As a moviegoer for
more than 70 years, I’ve seen some great movies, some not so great, some really
bad ones, some trying but failing to be deep and meaningful, some reveling in
their shallowness. I was born the year The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were
released. My mother started taking me to the movies shortly after that. I saw
some movies that were definitely not PG rated. I can still remember being
afraid of The Thing.
Many times I disagree
with the critics. I don’t call them and tell him what I think of their reviews,
so now that there is an internet for anyone to babble on, I add my voice. I’m
sure there are many of you who will disagree with my assessments. Some of you
will agree. I hope to hear from all of
you.
Since the early 30s, the prison genre has been with us.
There are serious dramas, musicals and zany films involving the “big house.” I
suppose the attraction is a world most of us won’t ever experience. The closed
situation makes for intense drama, and the group dynamics provides us with a
chance to study human behavior.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994): Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman,
James Whitmore and Bob Gunton (as the despicable warden) star in this film
version of a Stephen King short story. Robbins, as good a man as one could find,
is framed for murder and gradually earns the respect of fellow prisoners. His
redemption is a wonderful thing. Great movie.
Cool Hand Luke (1967): I revisited this film recently and saw
more than the first time (probably kept my eye on Newman too much). The
correlation to the Christ story is unmistakable and very telling. The large
cast includes Paul Newman (who should have won an Oscar), George Kennedy (who
won an Oscar), Strother Martin, Harry Dean Stanton, J.D. Cannon, Dennis Hopper,
and Wayne Rogers. Well worth seeing again.
Escape From Alcatraz (1979): Macho man Clint Eastwood is a
lifer on the “rock.” Not liking his accommodations, he plans a detailed plan to
escape with the help of two brothers. Does it work? You’ll have to see it.
Midnight Express (1978): Based on a true story of a young man,
played by Brad Davis, incarcerated in a Turkish prison for smuggling drugs,
this film is horrifying. Although you don’t approve of the drugs’ charge, you
don’t want him to stay in prison. Other cast members include John Hurt, Randy Quaid
and Bo Hopkins.
Chicago (2002): Although this is a musical, much of the action
takes place in a women’s jail.
Murder is the way for young starlets to get publicity. If
you put away your moral distaste, this is a delightful movie with great music
and dancing. Reneé Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Queen Latifah, and Richard
Gere star. This film won beaucoup
Oscars.
Papillon (1973): Famous for its bug-eating scenes, this
based-on-real-life film demonstrates the resourcefulness of men placed in a
terrible position. Steve McQueen is imprisoned for a murder he did not commit.
He will not stay. Dustin Hoffman and Anthony Zerbe co-star.
Birdman of Alcatraz (1962): This time the prison hosts Burt
Lancaster. He is condemned to solitary confinement for murder. This is a true
story of a man with time on his hands who puts it to good use by becoming an
expert on birds and their diseases. Karl Malden, as the warden, has such harsh
ideas of what a warden should be that he loses our sympathy.
Cell 2355, Death Row (1955): This true story was taken from the
book by San Quentin inmate Caryl Chessman, known as the “red-light
bandit.” This case became an
international cause celebre against
the death penalty. Because Chessman did not kill anyone, many thought he should
not be executed—but he was. Such notables as Aldous Huxley, Norman Mailer,
Robert Frost and Eleanor Roosevelt pleaded his case. William Campbell plays
Chessman.
Brubaker (1980): Robert Redford, in the title role, goes into a
state prison undercover to see for himself what goes on there. What he sees
horrifies him. He tries to improve conditions but finds resistance from the
townspeople who benefit from corruption. The cast includes Yaphet Kotto, Jane
Alexander, and Morgan Freeman.
Dead Man Walking (1995): I admit that I haven’t seen this
film—Sean Penn is in it. However some of my close friends tell me it was
wonderful, so I’ve listed it. Susan Sarandon plays a nun who becomes an
advocate for Penn who is on death row. Is she able to halt the execution?
Big House (1930): This classic film set the standard for the
prison genre. Wallace Beery (he won the Oscar for Best Actor) stars as a
playboy who kills two people while drunk. Does he have the skills to survive?
Each Dawn I Die (1939): James Cagney stars as a journalist who
is framed and sent to prison because of his investigation into political
corruption. Although he becomes discouraged, a fellow inmate helps him prove
his innocence. George Raft and Maxie Rosenbloom costar.
Naked Gun 33 1/3—The Final Insult (1994): And now for something
completely different. Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin is sent undercover into a
prison to learn about the plot to bomb the Academy Awards. Horrors. This very
funny film stars George Kennedy, O.J. Simpson, Fred Ward, and Priscilla
Presley.
Le Trou (1960): Oh those French! This film has a good plot,
good acting, tense situations but the ending is the French curse. Watch it at
your peril.
Stir Crazy (1980): Gene Wilder and Richard
Pryor are sent to Arizona State Prison (some of the footage was actually shot
there). What happens there is anyone’s guess. But you have a good chance to
laugh your head off.
Honorable Mentions: Murder in the First, The
Prophet, Riot in Cellblock 11, Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
(1962):
