MURDER IN THE FIRST
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.7
Date Released: 1/20/95 Running Length: 2:01 Rated: R (Violence, torture, mature themes, language)
Starring: Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon, Gary Oldman, R. Lee Ermey,
Embeth Davidtz
Director: Marc Rocco
Producers: Marc Frydman and Mark Wolper
Screenplay: Dan Gordon
Cinematography: Fred Murphy
Music: Christopher Young
Released by Warner Brothers
With the possible exception of THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE, few of the recent flood of "based on a true story" motion pictures have been particularly concerned with adhering to the facts behind the tale. MURDER IN THE FIRST is another example of a movie that strays from historical reality to create a more dramatically-appealing product. And, regardless of how this version raises the hackles of Alcatraz aficionados, Marc Rocco's movie is a solid and affecting example of film making.
It's March 25, 1938, and an escape attempt from the maximum security federal penitentiary at Alcatraz has failed. Two of the four escapees are dead, a third--the informant--is returned to his cell, and the fourth--a twenty-five year old named Henri Young (Kevin Bacon)--is placed into a dark, grimy cubicle deep beneath the ground. There, for three interminable years, his only respite from loneliness are the frequent visits of guards and Associate Warden Glenn (Gary Oldman), and the beatings they administer.
When his long stint in solitary confinement ends and Young is re-integrated into normal prison-society, revenge consumes him--a need to lash out against the man who blew the whistle on the escape. This he does, driving a spoon through the victim's throat, tearing away his life. With no regard for the barbaric treatment which turned a petty thief into a killer, the government tries Young for first-degree murder--a crime that carries a death sentence. Assigned to defend him is an up-and-coming member of the public defender's office named James Stamphill (Christian Slater), perhaps the only man to believe in his client's innocence.
As a court drama, there's little to distinguish MURDER IN THE FIRST. Sure, there are the theatrics we expect from high voltage clashes between the defense and the prosecution, but little in the trial sequences set MURDER IN THE FIRST apart from numerous predecessors, many of which are far more memorable. After all, who can forget Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson facing each other down in A FEW GOOD MEN? Nothing here approaches that level.
However, MURDER IN THE FIRST is as much an indictment of the penal system as an account of one man's fight against a first degree murder rap, and that's where the picture's strength lies. The events leading to Young's actions are graphically rendered, and little doubt remains about where the responsibility lies. The questions that arise are whether Stamphill can prove it and, in the process, how much of his personal security he's willing to sacrifice.
Ultimately, however, it's Bacon's performance that elevates the film. With his astounding depiction of a man who has endured the torments of the damned and is waging a losing battle against his own dark fears, the actor draws the camera's focus to himself and mesmerizes the audience with his haunted eyes and agonized cadence. When Young says that all he really wants is a friend, Bacon's delivery gives impact to the plea.
Christian Slater is competent as Stamphill, an unusual role for an actor who has often been likened (sometimes unfavorably) to a young Jack Nicholson. Here, his usual cocky cynicism is replaced by an erstwhile sincerity. Meanwhile, the ubiquitous and versatile Gary Oldman is a notch more subdued than in his other recent roles (THE PROFESSIONAL and IMMORTAL BELOVED), but the intensity has merely been redirected. Associate Warden Glenn is a man bubbling with internal turmoil.
Unlike THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, this movie isn't about triumph behind prison bars. Instead, MURDER IN THE FIRST is an unrelenting look at the dehumanizing effects of prison life, and what can happen when power is abused. Some scenes may be too graphic for audience members to view comfortably, but "comfort" isn't on director Rocco's agenda. Little that occurs towards the end to affect a false sense of dramatic closure reduces the power of bearing witness to the exposure of Henri Young's soul--or what's left after Glenn and Alcatraz have finished with it.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
.
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews