‘In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.’ Tony Montana, Scarface (1983).

Forty years from its release, one might assume that it is the tale of money and power in the glitz of 80s Miami that has turned Brian de Palma’s film into cult classic. After all, it is the story of Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant whose ruthless ascent and violent demise represent the destructive undercurrents of the American dream. Yet, what continues to fascinate audiences to this day is not the story itself, but the film’s gore, stylised violence and macho dialogues. This spectacle of excess is inseparable from the object that defines it: the hand gun, adorned as an extension of the character’s wealth, power, position, and masculinity. Scarface was chosen alongside seven other action movies of the late 20th century by Samah in Bloodsport, presented by Refusés at Galleria Objets. Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill I & II, Miami Vice, Tomb Raider and Jackie Brown are only recognisable by their most iconic visual motif, the hand gun.