The Untouchables

Summary

“We used to say, ‘you can get further with a kind word and a gun than you can with just a kind word.’”

It is no secret that I am a big fan of director Brian De Palma. Despite his association with the upstart group of young filmmakers that shook up the Hollywood system which included Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Francis Ford Coppola, De Palma has always had difficulty receiving the critical respect he deserves. In many ways, his career arc mirrors that of his hero and his greatest influence Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock only received the proper amount of respect he deserved very late in his career when filmmakers like Francois Truffaut and Godard shared their admiration of his work. Thankfully, an ardent group of film lovers have begun to talk of De Palma’s work in high esteem and have recognized the brilliance of his camera movements and technically accomplished shooting style. De Palma has recently been the subject of a documentary by Noah Baumbach that celebrated his work, and over the last few years a number of his films have begun to arrive on 4K UHD (Carlito’s Way, Mission: Impossible, Scarface have been released thus far. Dressed to Kill is coming soon and Criterion also announced that Blow Out will be receiving a 4K UHD update in September!) It is a fantastic time to be a De Palma fan, and as long as they keep updating his films to 4K, I will keep buying them. Paramount Pictures has given De Palma’s classic gangster film The Untouchables a 4K UHD release that is certain to please fans of De Palma and the film.

During Prohibition, in 1920’s Chicago, there was no gangster bootlegger better known (or more reviled) than Al Capone (Robert De Niro.) Capone protected his criminal empire ruthlessly. He used violence to motivate people to sell his products and to discourage competition. His hand was seemingly in everything, but through his use of numerous loyal lieutenants and soldiers in his organization, it was very difficult to prove he had anything to do with the crimes. As the film begins, one of Capone’s bombs kills a shopkeeper and a young girl. Family man and treasury agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) is chosen to find a way to take down Capone’s criminal organization. As he starts his crusade, Ness leads a raid alongside some of the Chicago police, and the raid is unsuccessful. A reporter is on hand to shoot a photo of Ness busting open a crate of umbrellas. Obviously, someone on the force had tipped off the gangsters to the raid. When Ness later bumps into an older street-wise policeman named Jim Malone (Sean Connery,) Ness decides to build up his team from the ground up with Malone’s assistance. They enlist Italian officer George Stone (Andy Garcia,) and accountant Oscar Wallace (Charles Martin Smith) to help. As they begin to make strides against Capone’s organization, they find themselves in serious danger of Capone and his deadly hitman Frank Nitti (Billy Drago.)

The Untouchables is an enjoyable film. I had not seen it in a long time, and it was a unique experience to revisit it as an adult. The script by David Mamet moves along at solid pace and has some excellent moments. That said, grittier visions of that era have replaced the romanticized version that Mamet supplies here, which make the film feel a little bit dated. I found myself saying, “Oh my goodness! They are violating his rights! Where was the warrant?” as the film carried along and the policemen took bolder actions. These types of violations of due process stick out so much more in this age when actions of police are under closer scrutiny than ever before. This film was written in an age where seemingly the violation of criminal’s rights was something to be ignored… or possibly celebrated? Those notions would be understandable in the Eighties as crime was rampant. I would have never had the thoughts regarding constitutional rights as a child (this film played on cable constantly when I was growing up,) and it made the viewing experience feel different to me now.

That said, there is nothing wrong with enjoying The Untouchables for what it is. There is no grey area in the film. Bad is bad and good is good. The by-the-book cop still has a boiling point, and once pushed past it will not hesitate to lash out violently. It is all justified as long as evil men receive their just desserts. The script by Mamet is essentially hero worship for a group of policemen who risked their lives to take down violent criminals. These men absolutely deserve to be praised for their bravery to stand up against corruption. I also think that some of the script’s biggest issues may have simply existed because Mamet was paying homage to the television series on which the film is based. The script is not Mamet’s best by a long shot in terms of believability, but if you can get past the numerous times the lead characters violate Constitutional rights, the film is extremely enjoyable for numerous other reasons. 

First and foremost, the cast of the film is fantastic. Robert De Niro is hardly onscreen, but he ranks as my favorite Capone. The method actor gained a good amount of weight for the role, and he is wonderful in the role. Kevin Costner is a perfectly cast protagonist as the by-the-book Eliot Ness. This role shows Costner in a comfortable position; playing an intelligent family-centered man who is not afraid to strike out violently if pushed to the edge. Sean Connery is charming and likewise excellent in the role of the wise and cynical elder statesman Jimmy. Connery is given the majority of the best lines in the film and he seems to relish delivering them. I miss his screen presence a lot. Billy Drago is memorable as the formidable and violent hitman Frank Nitti, and Andy Garcia is well cast as well. De Palma understood how to use these actors and there is not a bad performance in the cast.

The second reason to enjoy the film is the excellent score by Ennio Morricone. Ennio will always be my favorite composer and this is a wonderful score by the maestro. The third and best reason to watch the film is De Palma’s cinematic eye. Even when the film has sections that feel underwritten such as a scene where Costner and the other actors ride on horseback, De Palma directs with a sense of vision that is enthralling. The production design of the film is wonderful and brings back to life the Windy City in the Twenties. Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum worked with De Palma on many of his best films, and his work here is beyond reproach. Watching De Palma direct is a joy that I want every film lover to experience. 

Overall – The Untouchables is romantic escapist entertainment that should be enjoyed at its face value for the numerous reasons I listed above. There is a lot to enjoy about the film, even with some apprehensions about certain aspects of the film. I was a fan of the film as a child, and I enjoyed revisiting it. I am happy to have the film in my collection in such a beautiful format.

Video

The new 4K HEVC/H.265 transfer from Paramount Pictures, is a vast improvement over the dated 2007 Blu-ray release. Fine detail is improved very significantly from the prior release and the HDR is used efficiently to give a deeper level of color and bring out the best in the film. The film’s color palette has never looked better than it does here. The production design of the film is immaculate and Stephen H. Burum’s cinematography captures it all with finesse. I was really impressed by the work put into the new 4K transfer. Fans of the picture should be excited by the huge improvement made to the transfer for this new 4K edition.

Audio

Paramount Pictures has also overhauled the sound design of The Untouchables with a brand new Dolby Atmos track for this release which replaces the prior DTS-HD MA 5.1 (or 6.1) track. The film has never sounded better! Clarity is great and the track is immersive with strong surround and LFE channels support. Ennio Morricone’s score is wonderful and has never sounded better than it does now. Fans will be ecstatic with the work performed here..

Supplements:

• The Script, The Cast
• Production Stories
• Re-Inventing the Genre
• The Classic 
• Original Featurette: “The Men” 
• Theatrical Trailer

Overall Scores: 

Video – 4.5/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 3.5/5

Overall – 4.25/5

The Untouchables is a romanticized retelling of Eliot Ness’s crusade against Al Capone that features excellent performances by Connery, De Niro, and Costner. The film’s dialogue holds up well thanks to Mamet’s gift for dialogue, but some aspects of the film haven’t aged quite as well. Luckily, the film is largely successful. The camera movements and cinematography shine through in every scene. The production design is well rendered and visually fantastic. De Palma’s best films feel truly cinematic, and The Untouchables shows off De Palma’s unique abilities consistently. The new UHD presentation of the film looks wonderful to my eyes with the added clarity from the HDR. The audio has been updated with care to a great Atmos track. The supplements are the same as the prior release, but they are enjoyable. Fans of the film will definitely want to upgrade the film with Paramount’s 4K UHD. It’s a significant leap forward from the Blu-ray!