I just bought this movie because it was cheap, like $5. I had seen it a couple of times, probably closer to the time of its release. Since I was barely a pre-teen at the time, I don't think I fully appreciated the film the way it was meant to be appreciated.
This film is a lesson in moral ambiguity. If you don't already know the story, Treasury Agent Elliott Ness, a beat cop named Jim Malone, a treasury accountant, and a sharpshooter rookie decide to take on the most elusive mob boss, likely, in history, Al Capone. De Niro won an Oscar for his portrayal of the gangster, and it's no surprise that his performance was dynamic and impressive.
What is interesting to me and what I didn't register the first time or two I saw the film is that this movie is actually kind of quirky. Even though it draws upon historical events and uses big name stars, the film mixes a sardonic, almost twisted sense of humor with the personal crusade of a man who begins to bend the law he swears to uphold in order to catch his quarry. It's not an emotional journey as much as it is one of slow realization that the line between good and evil is sometimes more blurry and gray than black and white. In fact, the character of Ness appears emotionally detached from almost everyone and everything except Malone as he slowly numbs to this reality.
In that way, the film is a little confusing. I kept asking myself, what is this really about - capturing Capone on the flimsy tax evasion charge, or compromising one's morality and sense of ethics in order to achieve a certain goal. "The means justify the ends." It's kind of a clumsy combination of both.
The film is ultimately satisfying, though, because it does have the sense of humor and because Ness ultimately realizes what he lost as compared to what he gained. Also, the performances of DeNiro, Sean Connery, and Kevin Costner were top-notch, and the forced, dramatic score heightened the quirky aspect. I just like the movie, and I'm glad I bought it because it's unlike any other mob movie out there.