Brian De Palma directed The Untouchables, a classic crime movie from the 1980s. He uses authentically gritty Chicago cityscapes to recreate the1920s era of mobsters such as Al Capone. An adaptation of the 1950s television series of the same name, the film boasts an all-star cast of Kevin Costner, Andy Garcia, Robert De Niro, and Sean Connery. The latter actor earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his unflinching portrayal of Jim Malone.
At times hilarious and at others in-your-face violent, The Untouchables casts an unerring eye on Elliot Ness’s efforts to root out organized crime. The US Treasury officer risks personal safety in proving links between Capone, alcohol import and distribution during Prohibition, and mafia-police connections.
The movie takes elegant and foreboding visual cues from film noir traditions of the 1940s and cinematic auteurs such as Billy Wilder and Jean Luc Godard. Its use of dark alleyways and claustrophobic buildings as a reference point hearkens to novelist Raymond Chandler. The urban milieu becomes a character of its own in this classic film that invites repeat viewings.
