Gefangen

All the standard ingredients of a brutal prison film are here, interwoven with a very tender gay romance. The action takes place in a German institution, but among the inmates are some British and American prisoners, so there is a substantial amount of dialog in English as well as German, which is well translated in the subtitles. The chemistry of attraction between the newly arrived young German prisoner and the muscular Caribbean-American man of color is palpable and exciting. The plot alternates between brutal realism and romantic fantasy, with lots of eye candy along the way. Never a dull moment! The extras on the DVD include candid interviews with the two gay actors who play the leads so effectively. Hugely enjoyable for the target audience.

I was reluctant to watch this film because I have never enjoyed films about men in prison. Though brilliant , "Midnight Express" still haunts me and the repellent treatment of homosexuality in "Fortune in Men's Eyes" made me steer clear of this genre. The only other prison film with a "gay:" subtext that I have enjoyed was "Kiss of the Spider Woman" That said, this little German film, "Locked Up", was a rather tender and provocative gay love story. Filmed on video, in an apparent real prison, this film struck me as quite entertaining. The two leads are very good actors and even though it has a somewhat unbelievable ending, I liked it. WARNING SPOILER.............This film has a few graphic scenes that take it close to porn. There is a lot of male on male nudity and a real masturbation sequence. There is also a very graphic rape scene, which, if it had not been integral to the plot line, could never have been acceptable to any audience. Now that doesn't mean all viewers will appreciate this film. No this little hummer is not for the weak at heart or the homophobic. In the end it manages to be quite a charmer. The oddest thing about this film is not the bi-racial love story of the two male leads, but the hauntingly beautiful sound track, which somehow manages to be romantic, meaningful, and surprisingly "new age". The music, coupled with the hideously depressing and stark prison ambiance, raises the emotional impact of this film. It actually brightens up the story line and the romance between the two male leads. Definitely not for everyone. However, if you like the new "Gay Cinema", and enjoy film in general,this little odd duck of a movie will shock, entertain, and bring a tear to the eye as well. 31/2 out of 5 stars.....Clive2

Not really knowing anything about this movie other than the summary, I went into watching it without any expectation or prejudice. While the subject matter certainly could be interesting, the storyline and directing really left much to be desired. I even think the character played by Marcel Schlutt (who is a total hottie) has some acting potential, but that is unfortunately not exploited by the film's director. There are too many awkward moments in which nothing is happening, and the characters are quite wooden and quite lackluster. Unlike the other post here, I felt that the English translations, while at times good for colloquialisms, left a bit to be desired.

On the other hand, I did think the idea of using real sex scenes is a novel concept, and certainly made for more convincing 'acting'. I wish the reality of the sex moments could have been translated to other parts of the film (or at least make the sex scenes longer :) It certainly doesn't come across as a 'porn film' other than the quality of the (non sexual) acting at times.

I can't say I recommend this as a need to watch, but if you just can't find anything else to put in your netflix cue, it might be entertaining, at least from certain angles.

In this case, the significances of the term "reasonable" are many . From the expected prison atmosphere, more a sketch, and the portrait of a forbidden relation - so familiar- to the brutal graphic scenes. From violence, in different forms, to the image of self discover.Yes, it is just that kind of film - easy dialogue, easy story, sex scenes as axis . But it has the virtue to try be little more, with reasonable succes. The romance is more significant than sex scenes, the pornography is not more than price to attract some kind of public, Mike Sale and Marcel Schlutt are good options for the roles and the delicacy of relation remains touching. A reasonable film ,mayb provocative for few reasons, giving the fair story, acting and romance.The sin - maybe the end who can be too much , against its poetry. The good points- Ulrike Schirm

This 2004 film, made in Germany, was directed by Jorg Andreas and stars two relatively newcomers as lovers in a prison. When you get passed the improbability of the situation, allowing two gay men to share a cell together, it's really not a bad movie. The two leads, Marcel Schlutt, an absolutely gorgeous gay man playing a gay man, imagine that, and Mike Seal as his black lover, bring a fresh almost natural performance. They work well together and the sexual scenes are quite provocative. The scene in the shower, won't tell you what, was quite realistic and brutal. This is a small film and shouldn't be overlooked. Schlutt should get more work from this. He's that good. His interview is a riot.