Midnight Express
1978 Directed by Alan Parker
Synopsis
Walk into the incredible true experience of Billy Hayes, and bring all the courage you can!
Billy Hayes is caught attempting to smuggle drugs out of Turkey. The Turkish courts decide to make an example of him, sentencing him to more than 30 years in prison. Hayes has two opportunities for release: the appeals made by his lawyer, his family, and the American government, or the "Midnight Express".
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It is a rarity to find so much raw emotion within one film. Each scene is boiling over and there is nothing to simmer the fire. Alan Parker takes William Hayes' experiences while in a Turkish prison and uses hardened realism to match his unbelievable story. Intently exploring the colliding cultures, nationalities and moralities within the prison. The confines of the prison walls cannot hold back the cultural significance, from a newspaper clipping mentioning Janis Joplin's death to a nod at Nixon and the Watergate Scandal. The plot bases itself with simplicity and Oliver Stone's crisp, diverse dialogue, but when its teeth are shown, expect a vicious bite.
Based on William Hayes' autobiographical book of the same name, the film…
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Surprisingly, this was a film that was recommended to me by a non-film geek. And I loved it. Brutal, sad and uplifting; this is a film that's not easily forgotten.
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This had held up pretty well since I last saw it, although I suspect that the new wave electronica soundtrack seemed a bit less dominant back then. It's an impressive debut by Brad Davis who rose to stardom over night through the role of Billy Hayes.
Hayes, an American, is imprisoned in Turkey after getting arrested for illegal possession of hashish. At first he is sentenced to four years, a victory - according to his corrupt and incompetent Turkish lawyer. The American embassy claims to be unable to do anything because of the poor relationship between the two countries. In prison he is exposed to torture from the guards and snitching cellmates, but also finds friendship with Max (Hurt), Jimmy…
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Controversial, fanciful and to some grossly offensive, Alan Parker's divisive Midnight Express is no cinematic masterpiece, but a harrowing, thought-provoking piece of cinema that is certainly worth watching at least once.
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Powerful story although the depiction of the Turks leaves a lot to be desired.
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Butally honest, slightly cheesy, sad, but uplifting. A great, but not perfect prison film.
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Controversial, fanciful and to some grossly offensive, Alan Parker's divisive Midnight Express is no cinematic masterpiece, but a harrowing, thought-provoking piece of cinema that is certainly worth watching at least once.
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This had held up pretty well since I last saw it, although I suspect that the new wave electronica soundtrack seemed a bit less dominant back then. It's an impressive debut by Brad Davis who rose to stardom over night through the role of Billy Hayes.
Hayes, an American, is imprisoned in Turkey after getting arrested for illegal possession of hashish. At first he is sentenced to four years, a victory - according to his corrupt and incompetent Turkish lawyer. The American embassy claims to be unable to do anything because of the poor relationship between the two countries. In prison he is exposed to torture from the guards and snitching cellmates, but also finds friendship with Max (Hurt), Jimmy…
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Powerful story although the depiction of the Turks leaves a lot to be desired.
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If there was ever a reason needed not to smuggle drugs!
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Butally honest, slightly cheesy, sad, but uplifting. A great, but not perfect prison film.
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Classic in my eyes. Watching a film like this really makes you feel free, especially when you find out that the storyline is based on a true story. I guess you could say it has that 'feel good' feeling at the end when he actually eventually escapes from the Turkish prison. I'd say this is a must see.
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This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.
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Ένα κλασικό αριστούργημα, παρέα με την απίστευτη ταιριαστή κλασική μουσική του. Από αυτές τις ταινίες που μπαίνεις στον κόσμο του πρωταγωνιστή και λυτρώνεσαι μαζί με αυτόν.
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A disturbing and nightmareish true story.