Instant expert
Prison movies get paroled.
Given that a generation of exservicemen had lied under armed guard, it’s no surprise that post-war cinema recreated the prisoner-of-war experience. The sub-genre ranges from epic adventures like The Bridge
On The River Kwai and The Great Escape to the sober realities of the Holocaust in Shoah and Schindler’s List. Brit stars Denholm Elliott and Donald Pleasance were actual PoWs, while Roman Polanski revisited the persecution of his youth in The Pianist. Since 1930s hit I Was a Fugitive From
A Chain Gang, directors have seen incarceration as an allegory for social injustice. Themes range from the horrors of Death Row (
Walking) Dead Man
to the pressures of adjusting to post-prison life ( Straight Time). The hardhitting approach often courts political disapproval but proof of film’s power to effect change comes from Errol Morris’ doc The Thin Blue Line, which saw convicted murder suspect Randall Dale Adams released on appeal. Filming life behind bars is perversely entertaining. The genre’s exploitation wing is most obvious in salacious ‘women in prison’ efforts like Caged Heat, but directors have also smuggled hybrid genres into the cells: sports ( The Mean Machine), sci-fi ( Lockout) and even musicals ( Chicago). It’s perhaps inevitable that Hollywood turns to genuine ex-cons like Danny Trejo for authenticity. The classic prison movie narrative is driven by a single, clear goal: escape! On the inside, prison breaks require patience and ingenuity, whether scrounging for tools (a spoon, a moviestar poster) or staging a distraction (a football match). On the outside, though, the chase is on: just ask The Fugitive. Steve McQueen showcased the required rebel credentials in The Great Escape and Papillon. For a highconcept alternative, try The Rock’s idea of breaking in rather than out... Learning how to survive is a crucial element of prison life. Apt, then, that the bleak hierarchy of the cell block provides a robust setting for rite-of-passage movies, as young punks face corrupt wardens, sadistic guards or lethal rivals. The likes of Ray Winstone ( Scum), Tahar Rahim ( A Prophet) and Jack O’Connell ( Starred Up) made their name by fighting their way to the top. Essential props: a sock full of snooker balls, a razor, bottles of grease.