In the 1970s, Clint Eastwood had two movies that featured Alcatraz, the infamous island prison in San Francisco Bay. Readers will probably think first of Escape from Alcatraz, where Eastwood plays Frank Morris, a famous escapee from the brutal prison. The other film may not immediately come to mind, but it is the third installment in the Dirty Harry series, The Enforcer. A terrorist group kidnaps San Francisco's mayor and hides him on Alcatraz. Harry finds out, heads to the island, and dispatches the bad guys. Oddly enough, the Dirty Harry movie came before the escape movie. But is it the better movie?
The Enforcer (1976) directed by James Fargo
Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) is up to his usual routine, which involves breaking up a hostage situation in a liquor store. And by "breaking up," I mean he drives his car through the front windows and shoots all the bad guys. When his supervisor gets the bill, Harry is busted down to personnel (Harry's complaint: "Personnel? That's for a--holes!" The supervisor's response: "I was in Personnel for ten years."). He is on a committee to review people applying for inspector, one of whom is Kate Moore (Tyne Daly). The mayor (John Crawford) wants to hire more women and minorities, so they've been all but instructed to fast-track her. Harry asks some tough questions to which she can barely answer, except on penal codes. Meanwhile, a group calling itself "The People's Revolutionary Strike Force" has brutally robbed an arms warehouse, stealing a lot of weapons and explosives, including anti-tank rockets. They intended to blackmail the city out of a lot of money because they are more in it for money than for political gains. Once Harry's partner DiGeorgio (John Mitchum) is fatally wounded on the terrorist case, the police decide to put Harry back on the street with a new partner...Kate Moore. They have an uneasy relationship that grows as they follow leads to the terrorist group.
The movie is an exciting action film. Eastwood is in typical fine form as Callahan, exuding the cynicism and righteousness of the character. Daly makes a good foil as Kate Moore, a woman with ambition but little experience on the street (she was also in Personnel!). Her character grows nicely even though she is stuck with the typical ending for one of Harry's partners. The story is a little haphazard, pulling in some seemingly random elements, like black militants and a priest too sympathetic with the terrorists. There is quite a bit of commentary on the mayor's scheme to look better by having and crediting female officers, even at times when no credit is due. The finale on Alcatraz is an exciting sequence with the usual Dirty Harry downbeat ending. Oh, and it has another funky jazz score that was so popular in the 1970s. I like it but it does sound dated.
Recommended, especially for Dirty Harry fans, though you can probably watch this without seeing the first two films and be fine.
On a dark and stormy night, prisoner Frank Morris (Clint Eastwood) is taken by boat to Alcatraz, the most famous and least escapable jail on Earth. He goes through the typical inmate routine--he's stripped of his clothes, put through a shower, given some prison garb, marched to his cell before he can dress, etc. The prison is full of all sorts of rough criminals. The warden (Patrick McGoohan) is just as tough and expects no nonsense from any of the prisoners. Anyone who steps out of line (even if it is only in the eyes of the warden) will lose privileges or have to spend time on D Block--solitary confinement in a cell with no light. Frank starts to navigate the social order of the prison, coming into conflict with a gay prisoner who wants his way with Frank. He refuses and beats him up in the showers. Later, the guy has a shiv and plans to kill Frank in the yard. Another prisoner warns Frank, who foils the plan. The fight lands both of them in D Block, though Frank gets out much earlier. Frank starts planning an escape with a neighboring cellmate. Two brothers join in because they have both the will to escape and the jobs that let them gather materials needed to break out.
Loser:
Escape from Alcatraz (1979) directed by Don Siegel
On a dark and stormy night, prisoner Frank Morris (Clint Eastwood) is taken by boat to Alcatraz, the most famous and least escapable jail on Earth. He goes through the typical inmate routine--he's stripped of his clothes, put through a shower, given some prison garb, marched to his cell before he can dress, etc. The prison is full of all sorts of rough criminals. The warden (Patrick McGoohan) is just as tough and expects no nonsense from any of the prisoners. Anyone who steps out of line (even if it is only in the eyes of the warden) will lose privileges or have to spend time on D Block--solitary confinement in a cell with no light. Frank starts to navigate the social order of the prison, coming into conflict with a gay prisoner who wants his way with Frank. He refuses and beats him up in the showers. Later, the guy has a shiv and plans to kill Frank in the yard. Another prisoner warns Frank, who foils the plan. The fight lands both of them in D Block, though Frank gets out much earlier. Frank starts planning an escape with a neighboring cellmate. Two brothers join in because they have both the will to escape and the jobs that let them gather materials needed to break out.
The story is harrowing and realistic. The film was made on Alcatraz. Director Siegel had worked with Eastwood many times before (including the first Dirty Harry movie) and they work well together. Eastwood gives a typically good performance and the audience roots for him because he's Eastwood and he has a rough time on The Rock. It's hard not to root for the guys trying to escape from an inescapable prison; the movie all but leaves out the previous crimes that put them into a maximum security prison. McGoohan is good as the warden (quite a departure from his more famous role as The Prisoner), exhibiting aloofness and brutality while having his underlings do the cruel work. The escape plan is fascinating and plays out with the usual last minute problems. If you can't visit Alcatraz, watching this movie may be the next best thing.
Recommended.
This choice is a closer call than I would have thought. The Enforcer has a more likable leading character but Escape from Alcatraz has a more compelling story to tell. Both movies go for a realistic feel with Alcatraz having more gravitas. It is the better film even though The Enforcer is more fun.
Winner:
Which is better?
Eastwood is fine in both films. He had settled into the Dirty Harry character (who isn't quite as dirty here as he was in the first film) and the film thankfully spares viewers from a romantic relationship between Harry and Kate. It's a solid action picture with a visual style and score that is reminiscent of the 1970s. As Frank Morris, Eastwood is still Eastwood--he will never be known as an actor with a huge range. He shows the cunning and intelligence of the character (the real Frank Morris was in the top 2% of Americans by IQ). The movie sympathizes with Morris without making him sentimental. He's not a wronged man getting justice. He's a criminal mastermind that figured out all the details needed to escape. The story is interesting though a lot of subsequent jail films borrow heavily from this (The Shawshank Redemption immediately springs to mind).This choice is a closer call than I would have thought. The Enforcer has a more likable leading character but Escape from Alcatraz has a more compelling story to tell. Both movies go for a realistic feel with Alcatraz having more gravitas. It is the better film even though The Enforcer is more fun.
Winner:
Loser:
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