Brubaker starring Robert Redford,
Yaphet Kotto, Morgan Freeman, Jane
Alexander, Murray Hamilton
Hpw Can We Bring Prisons Back Within Habeas Corpus And Human Rights
Through solid dramatic impact and global exposure on cable TV, Brubaker
gradually joined the ranks of all-time best prison movies. While preparing
to direct Ordinary People, Robert Redford brought his considerable star
power to bear on his title role as a prison reform warden, in an unnamed
Southern state, who poses as an inmate to expose corruption, violence,
and administrative abuse in Wakefield, a prison farm where trustee
inmates are armed and encouraged to shoot at would-be escapees.
Originally developed for director Bob Rafelson and ultimately filmed by
Stuart Rosenberg, this rugged exercise in social commentary has
undeniable power, even if some its characters--including Redfords--seem
more like stick-figure ethicists than real human beings. Its also got a
dynamite supporting cast including Yaphet Kotto, Jane Alexander, and
Morgan Freeman in one of his earliest films. Bolstered by his Oscar-

winning directorial debut, Redford didnt star in another film until The
Natural ended his four-year hiatus. --Jeff Shannon
Personal Review: Brubaker starring Robert Redford, Yaphet
Kotto, Morgan Freeman, Jane Alexander, Murray Hamilton
Another film, but in 1980 it was one of the first, on prison reform. The
interest is in the fact that the new boss of the prison gets inside the prison
as an inmate, unknown of everyone in the prison. So we get a first part that
depicts, from inside, all the unethical dealings and purely criminal acts from
the prison guards as well as from the inmates. Simple prisoners are the
victims of all kinds of violence from the trustees, from the bullies and they
have to buy their way through this permanent ordeal even from the doctor
who sells his medical assistance, not to speak of the slave labor the prison
provides to local contractors or businesses, entrepreneurs in a word that
may turn into undertakers, and even the finagling and embezzling and
trafficking of the prison guards with the food and anything that can be
taken, legally or illegally, from the prisoners and sold at a price. The
second part is the first dealings of the new boss with the problem and we
discover even more scandalous crimes from inside the administration
including the systematic torturing and killing of resisting inmates. The third
part deals with the reaction of the prison board, the senator, the governor,
and other officials when they learn what is happening, i.e. the attempt to
open up the various chapters of this book of torture and killing. And then
we discover some more embezzling and the will to cover it all up. They will
eventually fire that resisting warden. We also discover in this third part that
prison reformers are ready to accept any compromise, i.e. to cover up the
crimes of all officials provided they get some investment for the prison,
provided the truncheons get gilded points. The last scene is the emotional
departure of the fired warden and a last written statement on what
happened afterwards showing or proving the story was a true story. Of
course the point of view of the inmates themselves is not explored, but the
film is very effective about prison reform and what the minimum has to be:
to give back to the inmates all their human rights lest they may go to court
to fight for them, which is slightly romantic for us to believe that.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1
Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines
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