Scarface

The motifs in this film are genuinely perfect. This is my 3rd watch of this masterpiece, here's what I picked up on: the motif of surveillance representing Tony's outward attempt to dictate and control those around him whilst he neglects his unchecked ambition. Near the end of the film, there's a shot where Tony is turned away from his camera system as the guerillas are attacking. I like to think this represents Tony's complete mental drain, and the bleeding of that into his external representation. I also picked up on some religious imagery just before the final gunfight when Chi-Chi is killed. There's a shot during his death where he slides down Tony's door, leaving a blood trail which perhaps represents the tenth plague of Egypt where the Israelites left trails of lamb blood on their doorpost. We know that lambs are innocent, pure creatures and this is depicted through the death of Chi-Chi, a character who is portrayed as caring and warm. This is Tony's last sacrificial lamb in a desperate attempt to secure his Empire. We know that this fails terribly, and he is swiss-cheesed by a bunch of bolivians.