The Use of Myths in the Film Scarface :: Movie Film Essays

The Use of Myths in the germinate Scarface When I began thinking some the use of myths in the Howard Hawks picture palace, Scarface, my first thoughts were about the portrayal of the myth of the American Dream. I started to write about it precisely then I began thinking about how I could relate this film to Greek Mythology. I thought of some interesting parallels between this news report and the story of Icarus. In mythology Icarus is the son of the craftsman, Daedalus. King Minos of Crete imprisons Icarus and his father in a inner ear that Daedalus, himself, created. To turning away, Daedalus crafts two pairs of wings from wax and feathers. Daedalus warns his son not to go away to close to the sun because it will melt the wax. Icarus doesnt heed the archetype of his father and falls to his death in the sea. In Scarface, Tony Camonte is a gangster on the rise in the world of organized crime. He builds an empire through murder and deceit and ends up dying in a barrage of po lice gunfire. In the movie, Tony represents Icarus. Tony seeks to create his empire through by any means necessary. He comes up from the humble beginnings of being a poor Italian immigrant to ultimately becoming a powerful anchor ring boss. Through alienating all those close to him, he builds his own labyrinth around himself, which can be thought of as his steel fortress. He tries to escape by crafting wax wings in the form of an unquenchable thirst for power. He thinks that if he just has more money or more power he will be able to escape his inevitable fate. He ignores the countless pleas of his mother to straighten up his life. Her credit can be seen as Daedalus, she makes a sincere effort to tinge her son to safety, but ultimately it is his decision and he ends up ready to close to the sun.