The Untouchables

An exhibition by De Palma, where he delights film fans with various references to famous works of the past (Battleship Potemkin and others). The biggest star is not the Oscar-winning Connery, but the secondary character of Al Capone, phenomenally played by Robert De Niro. (11/05/2003)

Of all the "mobster films", I like this DePalm epic from the "right side" of the law the most. I'm impressed by fair cop Sean Connery and the insecure but always determined Kevin Costner... The creators managed to create a very suggestive atmosphere of 1930s Chicago, in which it was not very clear who the law was and who to enforce the law for. The story of the four incorruptibles who decide to go on a foolish crusade against Al Capone is filmed briskly, with time left to illustrate the characters and the relationships between them. Some brutal scenes are particularly impressive and the quote from Eisenstein is perfect... In short, a fine Hollywood drama that has everything. Personally, I don't like godfather glorification of mafia families; subconsciously I'm just on the side of Eliot Ness and Jim Malon. (24/04/2004)

From the abundance of emotions and cinematic artistry that De Palma put into The Untouchables, I often caught myself jaw-dropped. The action is clearly dominated by the breathtaking subway scene, Morricone's music gives the war on alcohol and the villains an incomparable aura, and the cream of the crop in the central star-studded team definitively gives the feeling that a gangster film like this would not be made today, which may be why I increasingly gravitate towards these golden classics. Although the prohibition mafia story is completely different from anything by Leone, Coppola, or Scorsese, it has left its mark in golden letters. It may be thanks to the flawless second half, but even the first half, despite occasionally surprising pacing issues, is unforgettable in its own way because the palpable period atmosphere is amazing. (17/06/2006)

A top-notch gangster movie with excellent actors. I was almost surprised at Kevin Costner’s performance and I think that this was one of his best roles ever. De Palma played about with the camera as always and giving some scenes (for instance watching Malone in the house) a more interesting allure. An excellent watch that is almost as old as I am. :-) (23/03/2008)

A superb gangster film, brilliantly directed by Brian De Palma. It has that Godfather style, but it’s was not as monumental, but much more compact and dynamic. (18/04/2004)

Classically excellent De Palma. It has sneaky gangsters, a lot of shooting, a lot of emotions and without exception excellent actors (especially De Niro as the bad guy). For me, the best gangster flick after The Godfather and Scarface. (29/10/2011)

The Untouchables is a neatly filmed story of a few individuals who fight the rotten system. At the end, the film is not afraid to show that for a greater cause, you sometimes need to creep over the line of what the law allows for. Director Brian De Palma is on top of his game and Sean Connery in his best. A captivating flick which contains all the magic ingredients of a film I want to watch over and over. And that music by Ennio Morricone always gives me goosebumps! (31/10/2020)

I rewatched The Untouchables and it surprised me how disappointed I was. I don't like Kevin Costner, with the exception of Mr. Brooks. Here, all the acting performances seemed too theatrical. The only positive exception was Robert De Niro, whose Al Capone was excellent. I was absolutely blown away by the scene showing that a man can survive for some time without any internal organs. That is, unless he gets hit in the head. I almost thought Sean Connery's character had wandered in from a zombie movie. I liked the film when I was younger, but it didn’t stand the test of time. (24/07/2017)

I won't rate the film excessively great, but it is still a very good movie. At times, you have the feeling that you are watching a Western in the style of Sergio Leone, with beautiful wide shots, slow scenes, and ultimately, proper bloodiness. It's as if Brian De Palma left most of his talent in the 70s and 80s. (28/01/2016)