Brubaker

Though Shawshank Redemption has gotten the critical raves and the box office receipts that could make it the best prison story ever filmed, my personal choice for the best film ever done about the penal system is Brubaker.

Based on the true life experiences of Thomas Murton, the co-author of the book the film is based on, Brubaker captures the realities of prison life, the complexities of trying to "reform" the system without sacrificing one iota of entertainment.

Robert Redford leads a great ensemble cast in this film. The people here are real, dealing with complex issues for which there are no simple answers. The corruption of the penal system runs deep and helped in part by the prisoners themselves who don't want to see too much change at once or have a vested interest in seeing things run just as they are. Yaphetto Kotto and Tim McIntire are two such prison trustees, both of them showing very different reasons why they don't like some or all of what Redford is doing as warden.

Among the supporting cast, I'd like to single out David Keith who was the best as the prisoner whose life Brubaker saves and ultimately becomes his biggest booster in the joint. A really outstanding job by David Keith as this simple country kid who just got caught up in "the system."

Rare you can say a film is informative as well as entertaining, but Brubaker definitely fits in both categories.

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.

I saw this movie with my wife, who wasn't thrilled that I brought this back from the video store. She's the type that pulls movies off of the "new release" shelf without fail. But as we got into this movie, she changed her mind.

Robert Redford plays Henry Brubaker, a prison warden who is recruited to reform brutal Wakefield Penitentiary, in Arkansas. The conditions are terrible, with men sleeping in puddles of mop water and being regularly beaten, tortured, and murdered. Brubaker gets a handle on the conditions there by sneaking into the jail disguised as an incoming criminal.

When he finally begins his tenure as warden, he meets strong resistance from the community, which is used to the prison being the source of local income and slave labor. The scenes in which Brubaker has to deal with the morally corrupt prison board are powerful and captivating. A good view.

Cinematography is questionable, and the editing TV movie-like. Acting is superb, and the local color interesting. I give the film a B-.

Things to watch for: white trash sister, Morgan Freeman's debut, rape scene.

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

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.