A small band of inmates in a high security prison each using their expertise to formulate the perfect escape plan. It’s a shame that this convention is a little stale now, as aspects of Escape From Alcatraz will seem a little tortured twenty-two years on. Luckily the film has a lot more to offer than just a standard break out story.
Based on the true events of what was possibly the only successful break out of Alcatraz Prison. Clint Eastwood plays Frank Morris, a detainee who with the help of brothers John (Fred Ward) and Clarence Anglin (Jack Thibeau), devise a plan to escape the prison, a feat that no one before them had ever achieved.
The film mostly follows Eastwood’s character from the time he arrives at the prison up until the escape attempt. The dialogue amongst the characters is minimal, save for a nice array of tough guy one liners. This does well in establishing how many years in prison under the reign of a rather merciless warden (played by Patrick McGoohan) have broken the spirits of these once hardened criminals. It also adds a shroud of mystery to the characters, the film itself could be described as an enigma. Very little is known about the three escapees including their ultimate fates, which itself adds an almost haunting quality to the proceedings. This is an awesome mix of Clint Eastwood film bravado and slow meditative character study which paved the way for many a story like it.
4/5
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