The brutal telling of life in prison far from home, the Alan Parker directed movie Midnight Express (1978) captures our attention today. Based on the 1977 book Midnight Express as written by Billy Hayes with William Hoffer, the screenplay was adapted for the movies by Oliver Stone. This movie review looks at a biopic of part of the life of Billy Hayes, with Hayes portrayed by Brad Davis.
The Billy Hayes story, as presented in Midnight Express, offers the story’s protagonist attempting to board an airplane at the Istanbul, Turkey airport with his girlfriend Susan at his side and several pounds of hashish strapped to his chest. After a strip search and the supposed support of a translator nicknamed ‘Tex’ by Hayes, Billy identifies the taxi driver he bought the drugs from and is subsequently arrested by Tex at gunpoint after trying to escape. Irene Miracle and Bo Hopkins portrayed Susan and Tex, respectively.
The portrayal of life in a series of Turkish prisons proves brutal, cruel and difficult. Hayes suffers a severe beating by chief guard Hamidou following the ‘crime’ of stealing a blanket to keep warm in a cold prison, for example. Paul L. Smith portrayed Hamidou.
Hayes learns that foreign prisoners like himself tend to have a hard time in prison after finding himself transferred to a separate prison. Hayes gains some measure of friendship and advice from Jimmy Booth, Max and Erich, as portrayed by Randy Quaid, John Hurt and Norbert Weisser, while in this new prison.
A series of escalating cruelty follows for Booth, Max and Hayes that eventually brings the prisoner Rifki into the picture. Rifki, as portrayed by Paolo Bonacelli, spies on fellow prisoners for favors from the prison staff that bodes poorly for the Hayes and his friends. Billy Hayes begins losing connection with his sense of well-being when Chief Guard Hamidou reemerges to grant Billy Hayes his prisonbreak opportunity.
The effort, and dare I say audience manipulation, draws the character of Billy Hayes sympathetically, despite fighting off a man’s rape attempt with lethal force. Movies of the style and substance of Midnight Express are not likely to be filmed nowadays, at least as I see industry trends. I grant Midnight Express as directed by Alan Parker 4.25-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.
Matt – Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Matt Lynn Digital 