Movie review: prison movies

By Alex Conover
Sports Editor

There are countless movies that I’ve overlooked simply because I wasn’t old enough (or alive) to appreciate them when they were in theaters. Lately I’ve been looking back on some older flicks that I have enjoyed tremendously, and I feel a real obligation to share them with the Cardinal’s faithful readers. For this issue, we’ll be looking at a few classic films that take a closer look at a sometimes difficult topic: prison.

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“A Clockwork Orange” (1971)

This futuristic epic, directed by the legendary Stanley Kubrick, is a terrifying look at government control. Alex DeLarge (played by Malcolm McDowell) is a punk who leads a street gang that he calls his “droogs.” Their idea of fun is getting tipsy off of chemically-enhanced milk and going for “a bit of the old ultra-violence.” His fun comes to a screeching halt when he gets caught in the act and is submitted to an experimental behavior-modification technique. I highly recommend this title, although I must warn you that it is highly graphic and a little disturbing.

“Shawshank Redemption” (1994)

I looked into this movie after looking at the Internet Movie Database’s (imdb.com) Top 250. I saw it at the top of the list, and I can’t say that I disagree. Starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, it is a tale of a young banker who is wrongfully convicted of a life sentence. He thrives socially within prison life and finds something to live and hope for within the walls of his prison cell. “Shawshank Redemption” was nominated for seven Oscars and likely launched Morgan Freeman’s prolific narration career.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975)

Another top-10 pick from the IMDb’s list, this title likely launched the career of Jack Nicholson. As criminal Randle P. McMurphy, Nicholson does an extraordinary job of portraying an assumedly normal man who scams his way into a mental institution. Serving a short prison sentence, McMurphy figures that such a place would be more comfortable than a work farm. Once he spends a bit of time there, he soon develops close friendships with many of the patients. The head nurse of the institution, however, aims to make McMurphy’s stay as difficult as possible. This movie was also the first motion picture appearance for now-accomplished actors Christopher Lloyd and Danny DeVito.