La corruption, l'ordre et la violence

College professor is sentenced to a maximum security prison for manslaughter. Early made-for-television prison film is well worth seeing despite familiar story line and characters. Impressive direction, cinematic quality acting, good script and not a miscast anywhere. Viewers may also enjoy "Shawshank Redemption" (1995), "Escape From Alcatraz" (1979) and "Runaway Train" (1985). (Rating: A-minus)

This film provides a scathing indictment of the American prison system. The story and characters are fictional. But the film was shot entirely in a real-life prison. And many of the extras are actual prisoners.

The lead character is a straight-arrow college professor named Jonathon Paige (Alan Alda). He's a new arrival, and he has no intention of playing the usual prison games. The antagonist is Slocum (Vic Morrow), a veteran prisoner who, along with his buddies, runs Cell Block C, where Paige is assigned. Slocum is a bully who uses a carrot and stick approach to get what he wants. And Cell Block C is his little fiefdom.

The plot is straightforward and easy to follow. There's a lot of dialogue, which is to be expected in a setting that is so closed and claustrophobic. Most of the conflict is verbal, but some is physical. A major plot point that figures in the story's climax is introduced a little late in the story. It needed to be introduced much earlier.

Cast and acting are acceptable. Cinematography is fairly standard. In the copy I watched, images were a tad grainy and blurry. The film has rather little background music. Most of the ambient sounds are natural to the setting.

Prison movies tend to be alike, with the same general setup and depressing tone. "The Glass House" fits within that description. On the other hand, the film's theme is a bit more pronounced. The message is that prisons function off-limits to standard institutional accountability. As a result, corruption flourishes. One is left with the impression that the American prison system is an institutional racket, and the prisoners are victims of the corrupt guards and administrators. In this view, prisons are as criminal as the inmates.

The Glass House is as interesting and fascinating as it is gruesome and horrifying. After seeing all the accounts of corruption and violence, we have every reason to believe it when the opening credits say "The story and characters are ficticious (sic), but the situations are real." It's also kind of ironic and comical that whoever wrote that sentence needs a course in spelling. This movie, as I understand, was filmed entirely on location in Utah State Prison. Many, if not all, of the extras are real inmates, which adds to the authenticity of the film.

The movie begins a with handful of convicts, including a college professor named Jonathon Paige (Alan Alda); a naïve, young drug pusher, Alan Campbell (Kristoffer Tabori), and an idealistic corrections officer named Brian Courtland (Clu Gulager) all starting their first day in prison. The new fish are introduced to the brutal, vicious crime boss Hugo Slocum, played brilliantly by the classic villain character actor Vic Morrow. We know he means business right from the get-go ("...when I offer you somethin' for free, you take it!").

Paige is assigned to work in the prison pharmacy, where he refuses to supply one of Slocum's men, Ajax (Scott Hylands), with drugs. Big mistake. Now he's really put a bullseye on his back. "Too bad," says the other inmate in the pharmacy, whom we only know as Lennox (Billy Dee Williams), "you could've done easy time." Amen. We learn there is sometimes a fine line between morals and sensibility.

The story reveals more violence, corruption, and tragedy: there's a scalding, knifing, gang rape, and an accidental shooting. At first, Officer Courtland, being a man of principle, is excited and anxious to work in the prison system, because he wants to make a difference. The guards, however, seem to be content to look the other way, and the Warden seems oblivious, too. As Courtland sees the unraveling of violence among the inmates, along with corruption and indifference among the staff, he begins to question the integrity of the system. Just as Lennox bluntly states, "Cons, guards, can't tell the difference after a while." We see that this is shockingly true.

Courtland tries to warn the cold Warden (Dean Jagger) that a killing is inevitable, but the Warden shrugs it off by saying "Sometimes it's just better to let certain given situations adjust themselves" (translation: I don't care if the inmates kill each other). Meanwhile, another one of Slocum's gang, who knows he's going to be slain shortly, gives a handwritten notebook, with records of the guards Slocum bribed, to Paige. They both know that if the book can somehow get to the right people on the outside, the violence and corruption can be exposed. However, the situation is about to boil over, and Paige knows time is closing in on him.

The characters are all very well-written and well-played by the actors. Alan Alda is convincing as the sincere and confused professor who is trying to keep everyone off his back, do his time and get out. Vic Morrow is magnificent as the tough, brutal, ruthless gang boss who wants it his way or no way at all, and will kill anyone who challenges him. Clu Gulager is equally resounding as the heroic, wholesome prison guard who is a little wet behind the ears. Kristoffer Tabori gives a good performance as the little lost puppy with his tail between his legs. We know he's going be attacked sooner or later, and he plays fear and realization best with the horror in his eyes and his facial expressions. Billy Dee Williams's character, Lennox, the inmate who is morally correct, yet tough and smart enough to know the art of prison survival, was one of the most interesting in the film, but could've benefitted from more screen time. We really believe his sincerity when he says, "I want these men to realize their value as individuals and as human beings." I would've like to have known a little more about him, and what made him tick.

The Glass House raises a lot of interesting and provocative questions about society in general and the prison system specifically. "I'm not in love with this system, but it's all we've got, and it's better than having no system at all" says the Warden, stone-faced. Is it true? Or is the system whatever we make it to be? Is prison always the answer for convicted criminals? Are there some inmates who are just bad apples that can't be rehabilitated? Are the prison personnel with morals and principles always going to be vastly outnumbered by the indifferent and corrupt? Are inmates nothing more to the penal system than garbage to be dumped in the prisons? Should prison be the living hell for convicts that the movie makes it out to be? Does prison really reform criminals? Can any positive changes be made to the penal system? Does anybody really care?

THE GLASS HOUSE, is a stomach-churning morality play. However, it's morals are more grounded in reality (so don't go expecting happy endings or dangerous escapes) and the underlying theme of 'forced corruption' is evident throughout. ALAN ALDA, gives a performance light years away from MASH (check out WHISPERS IN THE DARK, as well) and (the late, great) VIC MORROW matches him, in a gutsy role, as an all too human 'bully'.Apperently, a lot of real-life inmates were cast as extra's in this movie. But the professional cast fit in so well, it's quite hard to tell. At certain points, the viewer can (or wants to) identify with ALDA, as he wants to help others, but also wants to maintain his pride. It asks us questions about ourselves, is there a fine line between foolishness and cowardice? Given that this movie was also made the same year i was (ha-ha!) it may now seem 'formulaic' in regards to set up, but i'm sure this broke a lot of new ground, when first released. The scenes of ALDA running for his life, will set any viewers pulse racing, and 32 years on, the movie has to power to shock and mortify.

Usually released at a TV-friendly running time of 73 minutes, my recently purchased 'CATCOM' DVD runs in at 91. And certain scenes include profanity and mild nudity, so i wonder if this movie was intended to go to theaters?

Great movie 10 out of 10

I saw this just over 30 years ago . I didn't realise it at the time but this was a TVM produced for television . Don't let that put you off because while not being in the same league as the HBO prison drama OZ when it comes to shock tactics THE GLASS HOUSE is in is own way a very effective understated prison drama helped by a script by Truman Capote and supposedly filmed at a real prison with real inmates used as extras

The story uses the usual structure of a newbie arriving in jail and finding himself in an alien and hostile location and whose previous skills are useless in an environment where only the cruel and heartless survive . In some ways the restrictions of what can be broadcast on American network television is an advantage here because the slow burning dramatic elements are to the fore . One subplot is prison bigwig Hugo Slocum taking a sexual shine to a young new arrival and the manipulation seen mirrors that in reality . Check out No Escape - Male Rape In American Prisons by Human Right Watch . Rape in prison often isn't carried out violently with a shank but done via emotional and mental manipulation where favours and friendliness comes at a very heavy price . Understated and with a good cast THE GLASS HOUSE is from an era when America did make memorable TVM productions