Escape From Alcatraz: Suspense And Freedom

In the most isolated and inhospitable setting in the world, the place where the most dangerous criminals rested, the myth was born, the legend that would later be made into the cinema under the title of The Escape from Alcatraz (Don Siegel, 1979). The film has become a benchmark in the prison genre (and with good reason) ; The truth is that, every time we see a similar film, it is inevitable that The Escape from Alcatraz comes to mind .

The cold, hostile environment, the confinement and, above all, the suffocating suspense make it a fascinating film, which keeps you glued to the screen at all times. The enigmatic face of Eastwood is another of the great successes of the film, in addition to the exceptional location and the real background of the story. It seems that one based on real events is always going to arouse more interest, but if it is also one of the most widespread myths of the 20th century, it increases.

A prison on an island ensured their confinement to the prisoners, made it impossible for them to flee, and yet they succeeded. Whether they survived or not is another of the mysteries that have led Alcatraz to be known around the world. The cinema has contributed to mythologize this image and to make the collective imagination make its assumptions.

Don Siegel gave us the prison film par excellence, brought the anguish to the movie theaters and made us empathize with the prisoners who were there and the only thing they longed for was their freedom.

Alcatraz, behind bars

Alcatraz Island is located in the vicinity of San Francisco Bay (United States), it had served as a military fortification, but is best known for having received some famous prisoners such as Al Capone. After 29 years of operation, the prison closed its doors and was occupied by various Native American tribes. Today, Alcatraz Island is a national park and historic site.

During its years as a federal prison, the island also provided housing for employees and their families. Alcatraz’s main function was to hold prisoners who were considered extremely dangerous, who had caused damage to other prisons, and whose reintegration was deemed impossible. The place was almost inaccessible and guaranteed its condition of extreme security, the prisoners were forbidden even to speak.

Somehow, a certain aura of mystery and terror was created around the prison. On the one hand, it housed the most dangerous prisoners; on the other, countless atrocities were heard from Alcatraz. Suicides among inmates were increasing, others like Rufe Persful mutilated their fingers, etc.

Bad fame accompanied Alcatraz for a long time, what happened behind bars remained in absolute silence, but the rumors were getting louder. However, it seems that there were those who pointed out that the prison conditions were not as bad as it seemed and there were even prisoners who requested to be sent to Alcatraz claiming that the food was better than in other prisons. But the controversy never stopped. Trials, suicides … everything seemed to indicate that Alcatraz was a place where hostility reigned.

In the last few years of operation, it appears that some of the strict prison rules were dropped or relaxed. There were several escape attempts during his years as a prison, but there were two that went down in history. The first of these is known as the Battle of Alcatraz, which left a total of five dead: two guards and three inmates, in addition to several wounded. The second is the only successful attempt: the escape from Alcatraz on June 11, 1962.

The mastermind of the plan was Frank Morris, a thief accused of possession of narcotics and armed robbery, whose IQ was well above average. Together with him, the brothers John and Clarence Anglin managed to flee; Allen West collaborated with them and was willing to flee, but due to a problem with his ventilation shaft, he was unable to escape. The plan was absolutely perfect and the prisoners disappeared without a trace. The FBI left them for dead, but the mystery lives on to this day.

It is said that the Anglin mother received two bouquets of flowers each Mother’s Day, it is believed that there is a photograph that shows them alive. In 2013, the FBI reopened the case after receiving a letter signed by John Anglin stating that the escape was successful and that he is currently ill. Surely, we will never know what happened, but that is part of the magic of this story.

Why are these stories so appealing to us? Because they feed our imagination and connect with a common feeling: the desire to be free. The cinema put images to our imagination and allowed us to visualize what that exceptional escape was like. Elevating some prisoners to the level of heroes of society for defying the system and for achieving what we all want: freedom.

The escape from Alcatraz , a claustrophobic path to freedom

The film begins with an almost ghostly scene of the island in the middle of the night, the rain and the music keep us on our toes. Frank Morris advances in the dark accompanied by the guards who lead him to the prison, the lighthouse is observed in the distance and, little by little, we approach the island. This introduction is perfect, all the elements are in perfect harmony and introduce the viewer to the story.

Frank Morris presents himself as a silent character, who barely expresses himself with words, his face is cold and distant, he remains always imperturbable. The truth is that few faces could have fitted the character better than Eastwood’s. Siegel makes great use of the enigmatic face of his protagonist, the gestures and the small details.

The information is given to us progressively, we know that Morris has an unusual intelligence, much higher than the average; but we don’t know much more about him. The atmosphere that is created around the character is fascinating, likewise, the rest of the inmates and prison workers are perfectly exploited.

The escape from Alcatraz plunges us into the darkness of the prison, the difficult life of the inmates and shows us the exceptional cunning of Morris. The great realism and detail with which all the steps to be followed in the plan are shown make the film a masterpiece, a film from which it is impossible to disconnect. The tension builds up to the final culmination.

It doesn’t matter if we already know the story, it doesn’t matter if we already know the whole plan in detail, the tension is maintained from the first minutes of the footage to the last. The suspense is not generated by the unknown, but by the known. We know the end, but we want to see how they achieve it, we perceive the anguish of the characters and their fears and concerns go beyond the screen. Their desire for freedom is so strong that not even the fear of being discovered or shot will be able to stop them, and us as viewers, either.

Finally, it gives us a break, the waves of the sea suppose a relief, a small hope and break that dark and suffocating atmosphere of the beginning.

The escape from Alcatraz gives us the opportunity to delve into one of the great mysteries of the twentieth century, leaving an open ending like the one this story had in reality, although with a certain hopeful breath. He plays with subtlety, with non-verbal language, with the anguish and claustrophobia that confinement produces, but above all, with the desire for freedom. In this way, the film becomes a true lesson in suspense and, ultimately, of cinema. 

In the end, it only remains to ask: what really is freedom? Perhaps they did not survive (or perhaps they did), but without a doubt, they were free. Death, at times, can be more liberating than life itself ; That is why we like this story so much, because it connects with that feeling that all humans possess and long for: freedom.