Much like some of the best horror/thriller films rely on what you don't see, "Escape from Alcatraz" engages with suspense that almost never exists, and does so to great effect.
Eastwood turns in his standard Eastwood performance as Frank Morris, an unassuming and intelligent prisoner whose most heinous criminal acts seem to be breaking out of prisons, for which he is sent to the "inescapable" Alcatraz. Needless to say, he plots to escape (of course, Eastwood would do this no matter what character he's playing), with the help of a few prisoners he befriends, two of whom he knows from a stint in a Georgia prison and followed his coattails to the Rock.
By "standard Eastwood" I mean that he plays the character like an expert violinist, but at any moment you know he could make you wet your pants just by asking if you feel lucky; one of few actors (Pesci, Spacey) that can masterfully exist simultaneously as actor and character. Real life Frank Morris likely did not have the intimidating presence of Eastwood, but no guns are drawn or staredowns initiated, so we stick to story but are able to romanticize it ourselves.
All the standard prison film tropes (rape, racism, the elderly prisoner) are handled beautifully to establish the prison mood while furthering the story and not hindering the pacing of the movie. All but a few prison movies would be improved by copying and pasting this film's use of the tropes into their own overarching stories.
If this film were made today, even with an equally outstanding cast, I fear it would likely fall victim to being forced over the top with superfluous "Gotcha!" scenes, choreographed group fights, sharks, bad weather, maybe a shark/weather hybrid, and so forth. This is not a film that will have you on the edge of your seat or excite you at any time, and that's a good thing. The story is executed realistically, forcing you to generate far more suspense in your mind than is given on screen, which is very minimal and peaks during a routine cell check, with the warden opening the case of Frank's accordion while sitting inches away from the hole in the cell wall.
The subtlety may be a bit over the top itself (even for real life), as the actual escape left me generating numerous near-capture scenarios in my head, making the finale somewhat anticlimactic. Though the setting, characters and story were portrayed so well that it didn't matter much, and the film's (and real life's) final question leaves the right type of open end that gives ample suspense.
This film doesn't blow you away but it is gripping and highly enjoyable. I have a pessimistic/critical nature and make a habit of looking for things I don't like in books, movies, etc. I know I've watched a very good movie when the best I can come up with is "I wish there were one more scene with the warden" or "Why wouldn't Morris introduce himself unless asked his name?" And neither of those really matter.
Unless you count "Cuckoo's Nest," this is my favorite prison movie.
Eastwood turns in his standard Eastwood performance as Frank Morris, an unassuming and intelligent prisoner whose most heinous criminal acts seem to be breaking out of prisons, for which he is sent to the "inescapable" Alcatraz. Needless to say, he plots to escape (of course, Eastwood would do this no matter what character he's playing), with the help of a few prisoners he befriends, two of whom he knows from a stint in a Georgia prison and followed his coattails to the Rock.
By "standard Eastwood" I mean that he plays the character like an expert violinist, but at any moment you know he could make you wet your pants just by asking if you feel lucky; one of few actors (Pesci, Spacey) that can masterfully exist simultaneously as actor and character. Real life Frank Morris likely did not have the intimidating presence of Eastwood, but no guns are drawn or staredowns initiated, so we stick to story but are able to romanticize it ourselves.
All the standard prison film tropes (rape, racism, the elderly prisoner) are handled beautifully to establish the prison mood while furthering the story and not hindering the pacing of the movie. All but a few prison movies would be improved by copying and pasting this film's use of the tropes into their own overarching stories.
If this film were made today, even with an equally outstanding cast, I fear it would likely fall victim to being forced over the top with superfluous "Gotcha!" scenes, choreographed group fights, sharks, bad weather, maybe a shark/weather hybrid, and so forth. This is not a film that will have you on the edge of your seat or excite you at any time, and that's a good thing. The story is executed realistically, forcing you to generate far more suspense in your mind than is given on screen, which is very minimal and peaks during a routine cell check, with the warden opening the case of Frank's accordion while sitting inches away from the hole in the cell wall.
The subtlety may be a bit over the top itself (even for real life), as the actual escape left me generating numerous near-capture scenarios in my head, making the finale somewhat anticlimactic. Though the setting, characters and story were portrayed so well that it didn't matter much, and the film's (and real life's) final question leaves the right type of open end that gives ample suspense.
This film doesn't blow you away but it is gripping and highly enjoyable. I have a pessimistic/critical nature and make a habit of looking for things I don't like in books, movies, etc. I know I've watched a very good movie when the best I can come up with is "I wish there were one more scene with the warden" or "Why wouldn't Morris introduce himself unless asked his name?" And neither of those really matter.
Unless you count "Cuckoo's Nest," this is my favorite prison movie.