Against the Wall
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Against the Wall |
| Original title | Against the Wall |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1994 |
| length | 106 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | John Frankenheimer |
| script | Ron Hutchinson |
| production | Steven R. McGlothen |
| music | Gary Chang |
| camera | John R. Leonetti |
| cut | Lee Percy |
| occupation | |
| |
Against the Wall is an American drama directed by John Frankenheimer from 1994. The television film is based on real life and depicts the four-day bloody prison riot at the Attica Correctional Facility in New York state in September 1971.
action
The prison in Attica, New York State, is notorious for its harsh and inhumane prison conditions. The mostly African American prison inmates have to endure countless duties. Showering is only allowed once a week, and underwear is only washed once a week. The Spanish-speaking inmates are not allowed to send or receive letters as no employee speaks the language and therefore no censorship is possible.
Michael Smith, whose father has worked as a prison guard in Attica for 25 years and whose uncle Ed is still on active duty there, takes up his new job as a guard. The main motivation was the above-standard pay. The usual way of dealing with the inmates is extremely displeasing to him, but he too is slowly adapting to the system. His pregnant wife Sharon notices how her husband is changing increasingly.
When a prisoner is harassed again, the barrel overflows. The inmates instigate a riot and take control. The guards are badly beaten in a bloody fight, one of them later dies of severe head injuries. Racial hatred is also an additional source of ignition. Nevertheless, the majority of the hostages are treated well. The demands of the prisoners to negotiate the conditions of detention are only half-heartedly pursued by the state. The most important thing in the eyes of those responsible is above all regaining control of the prison.
After four days, police forces drop gas on the prison grounds. Despite the considerably restricted view, the numerous police officers open fire for minutes. The fact that there are guards in the crowd is secondary. 39 people are killed in the bloody massacre, ten of whom are prison workers. The prisoner Jamaal saves the life of Michael Smith, who is transported to the hospital seriously injured and survives.
criticism
“An exciting, sometimes extremely harshly staged inventory of American sensitivities, which condenses into a didactic piece about the horrors of racist power. The film cleverly balances the various arguments and clarifies the individual and collective constraints, emotions and reactions without degenerating into a mere thesis film. "
"The 64-year-old thriller expert John Frankenheimer (" The Prisoner of Alcatraz "," French Connection II ") shows himself to be at his best with his prison film based on real events (shown at the Munich Film Festival '94). Although it was "only" produced for television, the depiction of the revolt impresses with its uncompromising severity, perfectly crafted staging and a cleverly drawn arc of suspense. The excellent cast with half a dozen well-known actors should increase the chances of success. "
Web links
- Against the Wall in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Against the Wall in the online film database
Individual evidence
- ^ Against the Wall. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ Against the Wall ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. video.de
