Hawks’ Schema of Filmography and Cinematic

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Analysis of Howard’s Scarface (1932)
Plot Overview
Scarface is one of the 21st Century films that depict themes relevant in contemporary society, particularly in history, education, and entertainment sectors. The movie is set in 1920s Chicago, and the protagonist, Tony, is an Italian migrant who uses violence to gain wealth and power. Tony and his boss, Jonny Lovo, are selling illegal liquor. Jonny orders Tony and Guino to attack the South gangs but warns them not to start a war with the Irish gangs under O’Hara’s leadership. The duo is involved in a shooting spree that kills several gang members, resulting in the death of innocent civilians. Tony also ignores Lovo’s directive and attacks and shoots O’Hara alongside some gang members. The sounds used in the film include screams, gunshots, human conversations, and music to bring the movie to life. The film utilizes a feminist perspective to elaborate on the role of individuals in society. Howard uses sound effects, camera movements, filming, actors’ body movement, characterization to enhance visual and auditory storytelling to bring out various themes throughout the movie.
Hawks’ Schema of Filmography and Cinematic
Scarface was released in 1932 when the film industry was undergoing a significant transition from the silent era film. The silent films were majorly produced between 1894 and 1929 (Kracauer 35). The film informs the viewers of the director’s quest to use sound to enhance the process of storytelling. However, Hawks did not synchronize sound and audio in this era because the technology was not yet advanced. Synchronizing audio and motion pictures was a daunting task in the 1930s because of a lack of efficient technologies. For instance, in the nightclub scene at “Paradise Dining and Dancing,” where Tony’s Younger sister dances to the music played at the club, her moves are not effectively synchronized to the music. The characters’ mouth movements do not match their words as they speak.
On some occasions, the sounds of gunshots were heard before a gun was fired by its holder. Images were filmed and edited to convey a simple message to the audience. A script explaining the successive shots was then placed between frames and scenes explaining the action. Scarface had been produced three years into the early sound film era that involved synchronizing images and the characters’ voices. Scarface was among the first films in the sound era to set the production tone for other films. Auditory storytelling using synchronized films and audio remains integral to filmmaking in Hollywood and other contemporary movie industries.
The use of sound in films profoundly impacted and transformed the film industry in the 1930s. Howard Hawks directed and produced silent films between 1925 and 1929. His two films, Honesty – The Best Policy (1926) and Underworld (1927), are among the first two films to address the issue of organized crimes and gangs. However, the popular gangster films are comprised of silent motion pictures. Scarface attracted more attention because it utilized moving images and sound, unlike its predecessors. Many people became interested in watching audio-synchronized films because they were more appealing and realistic. The silent era involved images without the audio from the characters (Kracauer 34). The sound film era posed many challenges to Hawks because he was compelled to take additional roles as a director. Hawks had to concentrate on both visual and auditory storytelling. It is essential to compare the various aspects of film during the transition period and its content to the period Scarface was produced. Silent films were much easier to direct and produce than good pictures. Unlike silent films, which require only cameras to film the scenes, sound images demand audio recording equipment.
Hawks’ films were mostly western genres that subordinated some cultures and conquered them in the quest for civilization. He also produced screwball comedy characterized by satirizing classical love stories and bringing them to life through motion pictures. The western-style films were later depicted in Hawks’ later sound film. Sound films made between 1935 and the 1970s had much better audio quality than their predecessors (Martin n.p). In 1938, Hawks scripted, directed a western film called Bringing Up Baby. Hawks became more diverse and flexible in producing sound films, especially after the release of Scarface in 1932. Howard Hawks become a versatile film director and producer whose work includes film noir, science fiction, drama, westerns, comedies, and gangster films such as Scarface.
Cinematic Elements Utilized in the Film
The filmmaker utilizes various elements, including succession shots, body movements, music, camera movement, lighting, distancing and, interior and exterior views to build the movie scenes, tell the story, and depict specific themes. The film also utilizes sound effects to enhance the process of storytelling. One of the most remarkable sequences of events occurs in the café hit scenes in which Tony, Guino, Poppy, and Angelo are almost killed when Tom Gaffney’s men attack them at the Café.
The first scene of the café sequence adopts exterior framing of the café depicting events taking place in the building. The camera is focused on the entrance of the café, taking a medium shot of three men taking their drinks inside the café. The camera also carries a full shot of a man who appears to be the guard of the café. This scene portrays the theme of security in the 1920s. The restaurant had to be guarded to keep the customers, owners, and employees safe from potential attacks. In the same scene, three men Tony, Guino, Angelo, enter the café (Howard n.p). The filmmaker utilizes panning to show the trio’s movement as each of the men takes their seats in the café. Panning is a filming technique in which the camera moves from left to right and vice versa (Story Blocks n.p). It helps give the viewer a sense of direction in the story. Tony walks to a table, greets a young lady (Poppy), and sits next to her before they begin a conversation. Guino and Angelo occupy a separate table behind Poppy.
At the table, a medium close-up shot focuses on the conversation between Poppy and Tony. The duo seems to have affection for each other, as demonstrated by their body movements. Tony moves much closer to Poppy and maintains eye contact during their conversation (Howard n.p). They also nod their heads and use gestures and facial expressions, showing they are happy to see each other and are both satisfied to have the conversation. Additionally, Tony shows love by holding Poppy’s hands in the scene. The theme of love is evident in this scene. A waiter enters the scene and tells Tony he has a call while Angelo (his secretary) leaves his seat in the background. The filmmaker cuts the scene for a succession shot. Angelo walks towards the telephone and receives the call on Tony’s behalf in another set. The telephone scene is cut, and the next one is shown.
The camera takes a wide shot of the street in the next scene. A group of men drives cars across the street at high speed. The counterparts are seen firing their guns violently and indiscriminately killing the bystanders (Howard n.p). The filmmaker has utilized a wide shot to show the audience the reactions of the pedestrians to the mass shootings in the street. The filmmaker cuts the scene and shows another from the café interior. Bright lighting is utilized in these scenes indicating that the attacks occur during the day. The camera focuses on the window to allow the viewer to see the exterior from inside the café. People are seen running for their lives while the shooting continues. The people’s body movement demonstrates fear and panic. The two scenes depict the theme of gun violence and gangs in the US. It also shows the impacts of gun violence on innocent bystanders.
As the shooting continues, another scene is shown. Tony and Poppy stand from their table and run towards the wall to shield their bodies from the bullets. This part of the café’s sequence also uses horizontal camera movements to show the attackers’ direction. A series of succession shots that last seconds are also used to indicate the overall reactions of people in the café (Howard n.p). Some run for their lives while others get shot dead in these scenes. The scenes address major thematic concerns, including life, death, and survival. There is a stampede inside and out of the café as people are running to save their liv...