The Untouchables- An Absolute Delight of a Movie!!- 2023 March Review

 

First off, I know many people will say this movie is very historically inaccurate, but from a movie buffs point of view, I thought it was an absolute delight!

The 1987 movie follows,Treasury agent Elliot Ness and his quest to bust the infamous gangster Al Capone.  Ness teams up with three other men under the name, “The Untouchables”, who track down illegal alcohol distributors, and other people influenced by Capone’s bribery.

I actually stumbled upon this movie by accident, and ended up watching it just to see what it was about. I remember my uncle having the movie poster, YouTube was recommending me scenes from the film, as well as people who reacted to it. I also remember the parody of the subway scene in the third installment of Files From the Police Squad: The Naked Gun which was just downright funny!

I think the most plausible reason I wanted to watch this movie was because of the wonderful score composed by the legendary Ennio Morricone. That theme is so whimsical and uplifting that I’ve heard it many times over the years on the promo TCM used to show, called 100 Years of Movies. Which showcases important films from the beginning of cinema to the early 1990’s. That theme was used in the last half of the promo, so I set out to investigate the film it was from, and finally watched the movie.

In all honesty, this film really got me hooked. I haven’t seen to many gangster films, other than Godfather part 1, and half of Goodfellas, but this movie drew me in with its unique cast and the chemistry between the four men and the tactics they used against Capone’s men. Kevin Costner, whom I knew from Field of Dreams, as Elliot Ness was a great leading man. He made his urgency for busting Al Capone believable. Andy Garcia as George Stone was my second favorite character. He was a very cool, and skillful guy who had a perfect shot with a gun. What I enjoyed most about his character is that he was a loyal friend to Ness, not just a worker for him. He became a partner towards the end of the film and trusted Ness with his tactics. Charles Martin Smith as the accountant, Oscar Wallace was great! He was a very likable character that had very much potential if he survived in the rest of the movie. And, Robert Deniro as Al Capone was very captivating. Even though he was only in a few scenes, he still made his mark as a vicious character, and let the audience know he means business. Kinda surprised he did not win an Oscar for his performance. 

By far the guy who stole the movie for me was obviously Sean Connery, and his wonderful performance as the rag tag cop Jim Malone. Connery’s role as the bumbling, yet eccentric professor Henry Jones Sir, in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a very personal role to me. As I have become attached to his character of Indiana Jones’s father since I was a child, and I saw some of that character in his portrayal of Malone. He was a very wise, yet hardheaded mentor figure to the rest of the men, and really had insane tactics on getting the answer out of the goons. He gave Ness important valuable advice to remember on his journey, and really became the beacon who guided them to their finishing goal.

His death scene honestly got me in tears. It was so sudden and I knew sooner or later Connery was going to get picked off but I didn’t know it was going to be this intense. Watching him help himself across the floor to the living room was tough to bare, as well as Ness and Stone seeing him suffering on the ground. It was a very hard watch, and as much as I tried not to burst into tears, I did. I felt for Malone’s character, I knew he was a very vital piece onto solving the case, as well as a dear friend to the rest of the crew. Even after the scene was over I still was crying, it got me in the heart that much. Connery really deserved that Oscar for best supporting actor, he was magnificent in the role. 

The three scenes that stood out to me the most was the liquor raid scene, the elevator scene, and the subway shootout. I realize the liquor raid scene is very short, but I love that shot of the four of them, finally having established their team, walking across the street and into the bank. The musical score, and the stance of our cast is determined, and it sets up the mood that some serious stuff is about to go down. The elevator scene, I’m sure is a shock for many. I was pretty heartbroken when Wallace got shot, and the events that followed afterwards. It really made me know, that our heroic crew is being pursued by Capone’s men and they would bump them off if they had to. The tension rose after that, because i kept wondering who would face the terror next. 

The subway scene is without a doubt legendary. I know why I see this scene referenced in various forms of media now, because it’s so riveting. The slow motion capture of the baby, as well as Ness fighting with the other goons is pretty nail biting because your so focused on the baby and it’s mother, yet your scared for Ness and how he will get out of the situation. The whole scene was choreographed perfectly,  and really brought a sigh of relief when Stone rushed in to stop the carriage and also take out the goon in one shot. Flawless scene! 

The final scene I want to touch upon is the chase with Frank Nitti on the courthouse building. I know it’s not talked about much but it still was a really gripping scene because I honestly thought Ness was in for a huge rude awakening if he followed this guy. When I saw Nitti dangling from the the rope, I seriously thought Ness was going to finish him off. Until he helped him up onto the roof. I thought Ness was going to arrest him, but he couldn’t let this creep get off so easily! Especially what he did throughout the duration of the film. Then Ness throws him off the side of the building landing into a car with a huge smash. That was pretty darn satisfying. Good triumphing over Evil, is what we NEEDED to see after all the trouble that came during the last act. 

In conclusion, I think The Untouchables  was a fantastic film. A film I would totally watch again on my own time or with a friend. The cast was perfect, the musical score was wonderful, the scenes were gripping and fun, and as historically inaccurate the film may be, I thought it was one wild ride!!!