Escape from Alcatraz

Prisoners, either they're POWs or inmates have been the subject of movies many times. Some are based on true stories and some have fictional characters. If I wanted to name a few I would say The Great Escape, The Bridge Over the River Kwai and probably a few more. These two movies were a big hit at their time but probably not today. They would most likely not impress the young audiences today. I saw the first one many years ago when I was a kid in the old country on VHS(!) and it was dubbed. It was a favorite movie by adults at the time because of McQueen's role. I did or perhaps I still do have the second movie on digital but couldn't watch past the first few minutes!

This movie that I've watched and is a bit better has a historical accuracy: Escape from Alcatraz is based on the attempt and actual escape of three inmates from the maximum security prison in the island of Alcatraz, nearly 1.25 miles off the shore of San Francisco in 1961.

It's obvious that many parts of the movie is based on the speculations that the writer and screenplay write have but it is still good considering many events could have been checked with the former inmates who were there at the time. 

Alcatraz Island and the main prison building. Photograph courtesy of FBI. The island is a tourist destination which I don't mind visiting. Perhaps sometimes soon when things go back to normal.

The movie has a few known actors. Eastwood is the main character. Fred Ward who has an amazing play in Southern Comfort comes in later and becomes one of the characters who plan and participate in the escape. There're a few more who are not known as much but they play well. The movie might sound a bit boring because it's not an action film. It's about planning for an escape but still worth watching, if you can get your hands in. I read that there're tours for the island and the facility, which was closed less than a year after the infamous escape but with all the opposition to travelling to the US, I wonder if it will be a favourite destination for many! 

(Photo, top,: From Left Frank Morris and brothers Clarence and John Anglin, escaped the maximum security prison in the north of San Francisco in 1962. The FBI does not believe the men could make it and handed the file over to the US Marshals office in 1979)