Untouchables
Epic, ornate, beautifully shot, written, and acted, would be just some of the apt descriptions of Brian DePalmaās Grand Masterpiece from 1987, depicting the era of Prohibition-era Chicago as it was controlled by the notorious gangster Al Capone and the small, hand-picked team of Federal Agents led by Eliot Ness who succeeded in bringing his empire down. Certainly a LOT of liberty was taken with historical accuracy, perhaps rightfully so because the original book written by Ness in the 50s is an awfully dry read, with the real story being awfully mundane by comparison, but screenwriter David Mamet infuses the narrative with smartly conceived notions about values and how far one is willing to go to compromise them in order to achieve the stated goal, wonderfully epitomized by Kevin Costner in the lead role as Ness, naively believing that his operations will go smoothly as long as they are by the book, only to learn that the Capone empire has such a corrupt grip on the police force, the courts, and the media through enormous amounts of graft and glad handing, that he has to dig deep to find that dark side within himself and take the steps necessary to have his own small group of men with the courage and moral fortitude to bring it all down, including Andy Garcia as the Police Academy trainee (and Italian American who feels that Capone has disgraced his people) who is a crack shot and loyal to the core (plus you gotta love the way before every action scene Garcia has a look about him that indicates that he canāt wait to kill somebody); Charles Martin Smith as the nerdy accountant obsessed with the paper trail that leads to the proof that Capone hasnāt paid any taxes despite living the lifestyle of an Emperor; and best of all Sean Connery as the aging Irish cop still walking the beat in his golden years because he canāt be bought that comes on and serves as a mentor to Ness and the others in how to take the fight to the mob (and the fact that he obviously has a past, unspoken grudge against Capone also serves as a factor). The performance by Connery was so fantastic, so at the top of his form, that it resulted in his only Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor, and perhaps more deservedly so than almost any other winner, not just a āCareer Awardā but one that defines the entire nature of the film to a tee. Then there is Robert DeNiro as Capone himself, really a series of glamorous vignettes displaying his opulent lifestyle and gradual realization that these Untouchables have actually got his number, and is a perfect example of the high quality work that DeNiro was doing at this stage of his career in the 80s on a regular basis. More fascinating is the parallels that can be drawn between Capone and such modern day villains like Saddam Hussein and Barack Obama: Like Obama, Capone is benefitted by a preening press corps seemingly enraptured by his every word, even as he openly admits to them the illegal activities he engages in, whereas the Saddam comparison is even more damning, as Capone was merely someone taking advantage of an unpopular law to build his illegal empire, but despite being no immediate threat to the public at large, was such a despot and tyrannical figure he simply HAD to be brought to justice, even as Prohibition came to an end and reduced his Empire to ruins. As said, DePalma as director was at the top of his game here (before his artistic downfall that continues to this day), bringing a crisp pace and superb sense of style while still not being afraid to pile on the gore and gruesome violence when necessary. On the technical levels, everything is perfect, from the showy cinematography, to the gorgeous art and set direction (especially during the Capone scenes), to the intricately designed costumes, and certainly with Ennio Morriconeās sweeping score, which lifts the whole enterprise to something beyond even greatness itself. Best of all, the supporting cast features a slew of great, top-notch character actors, all at the top of their game, most notably Billy Drago, a chilling portrait of evil as the white-suited hitman Frank Nitti. Overall, a rich, vibrant classic that is in no short supply of blood and guts to get its point across, at the very least the best period film ever made, not to mention a ballsy, all thrusters go Action Masterpieceā¦
10/10