Critical Analysis of "The Untouchables"

I had always liked Brian de Palma's film "The Untouchables." I am a big fan of gangster movies, so this was definitely my kind of movie. I had always simply liked it because it was entertaining. Watching it again this weekend though, I saw it in a new way. I found that I paid much more attention to the actual techniques involved in the filmmaking. Though I watched the movie in a completely different way, I didn't like it any less.

That's because "The Untouchables" isn't only an entertaining mob film, it's also an extremely well made one. From it's opening to it's close, it's an extremely suspenseful film that was made with great care. The director, Brian De Palma, knows how to make a scene suspenseful. With his choice of music and several point of view shots, you never completely know what's going to happen. He also throws in enough surprises, be it a man on a balcony far away, or a group of mounties charging at the wrong time. Though they may seem like nothing, these little moments actually increase the suspense by making the scene less predictable.

Another aspect that I just noticed this time was the amazing cinematography. De Palma infuses the film with long tracking shots that follow the characters from room to room. This makes the viewer feel more like they're in the scene, because they're vision wouldn't cut from shot to shot. This is an especially effective technique when used as a point-of-view shot, because it really increases the suspense.

De Palma does know, however, when to just cut the shots somewhat quickly. During his shootouts he cuts from shot to shot quickly enough to get the viewer's adrenaline pumping, but slowly enough so they can tell what is occurring. Also, the inclusion of slow motion into the shootouts is fairly ingenious. This takes what may be a short shootout, and doesn't let the suspense go for a much longer span of time. Of course, all of these elements come together in the stairway shootout. This scene is easily the most exciting in the film, from it's perfect use of cinematography, slow motion, and music.

Speaking of music, it's the one thing I did notice the first time I saw the film. This is mainly because it is somewhat obnoxious. It plays very loudly over the film, covering up much of the sound. This would be annoying if it weren't for the fact that the music is actually very good. It perfectly evokes the feel of a suspenseful scene, or a triumphant scene, or even simply of Al Capone reading the paper.

When all of these elements are put together, it's almost difficult to remember that the movie is about a real group of men trying to get a real mobster. Because of the direction, there is enough suspense so that, even though people may know how Capone was eventually defeated, they are still almost not sure how the movie will end. This is because it plays more like a fictional film than like a biopic. The main things keeping it grounded are the performances. From Sean Conerry's Award winning performance to Robert de Niro's grounded portrayal of Al Capone, this is a film that leaves the viewer wondering if it is really a true story, because it seems like it's to exciting to have ever happened.