Brubaker

Starring: Robert Redford, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Alexander, Morgan Freeman, E. Emmet Walsh,
Directed by: Stuart Rosenberg, Bob Rafelson
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
1980

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Henry Brubaker (Robert Redford) has been hired as the new warden of a prison in the South. He poses as an inmate to discover the inhuman activity, corruption, and violence in the prison, then sets out to reform it. His path becomes increasingly more dangerous as he angers those in the surrounding community who have profited from the corruption.

Review:

Tim: Brubaker is a prison movie that I don't believe received enough critical acclaim upon its initial release. However, this is a very, very good prison movies and deserves all the respect that it has slowly gained over the years. This is a powerful, important, interesting film that is based on a true story, but never forgets that its first priority is to entertain. I really enjoyed this movie.

Robert Redford does a good job as the titular warden. The writing for the character of Brubaker is not the best- thus, Redford's performance here doesn't reach the heights of some of his other films. However, he still makes this character his own. His portrayal is funny, entertaining, engaging, and very memorable. Redford is a terrific actor, and there are a few moments here where he absolutely shines. The supporting cast is actually surprisingly good- there are a number of actors here who give very good performances, but are easily overlooked. I also wanted to mention one of the earliest roles for Morgan Freeman (I loved the Redford-Freeman showdown scene) and the always-reliable E. Emmet Walsh. The cast is definitely a plus.

This movie is quite good because the story is fascinating. We always love underdog movies, and we like seeing characters set out to reform the system against overwhelming odds. The beginning of the film is terrific as we watch Redford is prison, and are shocked alongside him as he witnesses violence and corruption in the prison. The movie then abruptly changes pace, and Brubaker becomes the warden, set out to change how the prisoners think, eat, and live. This is every bit as exciting as the first half hour or so. The movie does a very good job by keeping the focus on the main story, while also taking the time to develop the characters in the story. I found myself engaged and interested. I rarely felt like the film dragged.

This movie occasionally feels like a story we've seen before, and possibly more effectively. There wasn't nearly enough of an emotional impact in any facet of the movie. I also wish some of the characters were fleshed out more so they didn't seem so one-dimensional. Still, these flaws only prevent this movie from achieving greatness- Brubaker is still an entertaining, powerful movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Natural, Ordinary People, A Bridge Too Far, The Last Castle, The Shawshank Redemption