Brubaker

Prison movies have been a staple of cinema for decades now. The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, 12 Monkeys, The Longest Yard, Shutter Island, the list goes one. Well I decided it was time I took a look at one. It's not very well known; in fact I know only 2 people who have seen it, and one of them is me, but it is very deserving of the praise it received, and should be acknowledged for the real-life story it depicted with such unhindered realism. Today's movie is the 1980 Academy Award nominated film Brubaker.

Directed by Stuart Rosenberg (who also directed Cool Hand Luke, one of the most reknonwed prison movies in history), Brubaker stars Robert Redford, Yaphet Kotto, David Keith and an extensive supporting cast. It follows a prison warden and his attempts to reform a prison that seems completely beyond hope. It's harsh and gritty, but also makes space for humour and some great plot twists.

The movie opens with a prisoner named Stan Collins (Redford) on a bus bound for Wakefield prison. Once inside, he witnesses unjust prisoner treatment, including whippings, sexual abuse, poor sanitation, unhygienic food, and decrepit living conditions. He also notices that there are no guards in the complex, and instead, the day-to-day running of the place is handled by the trustees, who, as you may have surmised, abuse their position to the point of forgetting that they themselves are criminals.

During a stand-off, Collins reveals that he is actually Henry Brubaker, the new Warden. He plans to reform the facility, and stamp out the cruel and vicious treatment of the inmates. This revelation disturbs the trustees, as they believe that they will now be punished for what they have been doing with their authority, and that the prisoners will no longer be on a lower level than them.

Brubaker seeks help in his quest in the form of non-abusive trustee named Dickie (Yotto), and street-smart habitual car thief Larry (Keith). With their aid, he discovers that the corruption extends much further than uninhabitable conditions and inmate abuse, and in doing so attracts the wrath of several compromised politicians, who benefit greatly from the Wakefield's previous conditions.

The movie itself is based on the real-life exploits of Tom Murton, who undertook a similar mission in a prison in Arkansas, and was successful in prosecuting its administrators for prisoner abuse and human rights violations. Brubaker struggles against almost insurmountable odds, fully aware that all the officials want is for him to leave things as they are. Every step he takes is met with castigation and hostility, but he keeps doing what he thinks is right, and the movie does a great job in showing us what the character is going through. Many of the things he does actually blow up in his face, and you are left to ask whether or not he is often doing the right things.

But whatever you think about his morals, his politics, or his methods, you always believe he is trying his best, and fighting for what he believes in. With that, we get not only a stark, moving, and often shocking movie, we get a character study of one of the bravest men in American history. A man who fought from the heart, and despite all the scorn and criticism, was ultimately victorious.