There is little doubt that the subject of prison, and prison related activities, have long been a favorite among movie fans. This week we’re going to take a look at three classic prison movies that are waiting for you in your local movie store. The Great Escape, Escape from Alcatraz, and The Shawshank Redemption are among the finest movies ever made and are certainly worth renting on a Saturday night, if for no other reason than to remind yourself of how lovely it is to not have to concoct some convoluted scheme to escape from your own private nightmare in Germany, San Francisco or Maine.
The first of the triad of prison flicks we’re going to look back on is 1963’s The Great Escape, starring James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, before he was the creepy looking Death Wish guy, and Steve McQueen, who carries the movie with a superb performance as Captain Hilts. The movie centers around a German P.O.W camp during World War II. What makes this particular Prison Camp interesting is that it contains an all-star lineup of the best Allied escape artists around, brought together into a “Escape Proof” camp by the Germans after several escape attempts from various prison camps all over Germany. Believe it or not, this is based on a true story, although Hollywood added its usual extras that always seem to detract, rather than add, to the enjoyment of the picture. The main characters of the film all give great performances. Garner, who plays Hendley, is in charge of bribing and/or extorting the German guards to get the necessary supplies needed to put on a great escape. Bronson, who plays Willinski, is dubbed the “tunnel king”, for his mole-like ability to build a good escapin’ tunnel. Attenborough plays Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett, who leads the rag-tag group of malcontents on their mission for freedom. The Germans, of course, are delightfully oblivious to the shenanigans being perpetrated by our heroes. Of course, the real enjoyment of the movie is watching the Allies put one over on the evil Nazis. However, after the actual escape, as we follow the various destinies of the characters, most of which end up badly, the movie takes a more serious turn.
McQueen is the star of the movie and comes through with a fantastic performance as Hilts, the easy going American who seems to see escaping as much as a sport as a survival technique. McQueen made a career out of being a man’s man, and in this movie he really pulls this off. Who else, after being sent to the hole, could just smile, take out a baseball and start throwing it against the wall like it’s nobody’s business? It’s a brilliantly subtle form of rebellion, and McQueen is the perfect actor to pull it off. Although the movie comes in at the three hour mark, its well worth it.
