Member review

Escape from Alcatraz marked the last collaboration between Clint Eastwood and director Don Siegel. They truly understood each other and it shows.

Siegel set out to make a film that simply told a story efficiently and respectively. It's a sombre, moody outing and everything, the director's intentions, the portrayals, are crystal clear, showing that the film succeeds in telling a gripping tale with solid acting and dark, dull mood and nothing else. But it succeeds triumphantly.

There is an interesting parallel between the hideously underrated Escape from Alcatraz and the hideously overrated Shawshank Redemption. Whilst both are great films, Alcatraz has an indescribable atmosphere. Barely any soundtrack, just an occasional low drone to support the screenplay. This works. Shawshank is an undeniably moving picture, but lacks the subtlety of the former. Escape from Alcatraz never gets ahead of it's self. Never tries to be anything too 'masterful' and stays firmly in the category of unpretentious, simple and effective cinema.