Director : Brian de Palma

Stars :
Kevin Costner .... Eliot Ness
Sean Connery .... Jim Malone
Charles Martin Smith .... Agent Oscar Wallace
Andy Garcia .... Agent George Stone/Giuseppe Petri
Robert De Niro .... Al Capone

Preparation :
Read the movie reviews by Roger Ebert, the New York Times Review, the James Beradinelli Review and the article on the Untouchables

Historical/Social Significance :
"The Untouchables has great costumes, great sets, great cars, great guns, great locations and a few shots that absolutely capture the Prohibition Era" ¹

"After this all other movies dealing with Prohibition, Chicago, Al Capone and the lawmen who bring him to justice must look a bit anemic" ²

Synopsis :
Set in Prohibition era Chicago this is the story of Al Capone and the men who brought him down.

Guided Questions for Viewing :
Assessment questions will be based on the following :

• A common misconception is that Elliot Ness and the Untouchables caused the downfall of Al Capone. Who were the Untouchables? How did they get their name? Why are they given credit for Capone's demise?
• The government could not convict Capone of any of his underworld crimes. How did the government finally arrest Al Capone? How did they build a case against him?
• Comment on the different characteristics of the Italian immigrant (Capone), the Irish immigrant (Malone) and the "American" Ness.
• The Volstead Act (Prohibition) of 1919 may be one of the worst laws ever passed in America. Describe how the law "backfired" on its creators. Please include comments on specific scenes in the movie that illustate this.
• One prevailing theory is that Prohibition was imposed because the Protestant suburban middle class wanted to control the new lower class Catholic and Jewish immigrant groups. Comment on this with reference to the movie.