X
- 1979
- TV-14
- Paramount Pictures
- 1 h 52 m
- 1979
- TV-14
- Paramount Pictures
- 1 h 52 m
Summary Alcatraz is the most secure prison of its time. It is believed that no one can ever escape from it, until three daring men make a possible successful attempt at escaping from one of the most infamous prisons in the world.
Directed By: Don Siegel
Written By: J. Campbell Bruce, Richard Tuggle
- 1979
- TV-14
- Paramount Pictures
- 1 h 52 m
- 1979
- TV-14
- Paramount Pictures
- 1 h 52 m
Escape from Alcatraz
76
7.8
Where to Watch
Summary Alcatraz is the most secure prison of its time. It is believed that no one can ever escape from it, until three daring men make a possible successful attempt at escaping from one of the most infamous prisons in the world.
Directed By: Don Siegel
Written By: J. Campbell Bruce, Richard Tuggle
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 9 Critic Reviews
76
89% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
11% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 9 Critic Reviews
76
89% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
11% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Dirty Harry director Don Siegel reunited with Clint Eastwood for this taut 1979 thriller about real-life bank robber Frank Morris, who led the one possibly successful (bodies were never found) escape attempt from the notorious maximum-security prison on San Francisco's Alcatraz Island.
The major reason for Escape's success is Siegel's effortless expertise in re-creating the atmosphere of Alcatraz, an atmosphere in which, as the Warden says, good citizens were not made, but good prisoners were. As photographed by Bruce Surtees in rainy black and blue, the dogged, slow-motion swim through excelsior that constitutes prison existence is painfully and convincingly reproduced. For Eastwood, there is an extra bonus: if the milieu doesn't provide him with a reason for his stubbornly characteristic grimness, it does at least provide an excuse. [23 June 1979]
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 54 User Ratings
7.8
87% Positive
47 Ratings
47 Ratings
13% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 54 User Ratings
7.8
87% Positive
47 Ratings
47 Ratings
13% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Gotta feel for this due to the later emergence of 'The Shawshank Redemption' and even 'Prison Break', but 'Escape From Alcatraz'> still merits its own props as a great film.
I love a good prison escape flick, shown by my love for those two aforementioned productions which do improve on the formula; TSR - one of my favourite films, fwiw - particularly must've took a lot of inspiration from this, I noted a fair few similarities.
With the cast, you have an excellent performance from Clint Eastwood. Patrick McGoohan fits his role nicely, while Paul Benjamin and Larry Hankin are the best of the rest. I would've liked more development for the characters of Fred Ward and Jack Thibeau, who felt a little tacked on.
I found the pacing to be very good, sure the story I guess is obvious in terms of its direction but I still got tense and edgy whilst watching the escape take place. The ambience of the film is a positive too, with the exception of one moment early on where there's an overly on the nose lightning strike as one of the characters mentions Alcatraz - nothing major, it's a nit-pick and it's my only one so that's a big plus.
Interesting to note this was the final collaboration between Eastwood and director Don Siegel, take out 'Coogan's Bluff' and that was an extremely effective partnership - this 1979 release and 'Two Mules for Sister Sara' being my favourites.
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The safest prison in the world at the time; you can enter but not leave. Or if? Without making them look like heroes and taking the necessary time, it narrates the efforts of three reckless convicts for an escape that was believed impossible. To kill about two hours without pain.
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Screenwriter Richard Tuggle and director Don Siegel provide a model of super-efficient filmmaking. From the moment Clint Eastwood walks onto The Rock to the final title card explaining the three escapees were never heard from again, Escape from Alcatraz is relentless in establishing a mood and pace of unrelieved tension.
Beautifully served by Eastwood's self-containment, which is less granitelike than usual (he has a soft spot for that mouse), Siegel sets these various escapes ticking like a time bomb. [22 July 1979, p.67]
The pace of this movie is a bit slow, but Siegel's deliberate, sparse direction works to the benefit of a film where time is all his characters have. Surprisingly, there are few exciting set pieces and relatively little violence, yet Escape is relentlessly tense.
Escape From Alcatraz is not a great film or an especially memorable one, but there is more evident skill and knowledge of movie making in any one frame of it than there are in most other American films around at the moment. I should also add that it's terrifically exciting.
It's a half-baked stopover in the big house, relying on Eastwood, rather than a particular prison theme, for focus and continuity. For better and worse, Eastwood's peculiarly intimidating personality - solitary, sarcastic, fearless - has become its own predominant, suggestive theme. Escape From Alcatraz is poorly orchestrated, but the Eastwood melody still comes through, laconic and clear. [22 June 1979, p.C1]
O filme não se preocupa muito em romantizar o que está acontecendo. Ele dá o contexto, e faz isso bem. Logo depois deixa as coisas fluírem.
A caracterização dos personagens é boa. Mesmo sem saber do passado de vários, é possível simpatizar - mesmo que eles sejam detentos. A visão da administração do presídio nos ajuda bastante nisso. A personalidade do protagonista, inclusive, é facilmente consentida. Ele é inteligente, esperto, astuto e um homem de poucas palavras. O diretor deixa isso claro desde o início, e a cada momento que ele fica em silêncio, nos questionamos sobre o que ele está pensando.
A execução do plano é ótima. O suspense ocorre de maneira orgânica, sem muita forçação por parte da OST ou de momentos inoportunos. Toda inteligência do protagonista é posta em prática, e o final é bem satisfatório. Acredito que seria interessante um desenvolvimento por parte dos personagens que escaparam por ele, mas no fim não faz tanta falta.
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Siegel's brooding nature and almost household methods is the only way out of this strictly confined prison.
Escape From Alcatraz
Siegel's brooding nature and almost household methods is the only way out of this strictly confined prison. And boy what a work he has put through in here to narrate the sweat and blood inducing hard work that these character goes through. Siegel has always used the set and the environment where the storytelling revolves around, into the narration so smoothly that you are practically escaping along with these characters. And using such body language and a three dimensional perspective on how such a process and plan is implemented the second act completely thrives upon the performance and execution where their barely resides any verbal sparrings.
This doesn't suggest that it is better than the first half. Contrary to popular belief, the first half is what molds the movie into a more human nature. It resonates mistakes and flawed characters that is celebrated into the narration through driving and sharing emotions among the cell mates. It is not also your typical head to head rivalry script that is of scoreboard nature, all scores are settled in the last swing by Eastwood's home run. Aforementioned, the performance relies upon the narration and vice versa and portraying such a gritty bold character has always been Eastwood's charm.
And this time following the instructions and leading the instructions into unanticipated trajectories, he soars above all from his group in both the physical and emotional aspects of it. The second half of the film is basically a series of close calls and it is upto Siegel to not let that euphoric energy wear off which he does hold up to. Escape From Alcatraz has managed to live up to the expectations from the collaboration of Eastwood and Siegel and even though it fumbles on the dodgy surface, it manages to escape.
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