In the most isolated and inhospite world, where the most dangerous criminals were, was the myth born, the legend that would later be brought to the cinema with the title Alcatraz?Impossible escape (Don Siegel, 1979).
The film has become a benchmark among those who deal with prisons (and rightly so). The truth is that every time we watch a similar film, comparing it to Alcatraz is inevitable.
- The cold and hostile atmosphere.
- The lockdown and.
- Above all.
- The suffocating suspense make it a fascinating film.
- Which keeps us always attentive to the screen.
- Eastwood’s enigmatic face is another of the film’s great strengths.
- As well as the exceptional location and true story.
It seems that a film based on real events is attracting more and more interest, but if it also deals with one of the most widespread myths of the twentieth century, that interest will be even greater.
An island prison secured the detention of the prisoners, prevented them from escaping and yet managed to escape, survive or not, was another of the mysteries that led Alcatraz to be known around the world.
Cinema has helped soften this image and allowed the collective imagination to make its own assumptions. Don Siegel brought anguish to the cinema and made us sympathize with the prisoners who were there, who just wanted his freedom.
Alcatraz Island is located near San Francisco Bay, UNITED States, served as a military fortification, but is best known for welcoming famous prisoners, such as Al Capone.
After 29 years of operation, the prison closed its doors and was occupied by several Native American tribes. Currently, the island of Alcatraz is a national park and a historical site.
During his years as a federal prison, the island also had housing for employees and their families. Alcatraz’s main function was to keep prisoners considered extremely dangerous, who had caused damage to other prisons and whose rehabilitation was considered impossible.
The place was almost inaccessible and guaranteed its maximum safety; even prisoners were forbidden to speak.
One way or another, an air of mystery and terror has been created around the prison. On the one hand, it housed the most dangerous prisoners; on the other hand, we have heard of countless atrocities coming from Alcatraz.
Suicides between prisoners were on the rise and others, such as Rufe Persful, even mutilated their fingers.
The bad reputation has long followed Alcatraz. What happened behind bars was absolutely silent, but the rumors were growing.
However, it seems that some pointed out that the conditions of detention were not as bad as they seemed, and there were even prisoners who asked to be sent to Alcatraz on the grounds that food was better than in other prisons, but the controversy has always existed. Existed. Trials, suicides . . . everything seemed to indicate that Alcatraz was a place where hostility reigned.
In recent years of operation there are indications that some of the strict prison rules have been extinguished or relaxed. There were several escape attempts during his years of confinement, but only two were marked in history.
The first is known as the Battle of Alcatraz, which left a total of five dead: two guards and three prisoners, as well as several wounded; the second was the only successful attempt: the escape of Alcatraz on June 11, 1962.
The author of the plan was Frank Morris, a thief accused of drug possession and armed robbery, whose IQ was well above average. Brothers John and Clarence Anglin managed to escape; Allen West collaborated with them and was ready to flee, but due to a problem with his vent, he was unable to escape.
The plan was absolutely perfect and the prisoners disappeared without a trace. The FBI gave them up for dead, but the mystery is still alive today.
It is said that the mother of the Anglin brothers received two bouquets of flowers from their mothers every day, and it is believed that there is a photograph that shows them alive. In 2013, the FBI reopened the case after receiving a letter signed by John Anglin. in which he said that the escape had been successful and that he was currently ill.
We’ll certainly never know what happened, but that’s part of the magic of this story.
Why are we so attracted to these stories? Because they nourish our imagination and connect with a common feeling: the desire to be free. Cinema provided images to our imagination and allowed us to see what this exceptional getaway was like.
This feature has elevated some prisoners to the rank of heroes of society by challenging the system and achieving what we all want: freedom.
The film begins with an almost ghostly scene of the island in the middle of the night, while rain and music keep us on alert. Frank Morris walks in the dark accompanied by guards taking him to prison, the lighthouse is seen from afar. and little by little one approaches the island.
This introduction is perfect; all the elements are in perfect harmony and introduce the viewer to the story.
Frank Morris presents himself as a silent character, who is barely expressed in words, his face is cold and distant, he always remains unperturbable.
The truth is that few faces could have adapted better than Eastwood’s in the character. Siegel makes the most of the enigmatic face, gestures and small details of its protagonist.
The information is given gradually; we know Morris has unusual intelligence, well above average, but we don’t know much about him.
The atmosphere created around the character is fascinating, and the rest of the prison prisoners and staff are also perfectly explored.
it plunges us into the darkness of prison, into the difficult lives of prisoners and shows us Morris’ exceptional intelligence. The great realism and detail with which all the steps to follow in the plan are shown make the film a masterpiece, a film from which it is impossible to disconnect.
It doesn’t matter if we already know the story, no matter if we already know the whole plan in detail, the tension remains from the first minutes of the film to the last, the suspense is not generated by the unknown, but by the known.
We know the end, but we want to see how they get there, we see the anguish of the characters and their fears and worries go beyond the screen, their desire for freedom is so strong that not even the fear of being discovered or killed can’t stop. Them.
Finally, the line stops us, the waves of the sea take on relief, a little hope, and break this dark and suffocating atmosphere from the beginning.
Alcatraz gives us the opportunity to dely into one of the great mysteries of the twentieth century, leaving an open end, as this story really did, but with a little hope.
He plays with subtlety, with nonverbal language, with the anguish and claustrophobia caused by lockdown, but above all with the desire for freedom, in this way the film becomes a real lesson in suspense and, finally, cinema.
After all, all that remains to be asked: what is freedom?Maybe they couldn’t survive (or maybe they were), but they were certainly free. Sometimes death can be more liberating than life itself.