The first one was filmed in 1979 by the director, Don Siegel - "Escape from Alcatraz". This earned much good acclaim from critics and it starred the famous Clint Eastwood. The actor takes the movie to a different dimention by confronting all the ruffian inmates of the jail. Though, Clint Eastwood doesn't play an innocent character in the movie, it is still filled with mystery about how he manages to escape one of the most safe prisons ever built.
The second one is more of a drama based movie made by the director Frank Darabont in 1994. "The Shawshank Redemption" stars splendid actors like Tim Robins and Morgan Freeman. Based on a short story by Stephen King, the entire story is narrated by Morgan Freeman. Tim Robins plays the role of a banker who is imprisoned without a fair trial. The way he adopts himself inside the prison and makes a few good friends is remarkable. The movie has some excellent catchy dialogues which can never be forgotten after hearing even once. It reveals how the jails and the jailers can be corrupted and how a single man can attain anything that he wants. All that is required is patience.
A brief summary of the movies follow...
Escape from Alcatraz :
No one can escape from Alcatraz, right? Try telling that to Frank Morris (Clint Eastwood). This Donald Siegel-directed nailbiter is a reenactment of Frank Morris' 1962 attempt to bust himself and two other cons out of The Rock(Alcatraz). Eastwood, as Morris, cants with nasty warden Patrick McGoohan for a while, befriends several fellow prisoners, and picks the guys with whom he'll make his escape. Among his break-out buddies are the Anglin Brothers (Fred Ward and Jack Thibeau), with whom he'd served in other lockups, and several others who've got their own special reasons to contemn the sadistic McGoohan. Filmed on location at the newly renovated Alcatraz, Escape From Alcatraz was another box-office winner for the Eastwood/Siegel combo. Ironically, the police are left dumbfounded unable to stop the prison break.
The Shawshank Redemption:
Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is a banker. His wife is having an affair and leaves him. Both she and her lover are shot in circumstances pointing to Andy Dufresne as the perpetrator, and Andy is sentenced to life imprisonment at Shawshank Prison, despite proclaiming his innocence. Shawshank is a brutal prison. Warden Norton (Bob Gunton) believes in two things; The Bible and Discipline. Both are to be followed and accepted strictly within the walls of Shawshank Prison, with the discipline dispensed by the brutal Captain Hadley (Clancy Brown).
Andy Dufresne befriends "Red" (Morgan Freeman), a long-term inmate who can "get things", and theirs is a long and faithful friendship.
The Shawshank Redemption is not so much about life within the confines of prison as about the people within these confines and how they adapt and survive. This is one of the great strengths of this movie - it is about people whom we gradually come to know and care about, and the sometimes brutal atmosphere within which they survive.
Both Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are absolutely perfectly suited to their roles, particularly Morgan Freeman. In my personal opinion, this is by far the best performance of Morgan Freeman's long and illustrious career, and how he was overlooked for a Best Actor Oscar for this role is unbelievable. These two, however, are not the only stand-out performances in this movie; James Whitmore as Brooks is also worthy of particular mention in a magnificent supporting role.
This is a must watch movie which cannot be missed. Every bit of it is precious. It was nominated for seven Oscars.
All in all, two best prison breaking movies ever!
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