CAPONE
US, 2020, 103 minutes, Colour.
Tom Hardy, Lynda Cardellini, Matt Dillon, Kyle Mac Lachlan, Gino Caffarelli, Kathrine Narducci, Al Sapienza.
Directed by Josh Trank.
This portrait of famous gangster, Al, Alfonso, Capone, is not what audiences might have been the expecting. It takes for granted that audiences are aware who Capone was, his presence in Chicago, gangster domination, Prohibition and bootlegging, violence on the streets. They would also know that he was arrested for tax concerns and imprisoned in Alcatraz. They might know that he had contracted syphilis when he was a teenager and that that had consequences for his physical and mental health. They might not know that after his release from prison he retired to a mansion in Florida.
There have been many films about Capone himself, especially the 1932 Scarface with Paul Muni iIt is said that Capone had his own copy). However, from the 1960s there have been many films focusing on Capone himself and his activities, with Jason Robards as Capone in The St Valentine’s Day Massacre, a portrait with Rod Steiger, Ben Gazzara, F.Murray Abraham and Robert De Niro in The Untouchables.
Here Capone is portrayed by Tom Hardy, English actor, a picture of a crumbling personality, physically handicapped, experiencing a stroke and its consequences, gruff in speech and manner. It is a portrait of dementia, a criminal haunted by his past, ghosts, fantasies which dramatises his cruelty and ruthlessness. He is supported by his wife and son, is haunted by another son, Tony, with tentative phone calls. He is cared for by his doctor, Kyle Mac Lachlan, and has a visit from a previous mentor played by Matt Dillon.
While he has spacious grounds and mansion, he is continually under surveillance by the FBI, visits and interrogations, interested parties, including family members, wanting to know where he buried his money. It was never found.
While this psychological study might be disappointing for those who wanted a story of a gangster and his action, which apparently many did want, this is a striking and different look at a man who found his place, infamously, in American history.
1. Audience knowledge of Capone? From the gangster films of the 1930s? From the tradition of gangster films, biographies of Capone, portraits of Capone? This film as different?
2. Capone in his day, born 1899, his role in Chicago in the 1920s, bootlegging and prohibition, violence and gangs? His being arrested for tax issues? Imprisonment in Alcatraz? Release? Retirement in Florida?
3. This film as a portrait of dementia, dementia of a criminal, consequences of his life, his being haunted by his life?
4. Tom Hardy’s performance, compared with other performances of Capone? Capone at 48, getting syphilis at 15, the physical and mental consequences, his time in prison? Premature mental and physical deterioration? His look, manner, speaking, gait, behaviour, mental torment? Eruptions of violence?
5. Speculation about Capone, his character, his last year? Any audience sympathy?
6. Capone in Florida, the mansion, his potential for Roman statues, affluence, arrogance? The interiors of his home? His wife, his son, the extended family, the visits and the meals, his age and questions to the little girl? Occupying himself, the cigars, fishing with Johnny, anger and shooting the fish? Wandering the house, out in the garden? The visitors, the FBI surveillance, the gardener, the visit from agent Crawford and the interrogation, his lawyer? The visits by his doctor? His being haunted by the visit of Johnny, and the gouging out of eyes? The stroke, medical care, the interrogation by his son, the question of where he buried the money? His drawings? His falling into the water, the tsunami image and the alligator? Finally getting the machine gun, the injuries, real and imagined?
7. The supporting characters, his wife and her concern, his insulting her, her slapping him, yet her care for him? The extended family, concern, interest in finding the money? His son? The mystery of the son, Tony? The tentative phone calls? The final visit? Real/not?
8. The doctor, his concern, treatment, collaboration with the FBI?
9. Johnny, background mentors, the fishing, the discussions, memories? The apparition, the gouged eyes?
10. Capone wandering the house, pyjamas and dressing gown, opening doors, the witnessing of the torture of the masked man and the violent stabbing of his neck? His going into the assembled group, Louis Armstrong singing, his being feted? The return, the dead bodies, climbing over them? Sufficient for the audience to understand his violence? His standing in the street, the image of his son?
11. The portrait of the final year of a violent man?
