This is a tight tale. Siegel’s fifth movie with Eastwood, did the original Dirty Harry with him previous. Strengths are definitely played to. Prison movie that turns into an attempted escape movie, because it is inevitable. Frank Lee Morris (Eastwood) gets sent to Alcatraz for a reason. One bad egg. One always-escaping bad-smellin egg, that Frank! At least according to the Warden.
The interning process to Alcatraz in the pouring rain at night is not welcoming, to say the least. And Frank just zips his lip and does what he’s told. The Warden is not a pleasant person. Like, exceptionally a dick. So Frank just lays low, makes friends, collects information, bides his time. Sees if there’s an out. Maybe. It’s a tough nut to crack. But all he’s got is time...
This is well done, showing the shitshow that is (well, was) the country’s most inescapable jail, for the real bastards out there. But Frank isn’t stupid. His file even says it. And he makes connections, and hooks up with some old buddies as they cycle through the prison as well. But that Prison Warden? Yeah. Total Assho. Frank knows he’s doomed if he sticks around. And gives us a nice walk on that quiet tightrope, never knowing if they’ll get caught as the slow months pass by. The Shawshank Redemption is just a prettified version. This one, a lot less gay. Except for Wolf. He’s a bit gay, especially for Frank. Good luck with that. The rest are just servin time. Good characters, Good tension, Good escape...maybe...
