Review of Escape from Alcatraz (1979) by Thomas S — 01 Feb 2011

Directed by Don Siegel, reuniting for the fifth and last time with Clint Eastwood, this is a true story that documents one of the most daring and exciting prison escapes in U.S. history, and also helped close down America's toughest maximum security prison.

It has crook Frank Morris (Eastwood) being sent to Alcatraz prison in 1960, and immediately takes a disliking to his surroundings. The prison warden (Patrick McGoohan) is very strict as well, able to give and take away prison privileges straight away, and the Warden tells Frank that escape is impossible.

However, Frank isn't going to take the Warden's word for it. He, along with fellow inmates Charley Butts (Larry Hankin) and brothers Clarence (Jack Thibeau) and John Anglin (Fred Ward) plan an escape out of the prison through the ventilation shafts, onto the roof, down a drain pipe, over a barbed wire fence and across a mile of water in San Francisco Bay to dry land.

But, this is a plan that will require cunning, secrecy and luck too, using their wits and ingenuity, they find a way to fool the prison guards and Warden. It's a little slow going at first, but it picks up pace once our heroes begin their plot to escape.

It's claustrophobic, (the cells are tiny), and suspenseful too.