Brubaker

Enjoyed this film starring Robert Redford, (Henry Brubaker) who plays the role as a law enforcement officer who poses as an inmate at Wakefield Prison in Arkansas. Henry discovers many corrupt people in this prison and he eventually comes into power as the warden of this prison. This prison is ruled by corrupt politicians and prisoners who are working with prison guards who are stealing food and money from the prison funds. Henry also uncovers some buried graves of many prisoners who have been buried on the grounds of the Wakefield which starts a complete state investigation and changes some of the major problems at the prison. You will be surprised how this film ends and I must say that Robert Redford gave an outstanding performance in this film.

BRUBAKER is my kind of movie; grim, realistic, stimulating and a story based around a great struggle between right and wrong. Robert Redford plays Brubaker (based on the real life story of one Thomas Murton of Arkansas, not to be confused with Thomas Merton, the poet) who tries to bring decency to an Arkansas prison that is corrupt from top to bottom. There are rotten scoundrels among the prisoners and some decent men as well. What is worse, Brubaker has to fight a State bureaucracy full of characters who are even more slimy and despicable than the worst of the prisoners. Along with basic reforms, he is out to uncover a series of murders, prisoners who were murdered and secretly buried. He is really up against it and its tough not to get emotionally involved. The writing and acting is more than ok. Redford is very good in spite of being a little too pretty for the rugged guy part. He's the only one in the movie with the 300-dollar blow dry haircut. This reminds me of the movie MARIE, another flick about a single warrior battling a corrupt state system. The Grape Nuts Guy (W Brimley) and the guy who played Mrs. Robinson's husband (M Hamilton)put in a good performance as despicable bureaucrats. Very little background music is another mature plus.

A good, feel-bad movie; and as a Bostonian, it's hard to hate a film that has a character in it named Fenway Park.

Brubaker (Robert Redford) as a messiah-type, seemingly on the fringe of municipal importance, takes up the job of Warden at a Southern state penal farm and decides to see the extent of what he is up against by entering in disguise as just another inmate, with no privileges. He feels that to absorb the experience from the inside looking out is preferable to relying on preconceptions. He is right as the thrust of the film would have otherwise been lost and the overall plot (simple though it is) is stronger for the fact that Brubaker has 'been there'.

He manages to carve a bond with a few prisoners before he modestly reveals his true identity and, through a series of well acted confrontations, he begins to make the prison machine tick over nicely. In the final analysis his efforts are not totally successful, but the film does reflect change and at least the viewer can agree that he seized the chance to make a difference.

The film is possibly a bit too long and the principal character is under-developed. 'Brubaker' was apparently a rather mournful, strained film to work on and the original director, Bob Rafelson, was sacked for smacking Ron Silverman (producer) in the nose during an early on-set argument.

However, I think it is well acted and very absorbing to watch. I particularly enjoyed the scene where Brubaker gets his staff to release a few long term solitary confinements, stating that before they do so, the requisite pairs of sunglasses should be given to them as they come out of complete darkness for the first time in ages - the staff think Brubaker is crazy: of course, they cannot see that this is all about building trust. The master plan is therefore to get the inmates on board and allow the trustees to follow. Nice theory, not so nice to put into practice as he is up against a rancid, but self policing establishment from day one.

Watch out for Wilford Brimley as "Rogers" - a later teaming up with Redford took place in the outstanding "The Natural", with Brimley starring in a major role as the jaundiced, downtrodden, Pop Fisher.

This was a well put together film for the period in which it was done in the late 70's. Redford who has always been a social reformer placed an emphasis on communicating the dedication of the Brubaker character in this role.

If you happen to live in the Deep South where prison farms have used convicts as virtual slave labor for years, you can appreciate the story

as well as the attitudes of the government and local officials who are portrayed. If you are not from that kind of background, then it is a revelation for you.

This film is a portrayal of the attempt at prison reform in Arkansas undertaken by Thomas Murton. In the process Murton discovered untold corruption and evidence of multiple murders by previous prison administrations. When he attempted to bring this to light he was threatened with charges of grave robbery.

I would heartily recommend this film. It is one of a kind.

It's odd that whenever talk of Prison base films crops up you rarely see Brubaker mentioned as a viable piece of work, which to me personally is a damn shame because it's origin source provides a worthy story to be involved in.

Based on the writings of Tom Murton, a Prison Farm Reform Warden in Arkansas in the late 60s, the corruption and murder the film deals with is a very frightening reality, and although this film is obviously fictionalised to a degree, the evidence of the main themes can be found from many sources.

Robert Redford plays the title character who chooses to go into the prison farm as a convict to see at first hand how the Farm is run, what he sees shocks him to the core, which in turn rightly shocks the viewer as well. After learning all he needs to, he comes forward to take control of the Farm and tries to put an end to the torture, corruption and dank depression that is rife at the Farm. He has to deal with many obstacles along the way, and it's the strength of the man that has the viewer firmly onside all through the film.

The acting is emotionally spot on, the title role calls for a cool persona to not get flustered when faced with mounting resistance, and Redford delivers in spades. The main supporting cast of Yaphet Kotto, David Keith, Morgan Freeman, and Jane Alexander do very good work (believable), whilst the direction from Stuart Rosenberg ("Cool Hand Luke") is paced to perfection. The story is grimy and gnaws away at you, and then we get the ending that frustrates as much as it lifts the spirit, this is in my opinion a criminally undervalued piece of work. 8/10