Abstract
Robert Warshow's essay "The Gangster as Tragic Hero" forms the background for this exploration of the two movies Scarface; the Shame of a Nation (1931) and its remake Scarface(1983)as American hero figures.
Tony Camonte was the tragic hero of his Depression audience in 1932. He embodies the contradictions of modern American society where the old American myths of freedom and individuality were in stark contrast to the realities of depression era life.
Director of the remake, Brian De Palma, has placed Tony Montana in a postmodern, post-tragic world where a "tragic fall" is impossible. The "gangster as tragic her" - formula has been used to prove the impossibility of heroism or tragedy in the postmodern world.