Review of Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) by Mike G — 03 Nov 2010
Highly dramatized account of Robert Stroud, a murderer and a psychopath by most accounts who used much of his time behind bars rather well and advanced the field of ornithology well beyond anyone's expectations.
Burt Lancaster, a notoriously difficult actor to work with, ironically softens Stroud's image although he begins as a quite bitter, remorseless, violent and fiercely independent and non-conforming prisoner.
As a biopic, it's sort of a bad joke with some truth mixed in. For instance, the whole Alcatraz riot at the end is highly fictionalized and Stroud did nothing to end the standoff such as the movie portrays.
Anyway, even with all the things wrong with this film, it's still pretty engrossing.
This review of Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) was written by Mike G on 03 Nov 2010.
Birdman of Alcatraz has generally received very positive reviews.
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