5 Ways Carlito’s Way Is Better Than Scarface (& 5 Ways Scarface Is Better)

In 1983, Brian De Palma and Al Pacino collaborated on Scarface. The movie was a box office hit and, despite poor reviews, it became a classic. Ten years later, De Palma and Pacino reteamed for another Latin gangster movie with Carlito’s Way. Reviews and box-office were modest, however, over time, it gained a cult following.

But despite being considered a classic and iconic, is the stylized, ultra-violent Scarface really better than the personal, redemption story of Carlito, told in a thrilling fashion? There are reasons why De Palma and Pacino’s second gangster film is often thought of as better than their first and yet others that prove why Scarface is considered a classic.

10 Carlito’s Way: Scarface Has Become A Parody

While Scarface is considered more of a classic than Carlito’s Way, therein lies one of its biggest drawbacks. Al Pacino’s over-the-top performance has become so iconic that, over the years, it has become parody. At the time of the film’s release, audiences were swept away by Pacino’s hypnotic performance, but because the film’s dialogue and Pacino’s Cuban accent has become so quotable and humorously imitable, today Scarface can seem like a comedy.

Watching the film today is like watching someone doing an Al Pacino-Tony Montana impression, which lessens the performance’s effect and therefore the film’s impact. Carlito’s Way is actually helped by the fact that it’s less iconic and has no cultural attachments.

9 Scarface: It’s More Influential

While Carlito’s Way is generally liked, Scarface is considered a classic and iconic. It is also considered one of the greatest gangster movies ever made and while Carlito’s Way does involve crime, it is nowhere near as influential. This is evident by the number of people who, today, adorn themselves with the iconic T-shirt that features the movie’s poster. The style of the movie had an impact due to its portrayal of the excessive lifestyle of the rich and powerful.

Scarface’s release coincided with the rise of hip-hop and ever since its release, it has been mentioned in many rap songs, often including a sample of the film’s score. Even Wesley Snipes’ gangster character in New Jack City watches Scarface for inspiration.

8 Carlito’s Way: It’s More Suspenseful

Brian De Palma has always been a student of Hitchcock and he uses all the tricks in his book for Carlito’s Way. This is apparent in the pool hall scene, as Carlito eyes a gangster who’s about to kill his nephew while, at the same time, setting up a pool shot he’s going to use to defend himself.

Later, when Carlito knows the mafia is after him, he must get his money and escape his bar avoiding detection, all while the propulsive beat of Patti LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade” plays. Then soon after, a thrilling chase ensues through the subway and into Grand Central Terminal that has audiences’ hearts pumping.

7 Scarface: It Was More Relevant

Unlike other gangster movies, which are normally about Italians, Scarface takes a unique approach and frames the story around the real-world events of the time. In 1980, an enormous wave of 125,000 Cubans emigrated to Florida from the Port of Mariel in Cuba.

This group of immigrants included some gang members who would come to be known as the Marielitos. These gangs focused their efforts on drug trafficking and screenwriter Oliver Stone used this as the basis for his story, which gave the film real context.

6 Carlito’s Way: Story Is More Original

Carlito’s Way is based on a book called After Hours and Scarface is a remake of a 1932 film. While Scarface takes a fresh spin on the material, it’s still a rehashed story of a gangster’s rise to power. However, Carlito’s Way is a redemption story. It’s about a reformed gangster who can’t seem to escape the life of crime.

Throughout the movie, Carlito tussles with Benny Blanco, a young gangster that reminds him of himself. In the end, Blanco kills Carlito. Blanco represents Carlito’s younger self, his past, and that’s what ultimately kills him. However, before he dies, he’s able to do one last good thing, that is, give his love a baby and save her life. Like many De Palma movies, Carlito’s Way is about loss and it’s tragically romantic. What makes Carlito’s Way truly romantic is that Carlito finds what he wanted, which is something he previously considered unattainable, and then tragically discovers that it is.

5 Scarface: It’s More Quotable

While Carlito’s Way is a beautifully written David Koepp script, Oliver Stone wrote the dialogue that has since become iconic. Phrases like “Say goodnight to the bad guy,” and of course, “Say hello to my little friend” have become part of the collective unconscious.

While Carlito’s Way has great dialogue, Stone infused Scarface’s dialogue with an energy, grit, and crudeness that audiences have remembered and quoted since the movie was released nearly 40 years ago.

4 Carlito’s Way: Cast & Characters Are Better

While Scarface boasts star-making performances from Michelle Pfeiffer and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, it’s mostly known for Al Pacino hamming up the screen. However, Carlito’s Way has a great cast and the movie’s success is not due to Pacino’s performance alone. Tony Montana is not a likable or sympathetic character, but Carlito is, and the audience roots for him.

Penelope Ann Miller is great as a woman who has turned to stripping after struggling to make her dream a reality. Sean Penn plays a smarmy, cocaine-addicted, and nefarious lawyer, and both Miller and Penn received Golden Globe nominations for their performances.

3 Scarface: Contains Fewer Stereotypes

Carlito’s Way has often been accused of failing at its attempt at realism. Critics panned Pacino’s boricua accent, and for sometimes slipping into the southern drawl he used previously for Scent Of A Woman. Sean Penn plays a duplicitous lawyer that comes off as a Jewish stereotype, which irked the clear basis for the character, attorney Alan Dershowitz.

Towards the finale, members of the Italian mafia chase Carlito, and while the chase is thrilling, the killers are mafioso caricatures that are a times bumbling, silly, and over the top.

2 Carlito’s Way: Scarface’s Music Is Dated

Carlito’s Way has a beautiful score by composer Patrick Doyle that is romantically haunting, tragic, and urgently rhythmic, particularly during the chase sequence between Carlito and the mobsters.

Conversely, music producer Giorgio Moroder provided Scarface’s score, then famous for being a pioneer of new wave and electronic music. However, the score has since become dated through its heavy use of synthesizers that make it seem like elevator muzak or something heard in a 1980’s club.

1 Scarface: It’s More Innovative

While Carlito’s Way is superbly directed, many feel that there’s nothing new about it. It excels at everything that makes a film great, but groundbreaking Scarface was more subversive and its style more original. While Scarface’s story is nothing new, its presentation broke ground in gangster filmmaking following The Godfather’s traditional beauty and before Goodfellas’  kinetic madness.

It pushed the limits of violence and its portrayal of the excess and consequences of the criminal lifestyle, which left audiences shocked and riveted. Ultimately, in comparing the two, audiences must decide whats matters to them most: must a movie be great and innovative to be considered the best or does it just have to excel at being great?

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