The Brig (1964)

A ultra-realistic depiction of life in a Marine Corps brig (or jail) at a camp in Japan in 1957. Marine prisoners are awakened and put through work details for the course of a single day, ... See full summary »

Director:

Jonas Mekas

Writers:

Kenneth H. Brown (play), Kenneth H. Brown (screenplay)

Stars:

Warren Finnerty, Jim Anderson, Henry Howard

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Warren Finnerty	...	Guard
Jim Anderson	...	Guard
Henry Howard	...	Guard
Tom Lillard	...	Guard
James Tiroff	...	Prisoner (as Jim Tiroff)
Steven Ben Israel	...	Prisoner
Gene Lipton	...	Prisoner
Rufus Collins	...	Prisoner
Michael Elias	...	Prisoner
William Shari	...	Prisoner
Viktor Allen	...	Prisoner
George Bartenieff	...	Prisoner
Gene Gordon	...	Prisoner
Mark Duffy	...	Prisoner
Henry Proach	...	Prisoner

Storyline

A ultra-realistic depiction of life in a Marine Corps brig (or jail) at a camp in Japan in 1957. Marine prisoners are awakened and put through work details for the course of a single day, submitting in the course of it to extremely harsh and shocking physical and mental degradation and abuse.

---

Plot Keywords:

prisoner | brig | prison | group punishment | u.s. marine corps | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 September 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Knast

Company Credits

Production Co:

White Line Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

User Reviews

Few plays translate so well onto film.

The Brig was an off Broadway play. A special performance of it was performed for Jonas Mekas' camera. If it hadn't been, it could have been long forgotten about. The acting is first rate. The sync sound was captured live directly onto the the film. The dialog sounds somewhat garbled, but that works here, since the marine captains' verbal abuse of their soldiers is as nonsensical as their actions. So this could be shown universally and people everywhere would get the point about what's going on. It all takes place in one setting and is captured with a hand-held camera. Thus we feel like a silent witness to the action. The black and white photography is instrumental in capturing such a bleak world. So whether by design or by luck, the film of The Brig is no doubt every bit as rewarding an experience as the original stage play was. Simply put, this film is a work of modern art that successfully captures modern art. It should be preserved for all time.