Die Unbestechlichen

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)

Von allen "Mobster"-Filmen gefällt mir dieses DePalma-Epos von der "richtigen" Seite des Gesetzes am besten. Ich bin beeindruckt von dem fairen Cop Sean Connery und dem unsicheren, aber immer entschlossenen Kevin Costner... Den Filmemachern ist es gelungen, eine sehr eindrucksvolle Atmosphäre vom Chicago der 1930er Jahre zu schaffen, in der nicht ganz klar war, wer das Gesetz und gegen wen es durchzusetzen war. Die Geschichte der vier Unbestechlichen, die sich auf einen dummen Kreuzzug gegen Al Capone begeben, wird zügig verfilmt, wobei genügend Zeit bleibt, um die Figuren und die Beziehungen zwischen ihnen auszubauen. Einige der brutalen Szenen sind besonders beeindruckend, und das Eisenstein-Zitat ist super... Kurzum, ein schönes Hollywood-Drama mit allem Drum und Dran. Ich persönlich mag die patenhafte Verherrlichung von Mafia-Familien nicht, unbewusst stehe ich einfach auf der Seite von Eliott Ness und Jim Malone. (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. (18.06.2006)

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)

Präzise erzählte Geschichte über den Kampf einiger Individuen gegen ein verfaultes System. Ein Film, der sich am Ende nicht scheut zu zeigen, dass es manchmal nötig ist, ein paar Schritte über das Gesetz hinaus zu gehen, um eine höhere Gut durchzusetzen. Regisseur Brian De Palma in seiner besten Form und Sean Connery in seiner besten schauspielerischen Leistung. Spannender Film, der alle magischen Substanzen enthält, die ich beim wiederholten Anschauen von Filmen liebe. Und bei der Musik von Morricone bekomme ich immer Gänsehaut! (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)