The Untouchables (2004, DVD)

Untouchables (1987)

Director Brian DePalma brought the story of the classic rivalry between ganglord Al Capone and federal agent Eliot Ness to the big screen in this genre hit.

The theme of the movie is, "What are you prepared to do?" This is enunciated by Sean Connery as former beat cop Jim Malone, when he confronts the incredibly naive Ness with the realities of organized crime in Chicago.

The story is well known from the television series starring Robert Stack, as well as dozens of gangster movies that preceded DePalma s effort. Capone, aptly played by Robert DeNiro, is the crime lord of the Windy City, with control of breweries, bathtub gin, gambling, and prostitution. He brooks no rivals and is willing to gun it out with anybody that stands in his way, including the police. His right hand man is snake-like Frank Nitti, played by Billy Drago in an over-the-top performance.

Ness, weakly portrayed by Kevin Costner, is a pillar of rectitude. In fact, when he leads his team of Chicago police to bust their first still, his battle cry is "Let s do some good". There is only one problem. The liquor distributor has been tipped off and the warehouse is empty of evidence. Ness looks like an idiot as the reporters photograph the aftermath of the raid.

This won t do so Ness decides to build an independent team of investigators. That s where Jim Malone comes in. He is an old cop, ready to retire but still walking a beat. That s because he won t take any payoffs from the crooks that run the rest of the department. Adding accountant Charles Martin Smith, and gunman Andy Garcia rounds out the team, which due to its inviolable integrity is dubbed "The Untouchables" by the newspapers.

After various failures to get Capone legally, Ness crosses the line to doing whatever it takes. This takes a little liberty with the actual facts but adds tension to the movie. From that point forward, Ness is just as evil as the gangsters, and I feel that it does a disservice to the real man, however, such is Hollywood s way with the facts.

DePalma shows his various proclivities such as overhead shots and rich blood red carpets in his sumptuous interiors. The gangsters wear stylish Armani suits in fashionable colors. The violence is graphic and can cause the viewer to wince. The big sound of the thirties blares forth from the soundtrack.

DeNiro and Drago appear to see who can overact the most, snarling and growling at the camera with animal-like fury. Costner does his trademark wooden job. Still, the supporting cast, particularly Connery, Garcia, and Charles Martin Smith keep the movie from descending into a complete cartoon.

For genre fans, this is a pretty good gangster movie. For history buffs, you would be better to see the old television series as it is a much better look at what really happened.

Four star supporting cast, three stars for lead actors, four stars for direction, four stars for slick production; the way I see it, the Untouchables is a four star movie.