A masterpiece of a gangster flick hailed a cult classic for mafia film fans will be aired on BBC Two this weekend. Starring Robert De Niro as Al Capone, The Untouchables is about a Prohibition agent, Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner), who attempts to take down the notorious crime boss.
When his efforts fail due to widespread corruption in the Chicago police, he takes matters into his own hands. Ness assembles a group of clean lawmen – including Sean Connery as an Irish-American cop – to bring down Capone’s bootleg empire. At the helm of the 1987 film is the iconic American filmmaker Brian De Palma, the director of Scarface and Carrie.
Rotten Tomatoes found that 83% of film critics positively reviewed the star-studded picture.
The website’s critics consensus stated: “Slick on the surface but loaded with artful touches, Brian DePalma’s classical gangster thriller is a sharp look at period Chicago crime, featuring excellent performances from a top-notch cast.”
Fans and critics alike have said The Untouchables holds up well even decades later.
The film still feels fresh, according to The Film Magazine: “It is an impeccably acted film with some strong cinematography and a fine score from Ennio Morricone. It successfully updates its 50s source material and still feels timely over 30 years removed from its release.”
An audience member review published just this month proclaimed: “DePalma fan, Costner fan, this is DePalma’s best. Sean Connery works his magic and makes it all too real. Stands up strong after 30 years!!”
Another critic said: “Brian De Palma and David Mamet’s genre masterpiece is an opera of sentiment and sadism, the story of a good man who adopts the brutish tactics of his enemy but somehow remains untouched.”
The Untouchables received four Oscar nominations, with Connery winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Legendary composer Ennio Morricone, also scored an Oscar for the film’s soundtrack. Western film fans will have heard his work in spaghetti Western films including the iconic theme to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
As well as being critically acclaimed, the film was a box office success, grossing over $106 million worldwide.
Its screenplay was based on the real-life Ness’ memoir of the same name, though much of it was fictionalised.
The Untouchables will air on BBC Two at 10pm on Sunday November 16.
