If you take the movie literally then yes he is. But if you read between the lines you can relate it to your own life. I don't think so from that perspective. He was coming up in the world, struggling, trying to achieve a goal. Tony also had to deal with envious people. People backstabbing him. From that perspective I can relate so I like the film and the character. It is my favorite film.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9781413704761&itm=1

Struggling and coming up in the world? Having to deal with envious and backstabbing people?

You make it sound like he was some hard working legitimate business man who had to work hard everyday to acheive his goal.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the movie and I love the Tony Montana character. It's a movie, and he's just a character. But he is what he is : A murdering, thieving, scumbag, drug dealing lowlife who'd cut you up for a dollar in a heartbeat.



Don Cardi

On the surface,you could say that. But I agree with PS whole heartedly.
Looking between the lines is necessary when you look at a guy like Tony Montana.
When you look at it that way,you can see different things about him. He was only a man,who thought foolishly that he could have the world and when he got it, he later fell apart,and couldn't handle it.I look at him as being someone who did not want to be evil,or plan to be evil,knew that his life was no good for his sister,and struggled within himself to justify his own actions.
But yes,he was what he was,but I cannot see him as a monster.
To me,it all comes down to this:He was a victim of corruption in this world.

I don't know about that. To a point, while living in Cuba, yes. However when he arrived in America, he had choices. He could have easily chose to ride it out in Freedomtown, get released, and start a new life in America. Instead he was given an opportunity to take a shortcut out of Freedomtown, and he chose to commit murder to enable himself to take that shortcut out of Freedomtown. A guy like Tony Montana is the kind of person that no matter what opportunity is presented to him, will turn that opportunity into an evil act because of his own selfishness and greed. Tony Montana was not the kind of person who was going to change from the life that he had in Cuba. He was not going to work a 9 - 5 job and walk the straight an narrow because he had an evil selfishness within himself that would step on and destroy anything and anyone that got in his way.


Don Cardi

I think he had both good and bad qualities.

Absolutly not. He was doin wuh had to be done. I don't blame him for doin anything. The only bad thing he did was at the end...biggest regret...killin Manny. Other than that...great role model.

He just made too many mistakes. He didn't know that everything would blow up in his face. All he wanted was the American Dream.
But he was a fool, because he thought he could get it by living dirty.

Tony wasn't a fool... He was a... a... I dunno but he's not a fool

If you think about it, the idea he had about achieving happiness through crime was foolish. No he wasn't stupid, and in many other ways he was very smart, but that one mistake....was very foolish.

He was not book smart, or educated by any means. But he was no fool either. He had survival instincts, street smarts, and that's what made him become so successful in such a short time. Keep in mind that Tony Montana escaped from a life where he had nothing and therefore was not afraid of dying. So when he came to America, he came with a lust for the good life, and he decided that he would go for the gusto, no matter what the cost because he really had nothing to lose.

Unfortunately for him, his fast rise to power afforded him to live life in the fast lane, and he allowed his addiction to cloud his judgement which eventually cost him his life and everything that he had achieved.





Don Cardi

You're, umm, kidding right?

Should I be? To tell you the truth, no, I'm not kidding.

Would you care to explain to us why you feel that Tony Montana was a good role model?



Don Cardi

Listen. I guess we just have different outlooks on life. That's ok. I just don't wanna start a fight, ok?

I wouldn't exactly call him a role modle. Tony did, first and foremost live a life of crime and violence and ended up dying as a result. I don't really think that is something you wanna strive to be. But I know what your idea is. He did have honorable standards that other gangsters did not. But that did not save him.

I think you understand wuh I'm tryin to say.

No one's looking to fight here. Just was interested to know what makes you feel that he was a role model.


Don Cardi

For instance?



Don Cardi

Honorable ?
A cocaine smuggling murderer that wanted to **** his own sister and killed his best friend ?
I'll tell ya' what, let's just agree to disagree.
Miami in 1980, was comparable to the wild west. The older Jewish population was dying off, just as Castro was liberating some 20,000 of his most psychotic criminals to resume their criminal ways, right here in the land of the free. This would be comparable to emptying a supermax prison, such as Marion, to prey on a retirement community in Arizona !
Tony Montana had the guile, street smarts and survival instincts to survive and prosper among such lunatics. Nobody is denying that, but as far as being honorable ?
Well, as I said, let's just agree to disagree.

*Sigh*.... As I said before Tony never killed women and children. That was his rule, and that in itself was honorable. Sosa didn't care about those children. Alberto didn't. But Tony did. Tony was willing to botch an entire plan because the kids were in the car. No one else was. That one choice, is what set Sosa off to kill him. Yeah, yeah, his actions in killing men caused children to lose thier fathers no doubt! And made widows of course!

But the MAIN POINT is, that Tony would have NEVER murdered a child or a woman, and THAT is what set him apart from other gangsters.He CARED about those who were innocent. He CARED that the kids could die in the car. And he refused to let that happen. Now about that whole incest thing, I don't even wanna get into that anymore...

You don't have to insult me. I always go out of my way to be polite to people, even when I disagree with them.
When did I ever stick up for Omar or Sosa ? They were scum, too.
Okay, Tony didn't kill children, but as far as caring about them, if that were true, he wouldn't have been in the drug business. Period.

Period? Wuh the hell? Either, you're trying to make yourself look stupid or you're trying to end this discussion, which didn't work...so I guess it falls back into the first category...

Meh, no one is insulting you pizzaboy, wer'e just talking about movies. I don't think we need to get personal! And I never said you were sticking up for Sosa or Omar, I was just illustrating a point, and no, I don't like to sugarcoat my views. But like I said no need to personalize it. If I wanted to insult you I'd probably be kicked off this board already, and I don't have any reason to do that anyway.But I am tierd of hearing about Tony covating(sp?) his sister, cause I don't believe it to be so.

No more drama, this isn't politics

No problem BB.
I can agree to agree to disagree about just about anything, including politics, but I'm not going there.
I'm just cranky cuz I shoulda' won at least one quarter in one of my Super Bowl pools.
One of the greatest kickers of all time went and missed an easy field goal, but it rained like crazy down there, so it wasn't his fault.

I never got much into the Superbowl, except for the food part

I'm cramky too most every day. You know, that woman thing!
'Cept I get mad at the soaps. Todd and Blair, I hate those two They are always fighting about something.

I completely agree with you. I never had, nor will I ever have intentions of believing that Tony wanted to fuck his sister...that's bullshit...

It is, and I don't understand how folks can watch the film and see all of these "subtexts" so loudly and clearly, and I look at it, and I see nothing. It's in the eye of the beholder I guess.

I too agree.. Tony´s love for Gina was pure Brother/sister love..Nothing else..

Do you think he loved Elvi? I think he was fond of her, becuase when she left, he kept asking if she had called or not. I don't think he wanted it to end that way. But I do not agree with the idea that he did not care for her, or that he abuse her physically.

no Tony didnt wanna fuck his sister..i never understood why people said that..even in the scene where she first walks in his office saying"you cant stand for another man to be touching me ..so you want me tony huh?)
Tony replies with a confused look on his face"what you talking?!!

she was the only pure thing in his life remeber and its his bloody little sister of course he loved her..

as for elvira..well i think tony loved her to the extent he could love a woman..i dont think he knew how to express himself properly either..just my thoughts