Escape from Alcatraz (1979) User Reviews (236)

Eastwood gives his best screen acting to date...

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 8/10 · 15 June 2003]

In the 29 years of Alcatraz's existence, and despite the strict measures, 39 captives tried to escape from America's premier maximum-security prison during its existence... Thirty six of whom failed... This script is about the other three, of whom nothing is known... They may have drowned in San Francisco Bay, or they may have got away...

Morris (Clint Eastwood) was a loner, a rebel against society, the perfect hero that Siegel loves... Lee Marvin in 'The Killers', Steve McQueen in 'Hell is for Heroes', and Richard Widmark in 'Madigan' were all similar types in films which he had directed..

In 'Escape From Alcatraz,' Eastwood gives his best screen acting to date... It is a charismatic performance that is so idiosyncratic, persuasive, and powerful... Eastwood, gave Morris the rough, intelligent aspect that is immediately palpable...

The first few minutes of the film consist of Morris being brought by boat to Alcatraz, inspected by a doctor and thrown into a cell... Throughout this, Eastwood does not speak... But already the audience feels it... They know the character... He has been through this before... He tries to control his mind... He builds a barrier between himself and his surroundings... He holds back his fear but he's not so foolish as to appear brave... Behind his impassivity, his mind is calculating... He is studying everyone... Everyone knows, prison guards and fellow prisoners alike, that this is not a man to be intimidated with easily...

But Siegel wasn't making a film about penal cruelty or miscarriage of justice or anything like that... He was presenting a meditative study of the inflexibility of human spirit, with a star strong enough in himself to join one sequence to the next... Both Siegel and Eastwood are known for violence, but there's relatively little of it this time...

This is not to say that Siegel has no interest in character... Stereotype characters, such as Doc and Litmus, make the film more entertaining... A further example is the inevitable homosexual Wolf (Bruce M. Fisher), who points out that Morris is a potential victim but realizes he has met his match when he approaches him in the showers one morning and gets three unexpected blows in the groin and a bar of soap in the mouth for his harassment... Another familiar type of character is English (Paul Benjamin), the leader of the Black mafia, who sits in the yard far away from the white inmates... English proves to be a nice guy..

But the biggest stereotype of them all is the cold warden, although Patrick McGoohan tries as hard as he can to provide Morris with some individual personality... Apart from the flower-crushing and constant attention to his nails, he is permitted by the scriptwriter merely to recite phrases that might have come from the prison handbook: 'No one has ever escaped from Alcatraz alive. Alcatraz was built to keep all the rotten eggs in one basket. I was specially chosen to make sure the stink from that basket doesn't escape.'

But two elements in the film are absolutely real: one is the central character, which will be considered in a moment, and the other is 'The Rock' itself...

Siegel's overwhelming achievement is to send the audience to infamous prison for two hours... The claustrophobia, the implicit suppression of any joy, the barbarity of being caged in isolation cells, all these suffocating atrocities come across with such reality that one experiences a total sense of relief when the camera moves into the recreation yard for the clear bright light of every early morning... Siegel's technique in this respect is unique...

Siegel's film style seems almost a cinematic interpretation of Eastwood screen persona: lean, clean, and harsh... Here is one example: When the incorrigible psychopath is out to finish Eastwood, his one chance is in the exercise yard... When he enters the yard, he is in need for a weapon... He has none! He slowly advances into the yard toward his victim... The camera goes down to the man's right hand as he walks... After a moment, another man puts a knife in that hand... The camera stays on the hand as he keeps moving... After another moment, another hand reaches in and grabs the con's arm.... The whole brief sequence is loaded with surprise and suspense... It is in two words: pure cinema...

Siegel's movie follows the known facts of the escape constantly, permitting itself only one act of poetic license at the very end... Throughout the film, Siegel uses a yellow chrysanthemum as a symbol of 'heart', to indicate that although the brutal system may have removed everything from the inmates save the questionable privilege of remaining alive, in some men at least their spirit survives...

'Doc', an elderly inmate who has spent twenty years there but who is permitted to paint and cultivate chrysanthemums, introduces the concept...

The Ones Who (Might Have) Got Away

[timdalton007 · 8/10 · 23 December 2010]

Alcatraz: the escape proof prison located on an island in San Francisco Bay. During its 29 years as a U.S Federal Prison there were over a dozen escape attempts which failed. Yet one attempt in 1962 might just have succeeded in breaking three of its inmates out. That attempt is the focus of the 1979 film Escape From Alcatraz, a superb example of how to bring a real-life story to the screen.

The cast is stellar but low key throughout. Clint Eastwood plays the ringleader of the escape, Frank Morris. Eastwood portrays Morris as being a low key, intelligent and yet charismatic individual who uses both his brain and personality in the lead up to the escape. His nemesis is the cold, ruthless and at times even vindictive prison warden played by Patrick McGoohan in a role that seems tailor made for him even if he only pops up in the film every so often but does so to great effect. Appearing about mid-way through the film to aid in the escape are the Anglin twins who are the played with charm and charisma by Fred Ward and Jack Thibeau. Along the way we meet some of Alcatraz's other prisoners including Paul Benjamin as English, Roberts Blossom as the painter Doc, Frank Ronzio as long term prisoner Litmus, Bruce M. Fischer as the appropriately named prison animal Wolf and Larry Hankin as potential escapee Charley Butts (though the name of the actual prisoner was changed for the film). The performances are all low key which adds to the atmosphere and suspense of the film immensely.

The entire film has an atmosphere of menace and suspense to it. From the moment Morris is brought to the island, director Don Siegel places the viewer into the exact same situation the character (and by extension the real prisoner) finds himself in: a world confined to a small piece of island where time passes by slowly, escape seems impossible and, thanks to fellow prisoners like Wolf, death could potentially hit you at any moment. The film was shot inside the infamous prison itself, the film therefore has a strong sense of authenticity to it that is hard to achieve in a studio set. Sequences such as Morris' time in solitary confinement in D-block or the escape attempt itself showcase this fact.

That sense of authenticity is combined with the work of those behind the camera to create the aforementioned atmosphere. The solitary confinement sequence, for example, is inter-cut by Ferris Webster to include shots of the sun rising and setting over the prison to help give the audience a sense of time that I suspect would have been a luxury to anyone who has ever experienced it. The score from Jerry Fielding is, like the rest of the film, low key to be point of barely being noticeable yet highly effective when it is used. The one thing that brings that atmosphere though is the cinematography of Bruce Surtees which gives the entire film a cold look akin to a permanently gloomy day and permanently dark nights. The result is a film that keeps you on edge the whole time, even if you know how it ends.

Which, in a way, brings us to the script. Richard Tuggle's script, based on the J. Campbell Bruce book of the same name, has the feeling of being a meticulously researched, well thought out piece of writing. The script stays very true to the known facts of the escape with only a few minor changes (such as the name of the potential fourth escapee for example). As a result this film isn't fast paced or action packed. The story builds as we see Morris settling into the prison, adjusting to it, formulate the escape plan and then work towards carrying it out. There's plenty of suspense along the way as each stage has its own risks and potential to go wrong, which keeps the viewer waiting to see what happens next. The result is that the escape attempt itself is made all the more powerful in terms of its suspense. Yet Tuggle keeps his characters at the center and keeps their characterizations firmly anchored in reality. As a result the script makes the film real and suspenseful without ever letting never letting the facts, overwhelm the people.

Escape From Alcatraz is a superb example of how to bring a true story to the screen. From its low key but effective performances to its authenticity and sense of menace, the film is highly effective both as a docudrama and as a suspense film. While those who can only stand the fast pace editing and highly stylistic films of today might find it utterly dull, others will find a fascinating true story brought to life in fine form.

Frank Morris doesn't seek redemption; - only an exit...

[Coventry · 8/10 · 19 January 2021]

I'm undoubtedly going to get virtually molested for making statements like these, but whatever... It's my honest and humble opinion that, because of "Escape from Alcatraz" (and perhaps 2 or 3 other solid but underrated prison dramas), a film like "The Shawshank Redemption" does not deserve to be labeled as one of the greatest - or even THE greatest, according to this wonderful website - movie of all time. Don't crucify me just yet. I do concur "Shawshank" is a great film, but so many of the original and brilliant aspects that its fans praise and worship so much already featured here first, in this genius fifth (and final) collaboration between director Don Siegel and anti-hero Clint Eastwood. I won't go as far to claim the script/novel of "Shawshank Redemption" is a rip-off (although it wouldn't be the first time Stephen King steals from other sources) but it's definitely a big influence and inspiration.

The most astounding trick Siegel and Eastwood pull, is serving us a slow-paced and atmospheric drama rather than an exhilarating action flick, and yet it doesn't at all feel like a swindle. "Escape from Alcatraz" is a stoic and slow brooding, yet compelling depiction of prison life, its strict routines and its lack of privileges. The titular escape, which largely exists of tunneling out with a pair of nail clippers (!), is often even a mere footnote, while the real essence revolves around the solidarity between inmates and their collective fist against the corrupt prison authorities.

Needless to say, Eastwood is at his best portraying a cool, distant, arrogant and enigmatic Frank Morris. From the moment he arrives at Alcatraz, it's more than obvious that his sole mission will be to escape, even though the megalomaniacal head warden fanatically makes it clear The Rock is impossible to escape from. The latter is a strong role for Patrick McGoohan, by the way. Great, great film. No nonsense, no unnecessary dialogs or redundant sub plots, just pure craftmanship!

Interesting and underrated.

[Chromium_5 · 10/10 · 10 November 2004]

Some people complain that this movie is "boring." It's true it is very quiet and low-key, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. It has a distinct realistic feel to it, and it manages to be extremely suspenseful without using over-the-top action or an overblown soundtrack. There were several moments that actually had me on the edge of my seat.

Fans of Eastwood and McGoohan, who both give fantastic performances, should love this. Fans of prison movies should love this. Fans of suspense movies in general should love this. It is a top-notch movie with good performances all around, and I'd highly recommend it.

10/10 stars. Pure, solid entertainment.

Great movie... but go on the tour first....

[hermes9264 · 9/10 · 28 January 2006]

I first went on the evening tour of Alcatraz Island which I'd highly recommend, the prison was cast in a dark gloom which seemed appropriate as we walked around the jail cells and listened to many interesting facts on the audio tour, walked the grounds, and heard about the escape depicted in the move. Naturally, I had to go see this movie...

Watching the movie, I was very impressed with how accurate the movie mirrored what my sense of prison life and the escape would be like based on my impressions of the prison and the island during the tour. Having had walked around the space of the prison in the dim evening light really enhanced my sense of the movie's environment.

Small details like the painting of black shadows for sharp tools that they shared in the tour were also present in the movie, very authentic. The lack of action per se perfectly captures the actual mood of the prison, where boredom reigned, and I thought the film balanced this well with an entertaining cast of characters and well-timed action. Eastwood's silently intense attitude was a good fit for the role and the drama and atmosphere of the escape scene was done perfectly.

In short, I'd highly recommend the evening tour on Alcatraz, followed by a viewing of "Escape from Alcatraz", you will not be disappointed.

true story of the great escape from Alcatraz

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 13 May 2016]

Escape from Alcatraz is a 1979 film starring Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGooghan, Roberts Blossom, and Paul Benjamin.

Eastwood is Frank Morris, who, with the two Anglin brothers (their names were changed for the film) contrived the most elaborate scheme ever to escape "The Rock." Their bodies were never found, and a photo surfaced some years later of the brothers in Brazil. The escape, plus Alcatraz's bad reputation, helped it close less than a year later.

The movie gives a good idea of the horrors of prison life, and particularly the horrors of Alcatraz. Frankly, I don't think the escapees cared if they died. I'm sure anything was better than being in Alcatraz.

Escape from Alcatraz is old-fashioned in that it has the art of the buildup, something lost in today's scripts. Today you must get to the point of your story in the first ten minutes. A film, for instance, like San Francisco where the earthquake happens toward the end would be a no-no.

So we see the preparations, and they're impressive - papier mache heads with hair stolen from the barber shop to fool the guards into thinking they were asleep, digging out a grill at the back of the cell and putting a false grill up to fool the guards; welding a digging tool together with silver from a dime; the making of a raft; playing music while digging to hide the noise (though this really isn't shown). It was painstaking.

Patrick McGoohan plays the warden, who, like all film prison wardens, is a horror show. When he sees a portrait of himself in a cell, he takes away the painting privileges of one of the inmates, Doc. When he finds out two inmates are talking cell to cell, he demands that they be separated.

Actually, at the time of the escape, the warden was Olin Blackwell, considered the most lenient warden Alcatraz had ever had. And by then, inmates were performing music (shown in the film), and had weekend movies (also shown).

Clint Eastwood, heavier than we've seen him in years, does an excellent job as Frank Morris, low-key but lethal. There isn't a tremendous amount of dialogue, but with his great presence and Frank's quiet leadership, we really don't need it.

Recommended for a gritty look at life on Alcatraz, and the fascinating escape.

Rock hard

[paul2001sw-1 · 8/10 · 2 June 2004]

Alcatraz was America's toughest high-security prison, and has been much beloved by film-makers since it closed and became available as a set. Don Siegel's film is based on the true story of an attempted escape. Some aspects are clichéd (the psychopathic homosexual, for example) and by concentrating on the brutality of the regime the film gets you on the side of the escapees at the price of suggesting that prison break-outs are actually a good thing. But in general, this is a successful film that has aged well, with no sickly sentiment or overdone melodrama; by concentrating on the unadorned details of the story, the film allows each one to count. A strong, uncompromising movie, gripping even if you know the ending before it starts.

Ain't no prison big enough for Clint Eastwood

[tieman64 · 15 January 2011]

Director Don Siegel and actor Clint Eastwood always do classy work together, and "Escape From Alcatraz" is no different.

The film simply involves Clint Eastwood being locked away in Alcatraz prison and then planning and enacting an escape, but the end result is nevertheless one of the best prison escape movies precisely because Siegel's stripped down, no nonsense, ruggedly masculine directorial style perfectly meshes with Clint's stripped down, no nonsense, ruggedly masculine acting style. It's a film in which Siegel's camera simply watches, with minimum fuss, as Clint digs through a wall and escapes a top security prison, with minimum fuss.

With the death of Peckinpah and Siegel, no one makes these manly movies today, directors now all pampered and privileged. When Siegel made a movie, you could feel the grime, sweat and testosterone.

In terms of flaws, the film rather sneakily neglects to tell us why Clint and his associates are in prison, and goes to great lengths to portray the prison warden as a villain, the end result being that we're essentially conned into wishing for the escape of bad people.

Of course most prison movies are largely existential tales. Like Paul Newman and Steve McQueen in their respective prison movies, Clint's less a criminal than an everyman who embodies our yearning for freedom, the film appealing to our desires for escape, transgression and rebellion. Thankfully, Siegel doesn't hype up these existential aspects, the director underplaying or ignoring them entirely in favour for a more dry, docudrama approach. If Clint signed up to the film in order to take his internalized, stoic acting style to new heights, then Siegel was drawn to a script filled with methodical planning. More than most, directors love when a good plan comes together.

8/10 – The film isn't as good as Siegel and Clint's best collaboration, "The Beguiled", but it's still excellent. Clint's the coolest actor since Bogart, and while this is a very simple tale, its procedural like direction, detachment and simple plot mesh perfectly with Clint's quiet scenery chewing, impressive scowling and laconic mannerisms. The film's poster was based on the famous "A Clockwork Orange" poster.

Worth one viewing.

good prison and escape movie

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 5 February 2015]

It's 1960 San Francisco. Bank robber Frank Morris (Clint Eastwood) has tried too many escapes and is brought to Alcatraz where no one has ever escaped from. He befriends Litmus with his mouse and becomes Wolf's enemy. English (Paul Benjamin) runs the library. It turns out that English is the top among the blacks. Charley Butts moves into the next cell. Brothers Clarence Anglin and John Anglin (Fred Ward) join Frank in Alcatraz after a failed escape.

It's a nice prison movie with all the horrors that entails and an escape scheme. It's a bit slow and lacks a truly scary opponent. The warden is nothing special. Patrick McGoohan doesn't have enough threatening presence. Wolf is too soft and goes away for much of the movie. I wish more is done with the antagonists of the movie. Nevertheless, it's a good escape movie. Clint is at the top of his game.

Even Better If You've Seen The Famous Site

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 7 January 2007]

An excellent second half of this film elevates it overall as the Alcatraz inmates plan and then execute their escape, narrowly missing several disastrous occurrences. The suspense during those scenes is outstanding.

Clint Eastwood is good as the fairly low-key character "Frank Morris" and most of the inmates are likable guys (which was highly unlikely in real life).

For tourists of San Francisco (of which I was one about five years ago), I would recommend taking the Alcatraz tour. It's fascinating and makes this movie even more interesting once you've seen the place. I notice the people here at IMDb make the same recommendation on the title page of this film.

Much of the rest of the cast are not well-known actors but they do a fine job in here. This is one of director Don Siegel's final films. He worked with Eastwood on "Coogan's Bluff" and then "Dirty Harry."

Transfer-wise, the DVD was not that impressive, a bit too grainy for the usual standards. However, the story is always interesting and the movie is definitely recommended.

Interesting drama

[grantss · 7/10 · 22 August 2014]

Interesting drama. Loosely based on an actual prison break from Alcatraz, shows in detail the plans of the prisoners to escape, and how they implement them. Also shows some of the deprivations they had to suffer, and some of the events leading up to their attempt to escape.

Good plot and direction. Build-up is good, almost painstaking. What could have been a dull join-the-dots exercise is instead a gripping story, where the conclusion isn't obvious. The human side of prison life is also well-portrayed.

Clint Eastwood is perfectly cast as the lead escapee. Tough yet scheming, and not compromising. Good support from Patrick McGoohan as the warden, Fred Ward, Jack Thibeau and Paul Benjamin.

Escape impossible?

[lost-in-limbo · 8/10 · 6 March 2007]

Frank Morris was a bank robber who has escape many prisons in his time, but for his troubles his transported from Atlanta and shipped off to the rock they call Alcatraz. Where supposedly no one can escape. The maximum security prison life is jarringly miserable and hopeless. The prison warden intends to keep it that way. Morris makes some friends, but also an enemy which wants to see him dead, after turning down his proposal with brute force. Through a small glimpse of hope and luck. Morris actually discovers a possible way of escape and carefully plans it out with the aid of a couple of inmates.

You can always count on the influential pairing of Clint Eastwood and Don Siegel. No matter what. On their filth and final partnership they come up with another genuine winner in the shape of the grippingly harrowing and sedated prison yarn shaped off J. Campbell Bruce's novel (and the supposed true story) of the only three men to break out of Alcatraz. It's hard not marvel at Siegel's sturdily compact craftsmanship in depicting the dour prison life with moody realism and how the story eventually folds out into a tautly drawn up break out attempt. The build up doesn't sway off course, but sticks to its simple narrative and characteristics with effective results. There's nothing explosive and downright exciting, but there's spirit lurking under the cold looking domain that eventually comes through. Like quoted in the film the rock would either break you or inspire you to fight on. The smartly layered plot works this into the characters very successfully and despite the predictability, it stays admirably honest without the need of sensationalising the facts and ambiguous conclusion. It starts of small and stays that way to the end, even with its dominantly large situation. The well-articulated script by Richard Tuggle is scanty with a lot of quiet patches. But it when comes to the forefront it manages to be cunning, but also touching. There's nothing overwrought here and gladly it doesn't succumb to that. Pacing is quite subdued, but this helps enhances the creaky mood and sophomoric nature of Alcatraz. Drama and action is kept to a minimal. Being shot on Alcatraz help chipped out such a towering and gritty presence the film held strongly and Bruce Surtees' fixedly expressive cinematography gets amongst the shadowy, dank and gloomy interior. Jerry Fielding's poignantly lingering and uncanny music score only adds more to the nauseating air whiffed up through the presentation. Clint Eastwood plays it quite steely and lean. He fit's the role smoothly as Morris. The support roles are reliably good, even if they are stuck with generic characters. Patrick McGoohan is sinisterly fine as the warden and Robert Blossom and Frank Ronzio are delightfully moving as two elder prison inmates. Paul Benjamin, Bruce M. Fischer, Fred Ward and Larry Hankin as the edgily weak-minded Charley Butts are memorably excellent in their parts.

We've been down this path before, but this efficient offering plays it cards in a very understated manner and is to the point that I found it hard not to be fascinated by it's bitter depiction. Take the chance with this fortress.

Enjoyable...even if the 'heroes' are all bad guys.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 14 January 2013]

"Escape From Alcatraz" is a fictionalization of an actual escape. However, in reality, no one is positive (other than perhaps a few) whether or not the three men actually successfully escaped. They either drowned or made it--no one has definitively determined which. It's sort of a what might have happened sort of film--and even here, they keep it a tad vague.

The film begins with a new prisoner (Clint Eastwood) being processed into the prison. For those who care, you get to see Eastwood and his 49 year-old butt. He plays a most unusual guy--a prisoner who is simply a prisoner. You know he committed SOME crime--but what it is you never learn. All he knows is that the life at Alcatraz is wearing him down and he longs to escape this supposedly escape-proof prison. The first half of the film shows his life in prison, the entire second half of the movie the meticulous plan to escape. Now two other men escaped with him, but you only see it from Eastwood's character's point of view.

"Escape From Alcatraz" has its pluses and minuses. The biggest plus is not trying to overly dramatize the action--it just is what it is--like real prison. The other plus is showing the detailed work on the escape--it was most interesting to watch. On the negative side, there isn't a lot of character development here. You want, on one hand, to root for him BUT since you don't know what he did to get in prison or anything about him, he might be a child molester or murderer! Overall, well worth seeing even with its weak character development.

A film heavily reliant on the 'stoic' presence of Eastwood to drag it through its running time...

[Howlin Wolf · 3/10 · 6 July 2004]

There's no denying the man has presence and a distinct kind of 'macho cool', not needing particularly sparkling dialogue to get us on his side or turn him into a hero. Here that presumption is tested to the limit, because there IS absolutely no "sparkling dialogue" whatsoever.

In fact, what little dialogue actually present is practically all 'exposition'. This seems to stand in the stead of any sort of visual flair from Siegel, so if you want more than the bare bones of the plot I'm afraid you'll be sadly disappointed. 'Words' here are only used as something to yank the plot gracelessly from A to B. The rare times this method is ignored are for Eastwood to crack a few lame jokes - rescued only by any respect the audience has fostered for the man (not the character) delivering them.

There ARE no 'characters' here; just 'pawns' who move in a set way designed to achieve a precise effect. Good for those who like 'routine' I suppose, but I wanted to break out of the prison the film put me in just as much as the cons wanted to escape Alcatraz!

Ultimately the tale is just as mechanical and done by rote as undoubtedly was the scheme that led to it. 'Gloss' or 'nuance' is nowhere to be found; what we're delivered is what the title promises us and NOTHING more. Exactly what it says on the tin - and sadly you'd probably have more fun reading about the contents of one of those rather than watching this.

Drama not action make great movies!!

[ticklemetorgo · 9/10 · 25 June 2005]

And Escape from Alcatraz is a great movie. Based on a true story, it's one of those rare films that doesn't contain endless mindless fight scenes, overt homo eroticism, impossible action scenes, cartoon like special effects that film makers seem to be overly obsessed about these days. Somebody on the board asked if they should do a re-make of the film. NO!!!! Escape from Alcatraz is excellent as it is. The film is all suspense and great acting. The prison scenes realistic. I'd been to Alcatraz before (as a tourist) and a lot of it is in ruins but the film makes it look like the prison is still intact.

I know some people may find the film dull, well that's fine. Go elsewhere and watch your cartoon action films. I'll stick with cool films like Escape from Alcatraz.

Powerful and authentic prison yarn.

[barnabyrudge · 8/10 · 11 September 2005]

Star Clint Eastwood and director Don Siegel made some excellent films together in the '70s. Their final collaboration came in 1979 with Escape From Alcatraz, a very authentic-looking prison drama based on the true story of the only successful escape from the notorious island-prison off San Francisco. In reality, no-one can be sure that Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers DID actually get away.... there is a very real possibility that they drowned or suffered hypothermia while trying to swim to safety. But the bodies of Morris and his cronies were never recovered, so neither can anyone categorically state that they perished. As a result of this legendary escape, Alcatraz lost its reputation as an inescapable penitentiary and was closed down just over a year later.

Convicted bank robber Frank Morris (Clint Eastwood) is moved to Alcatraz after repeatedly attempting to escape from his previous jail. Here he finds himself at the mercy of a ruthless and power-hungry warden (Patrick McGoohan) whose attitude toward the prisoners is one of utter contempt. Frank also finds his new fellow inmates to be alternately hostile or hopeless. While some inmates spend their time bullying and intimidating, others wallow in despair as endless months pass them by. Among the desperate ones, Frank meets "Doc" Dalton (Roberts Blossom), a convict with a talent for painting who chops off his own fingers when the warden refuses to let him paint. Also, Frank meets the Anglin brothers - Clarence (Jack Thibeau) and John (Fred Ward) - another pair with a reputation for attempting to escape from the jails they have been in. Frank and the Anglins put into action an audacious new escape plan. Using stolen spoons they dig their way to a ventilation shaft; using mirrors they watch the corridors outside their cells for approaching guards; using makeshift mortar they hide their digging work; and using papier-mache they make lifelike heads which they place on their pillows to make it look like they are sleeping peacefully.

Escape From Alcatraz is a film of great tension and gritty authenticity. Although Morris and the Anglins are bad men doing time for their bad crimes, we are made to root for them because the warden - indeed the whole "system" - is shown to be so cruel and unforgiving. Eastwood is physically commanding in his taciturn role, while McGoohan gives a chilling performance as the warden, and Blossom elicits great sympathy as the prisoner who harbours no desire to cause trouble but is devastated when banned from doing his beloved paintings. The whole prison atmosphere - with its tedium, fear, isolation and desperation - is evoked very realistically. The escape itself is shown in a sequence of 30 minutes or so at the end of the film. It is a mark of how well made Escape From Alcatraz is that this final 30 minute stretch takes place in near-darkness and is almost wordless, yet remains completely gripping.

Full of prison clichés but more of a reflection on prison life than a genre movie

[bob the moo · 31 May 2004]

When people disobey the rules of society they get sent to prison. When they disobey the rules of prison they get sent to Alcatraz. Transferred from Atlanta, this is the true story of Frank Morris – the only man to break out of Alcatraz prison. Morris comes to the prison to find cruel guards and monotony are the norm, all resided over by the disinterested warden. With time he makes both friends and enemies and begins to plan his way out of his cell and out of the prison.

I have seen this film once before, probably more than a decade ago and I wasn't going to try and review it from my distant memory of it so I watched it again the other day. From my memory of the film and the opening 15 minutes I assumed that this was just going to be an effective break-out thriller with all the usual clichés in place – the shanks, the old man with a small animal, the old timer who goes nuts etc, and in some regards this is what it is. However it is also very unusual for a prison movie because it is so very low key and slow. In this way it is like the prison life itself – based in routine without a great deal actually happening, certainly the film engages consistently rather than relying on a handful of set pieces to do it. For this reason some viewers may be turned off by it as they expect more from prison dramas, certainly viewers of HBO's Oz cannot help but find this to be lacking in action.

I don't want my comments to be taken out of context so I will say that I think that this is a very effective film in what it tries to do. It is slow but never dull, clichéd but never uninteresting. Siegel's direction shows good control and it is matched by a performance from Clint Eastwood that is so understated that at times it seemed like he would disappear from the screen with a slight whiff of smoke – this was not a showy performance but it was a very good one. He is supported by a cast that delivers mostly clichéd characters but delivers them without overdoing it or pushing it to the point where they are too obvious. The support cast includes turns from Blossum, Benjamin, Fischer, Hankin and Fred Ward. McGoohan doesn't have a great deal to do but he plays his character well, with a strange half smile on his face for much of the time – a knowing look reflecting the irony of the most famous Prisoner becoming the warden perhaps?

Overall this is lacking in fireworks or big set pieces (even the escape at the end is delivered without dramatic flourishes or tense music) but that is it's aim. The film captures the dull routine of prison life including the violence and the treatment while also telling a good story that it has the good taste to leave open as it was in real life.

Based On The Actual Escape.

[AaronCapenBanner · 7/10 · 16 September 2013]

Clint Eastwood plays Frank Morris, a convict sent to the infamous island prison Alcatraz, where he spends years planning a clever escape with three other prisoners, though one of them will not make it out. Film details how the plan is formulated, and the patience and skill required to pull off this elaborate plan to fool the guards, and make it to the roof, then to an inflatable raft to freedom, if they can survive the dangerously cold waters to shore. Patrick McGoohan plays the warden, a highly ironic bit of casting considering his classic series "The Prisoner" had the roles reversed! Films like this manipulate the audience to an extent, since, if you think about it, do you really want to see these likely guilty men escape? Still, considering the unknown fates of the men in real life, and how well-directed this film is by Don Siegel, the picture still remains an interesting experience, and an unusual role for Eastwood.

solid prison-breakout flick with machismo wit and fine touches of ambiguity

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 2 September 2007]

The last of the five collaborations between director Don Siegel and producer/actor Clint Eastwood, Escape from Alcatraz isn't a great blockbuster action flick like Dirty Harry or an experiment like the Beguiled. It is more the former, if anything, and a crackerjack example at best of what to do in crafting suspense from the elements of basic despair in the mindset of men. Barely sentimental (the exception might be with the loss of painting privileges for one prisoner), the film is an examination of a cold system put on by hard-bitten prisoners who are stuck by what the character English says is "one huge count." It isn't a kind of existential struggle like A Man Escaped, nor a big bombastic crowd-pleaser like Shawshank Redemption either. But for its intended audience, which are fans of its perennial heroic star, and for the lean style from director Siegel, it's one always worth a look when it pops up on TV or if it remains sitting all by itself on the video shelf at the store.

Basics to know: Eastwood plays Frank Morris, a criminal who broke out of an Atlanta prison and got sent to Alcatraz, the most insurmountable prison ever constructed. But after taking enough guff from the exacting prison warden (McGoohan looks like he's not entirely acting, as if he's been a warden for years and years, which is why he's one of the most convincing of all movie wardens), getting stuck in the horror that is 'the hole', and seeing the damage done to fellow prisoners, he takes action through the crumbling wall of his grate. Among certain accepted- and refreshingly well done- prison movie clichés, we get the big fat brute (Bruce M Fishcer), the wise old inmate (Paul Benjamin, some of his are the subtlest scenes), and the determined but weak-in-the-spirit inmate (Larry Hanklin, a great character actor, one of those like Robert Schiavelli you can spot right away). And all the while, the storytelling goes at a pace that never rushes, never pushes against little details with Litmus or the visitors to the inmates.

If sometimes it doesn't give a little bit of exposition on some characters- like its protagonist (we never know how bad Eastwood really is or not, he just is, though unlike a Nicholson he never really exploits any kind of rebel posit)- and sometimes has a moment of suspense that can be seen right around the corner (a funny sound while digging, trouble with the disguised dummy heads in the beds), the climax practically makes up for any moments of conventionality. Especially if one isn't completely familiar with the real history behind the Alcatraz escape it cranks up to a high degree through the dark shadows of the prison innards and the outside at night. And it's also fascinating to see an indefinite point at the end of the film; it's the attempt that counts, not the total end result. A cool and effective thriller. 8.5/10

Could Have Been So Much Better

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 3 May 2005]

This is based on a true story of how Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers escaped from Alcatraz prison . The story occasionally crops up on The History Channel and it's an interesting story more than an exciting one and to his credit director Don Siegel does preserve some integrity by making the story interesting rather than exciting and does leave the ending very ambiguous since no one found out the eventual fate of Morris or the Anglins . Did they escape ? Did the sharks get them ? Nobody knows so Siegel resists the temptation to give us his speculative opinions . If only Oliver Stone had taken a leaf out out of Siegel's book

There is a problem with ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ that can be firmly delivered to Siegel's door and that's with casting Clint Eastwood as Morris . As soon as the credits open and Eastwood steps off the boat you're well aware that you're not watching a character actor playing a real life character - You're watching Clint Eastwood play Clint Eastwood , or more accurately Clint Eastwood reprise his role as Harry Callghan which ruins the film somewhat . Look at the scene where Wolf comes on to Morris in the showers . Weren't you just expecting the line " Go ahead punk make me gay " . At no time do you feel that Morris is in any kind of danger from any inmate because the role is played by Eastwood

It's by no means a terrible movie and as some people have noted the story doesn't suffer from dramatic embellishment that Hollywood does frequently and badly - If the proceedings go very slowly that's to illustrate the grinding tedium of doing time . But the movie would have worked much better if Siegel had cast a fresh faced unknown in the role of Frank Morris , but there again a movie studio has to make profits at the box office

An excellent prison picture.

[Hey_Sweden · 10/10 · 29 August 2013]

It's a testament to the compelling nature of the story that this film can run an hour and 52 minutes and not feel nearly that long. This is interesting and involving every step of the way, with producer & director Don Siegel treating the material in the most matter of fact way possible. There's no melodrama here, and no filler. The performances are all low key, natural, and convincing.

Clint Eastwood, in his fifth and final pairing with Siegel, is well cast as bank robber Frank Morris, who's sent to the notorious Alcatraz island prison after having busted out of other prisons. He takes his time adjusting to his new surroundings, and makes acquaintances such as Doc (Roberts Blossom) and English (Paul Benjamin), meeting up with old friends the Anglin brothers (Jack Thibeau, Fred Ward) and defending himself from trouble making bruiser Wolf (Bruce M. Fischer). He soon realizes that he can dig his way through the brittle wall of his cell and decides that he'll take his chances and try to escape.

Based on the true story of the 1962 breakout from the supposedly foolproof prison, this is simply good solid storytelling from Siegel. To make it feel more real, the use of a music score is sparing, and Jerry Fieldings' score is pretty subtle anyway. This is one film that truly holds your attention, with one riveting sequence after another. And the cast plays it very well. Patrick McGoohan is perfectly icy as the warden who does his best to break the spirit of his inmates, and who clearly relishes exercising his power. Blossom is so good as easygoing convict Doc that you miss him when he's written out of the picture. Benjamin has a quietly powerful presence impressive enough to match Clints'. Thibeau and Ward are engaging as is comedic actor Larry Hankin in one of his rare straight parts as hard luck inmate Charley Butts.

Quite atmospheric throughout, with a wonderfully suspenseful climactic breakout, the film ends on a memorably ambiguous note. Did in fact Frank and the Anglins make it, or perish in their escape attempt? The truth of the matter is that they were never heard from again, and it's up to us to come up with the conclusion.

A superb effort overall.

10 out of 10.

Superb prison escape drama with a magnificent Clint Eastwood and masterfully directed by Donald Siegel

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 18 April 2006]

The picture deals with the true story of 1962 breakout from allegedly perfect prison . The movie takes place into four walls of a jail , sewers and yard , involving the preparatives of the escape . The picture tells about the authentic experiences of convicts of a prison that is a hell on the earth , reflecting the hardship existence of the inmates . We have seen men tortured , harassed and humiliated in a gaol where rules the strongest law . Film narrates how to be the preparation and execution of the a thrilling getaway .

This splendid flick contains drama , suspense , thrills , action and being pretty entertaining . Eastwood confronts risks and sufferings for reaching freedom . Clint Eastwood is top-notch as tough and obstinate hero . The dangerous escape down the prison wall and into the water was performed without stunt doubles . It was performed by Clint Eastwood, Fred Ward , and Jack Thibeau , the latter two were cast in the film partially due to their athletic ability . Director 'Don Siegel' twice thought that he had lost his actors to the treacherous currents . After the real life events that are depicted in the film , the prison was shut down . Support cast is frankly well . Patrick McGoohan as sensation-hungry nasty warden gives a terrific acting . It appears as secondary Fred Ward and Danny Glover in his film debut . Jerry Fielding creates an atmospheric and exciting score musical . Bruce Surtees's cinematography is nice but a little dark . After years professional separation with Eastwood , Don Siegel directs with genius and masterfully transcending the issue and carries out something definitively original . The motion picture will appeal to Prison films enthusiasts and is considered to be along with ¨¨Le Trou¨ (Jacques Becker) one of the best film of Jail sub-genre . Rating : Better than average . Well worth watching.

Gripping, tense, exciting classic film

[daveygenius · 10/10 · 23 August 2015]

Just watched this classic film tonight, an understated masterpiece from beginning to end...

It's very rare to see a film that leaves you wondering, will they succeed, will they fail and so on.... Without giving away spoilers I will be buying this classic on DVD for my permanent collection!

Characters through a true story combine well, many familiar faces no doubt launching their careers through this film... For example "Mr heckles" in friends aka Charlie bunns, and the doc, in a particularly standout scene also played old man Marley in home alone 1990 amongst others.....

If you have never seen this film get it on demand!

Clint Leaves The Rock

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 10 December 2009]

The federal government never admitted, but I found it fascinating that a year after three convicts allegedly escaped from the island prison in San Francisco Bay the government closed it down. It had been advertised as an escape proof prison and when some people left that weren't accounted for, the government was too embarrassed to keep the thing open. Frankly I never understood why Alcatraz was closed, was it really an ego thing?

We do know that convicts Frank Morris, John Angelin, and Clarence Angelin, all left Alcatraz in the dead of night in 1962 and they were never seen or heard from again. A fourth man Allen West, his name changed here to Charley Butts for the film, was supposed to make the trip, but didn't. It's from him we get the details of the escape itself.

The rest of the film Escape From Alcatraz is fashioned by director Don Siegel and its star Clint Eastwood to fit the particular screen image of Eastwood. His Frank Morris is very much like Clint's spaghetti western character, the man with no name given a name and sent to the toughest prison there was.

Besides the general inclination against being locked up, Eastwood also faces a warden in Patrick McGoohan who takes a particular delight in breaking people down and using his power in petty ways. Since he's got all the power, sooner or later Eastwood will be broken and he knows it. But also Eastwood made an enemy of a big mean convict played by Bruce Fischer who made Clint an offer in the men's shower that he felt was inappropriate. Fischer doesn't take no for an answer and after a fight in the yard, he's out for Clint's blood.

The real Frank Morris was a real bad man, having no truly redeeming features. The film makes no mention of what got him to Alcatraz in the first place, the better so as not to kill your rooting interest.

Eastwood gives a tightlipped and restrained performance as does McGoohan whose very underplaying belies a sinister personality. In keeping with such jailers as Eddie Albert in The Longest Yard and Hume Cronyn in Brute Force.

Filmed on location at the tourist attraction that Alcatraz now is, you can't get better realism than that. I'm not sure if Frank Morris and his companions ever made it, but you sure can believe Clint Eastwood would have.

Being a "Classic" doesn't make it "Good"

[rtjensen · 1/10 · 31 January 2008]

Escape from Alcatraz is listed as a "classic" on most movie review sites, and I'll agree that it is somewhat old. However, being a "classic" doesn't automatically make it "good" or even "tolerable".

At no point in this movie did I want Clint Eastwood's character to escape. There was no indication that he was incarcerated without reason, or that he was treated that poorly while in prison. The audience is left only to assume that he is a career criminal who has escaped from several prisons in the past.

I also could not care for any of the other escapees (the brothers) as we are introduced to them merely through a brief conversation with Eastwood's character about how they arrived at Alcatraz. The artist's fate is entirely out of line with the "reasons" he gives, Litmus simply keels over dead, and English "introduces" Wolf to the black prisoners for what reason?

There are two more recent movies that show the difficulty of life in prison 100,000 times more effectively than Escape from Alcatraz -- The Green Mile and Sawshank Redemption. In the latter, everyone roots for Andy Dufresne to escape because we know his reasons for wanting freedom. In Escape, we are only to assume Eastwood's character doesn't like prison. Boo hoo.