oscar for the beautiful set design. As Capone was rich, he lived in big fancy hotels and carried around body guards for himself. The hotels he stays at are beautiful, each one fit for a king. He is also an emotional man, in one scene we find him crying over an opera show he took some men to see. When were not in fancy hotels though, the crowded streets of Chicago and the police department give us the feeling that we are actually in the 30's. A few people actually talked about the action in the movie though, they said it felt generically built. It was violent and felt real, but I didnt pay much attention to how the scenes were constructed. The plot and characters were enough to keep my attention away from these scenes. The scene in the subway stairs is excellently crafted though, something I must say.
'The Untouchables' is a classic movie, it is also an unforgettable story about the police side of the Capone story. It felt real and I enjoyed it. A must see.
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