“Some men are destined to never leave Alcatraz…alive”
Life in prison. It’s something almost everyone doesn’t want to experience first-hand. Escape From Alcatraz is a lengthy portrait of a life many of us fear to inhabit. It is also a gripping piece of storytelling, where the camera drives the scenes. The want of freedom is shown through little, minute compulsions, like chipping away at a wall with a nail clipper merged with a spoon.
The protagonist of the film is Frank Morris, played by the perfectly matched Clint Eastwood.. We don’t know much of Morris, as little is said about his past, except that he has escaped from every prison he’s been to, in turn he is sent to Alcatraz Island, where no one escapes alive. The main reason why is the warden (Patrick McGoohan) controls Alcatraz with an iron fist and the layout and structure of the island and the prison would make it a daunting task. He’s also warned by a fellow inmate (Paul Benjamin) that if you are to escape the prison, getting off the island and to shore is almost impossible without dying first. An irresistible challenge to Eastwood’s portrayal of Morris, a lean loner wanting nothing but to be free.
Before the escape takes place, we learn the daily routines of the prison, and this is where director Don Siegel shines. The narrative of the story is what makes the movie work. We get the prison discipline, the warden with an iron fist, and certain inmates Morris befriends like, Doc, a painter, English, a librarian, and Litmus and his tiny little mouse. The escape plan itself is very straight-forward, but the escape lacks any real surprise, but makes up for with nail biting tension and suspense. The movie’s ending doesn’t quite cap off the superb beginning of the movie, but it’s fine, as viewers are meant to decide on their own what they think of it. But there’s so much excellence in this film: the cast, the details of prison life, the precision of events leading up to the escape, that really makes this a superb film.
Trailer:
excellent
ReplyDelete