Murder in the First (Widescreen/Full Screen)

"Murder in the First" is yet another example of how, when one sees the words "basedon/inspiredby a true story" used to describe a book or film, what it really means is "at most maybe 2-5% is true, and the rest is BS."

Some say that it is unfair to criticize a film for not being 100% true to the events and characters it purports to portray. But I find it hard to approve of a film that must alter reality in order to get me to buy into its message. If you're going to fictionalize, then go all the way. Don't try to claim that this really happened when it in fact did not! And if you don't like the prison system, then try to persuade me to change it by using rational, well-reasoned logical arguments, instead of creating a piece of cinematic propaganda -- effective propaganda, at that, considering some of the other reviews on this page. Reviewer after reviewer has mindlessly repeated the BS from the blurbs on the box, in spite of how demonstrably the film's press kit contradicts the facts.

This film suffers from the same tragic flaw almost all prison films suffer from. Put stereotypically innocent prisoners and stereotypically abusive, brutal, and sadistic guards together, and then expect the audience to see that it is in fact the system and society that are truly to blame. Golly, I never realized that by NOT lying, NOT cheating, NOT stealing, and NOT killing, I was in fact the one truly to blame for crime! It was I that drove them to it! Down with democracy! Down with capitalism! Up with socialism!

Even if taken as the TOTAL work of fiction that it is -- and should be labeled as -- this film doesn't work. Even good performances by Bacon, Oldman and Slater cannot rescue this stupidly stereotypical script. I have irrevocably lost respect for anyone associated with this film, as I have with anyone involved with Oliver Stone's perverse exercise in the post-modern concept of "mythic truth" being more important than "historical fact," "JFK." It's like asking me to excuse the fact that Leni Riefenstahl's Nazi propaganda was commissioned by Hitler just because, in all honesty, she DID have great directorial talent.

I believe in capital punishment for ALL violent crime, but I also believe that NO ONE, no matter what their crime, should be abused or brutalized in any way, shape or form, so, in that respect, I despise the prison system, too. But it wasn't a piece of Hollywood propaganda like "Murder in the First" that led me to that point of view.

It's films like this that make it seem so disengenuous when people in Hollywood act shocked and amazed that they are seen as dogmatically liberal and leftist....

"Murder in the First" is one of the best movies around. It hooked me from the beginning and I was compelled to watch to it's finale. I'll get one thing out of the way now. If Keven Bacon didn't get an oscar for this movie, than the Academy doesn't know talent or a good performance when they see it. I was deeply moved by this movie about the cruel treatment of an attempted escapee from Alcatraz. The only reason the escape attempt was not successful was that the man who was escaping with Henry, snitched to the warden and thus we have the beginnings of a great movie. In the law books at this point in history, a prisoner could spend no more than 19 consecutive days in solitary confinement. Keven Bacon's character, Henry Young, was kept in Solitary on Alcatraz for 3 years. He was let out on christmas day in each of those years for 30 minutes of exercise. Henry's mistreatment was barbaric and seemed reminicient of torture from hundreds of years ago. The assistant warden of alcatraz, played by Gary Oldman, would constantly brutalize and cause the suffering of Mr. Young, even going as far to slice open his ankle with a razor.

Without giving away too much of the plot I will be brief. Christain Slater's character was assigned to Young's case, he had been accused of murdering the man who snitched on him, which he did. Now, Christian Slater's character was suppose to go to trial and basically not try to save this man or defend him at all. It appeared an open and shut case, but that's when the fireworks start.

Other reviews will basically tell you the whole plot, and what happened throughout. All I can tell you, apart from the above mentioned, is that this is a must see movie. Sure, among the reviews are ones that complain about the movie, and say how hollywood it is, or that it's easy to figure out where the movie is going (this isn't a mystery movie people), or that "Escape from Alcatraz" was a better movie about the world of Alcatraz. People, if you wanted nitpicking, you would pick up a "Rolling Stone" magazine or watch "Ebert and Roeper at the Movies", but this is something that they won't tell you. That this movie is excellent. Why won't the afore mentioned tell you that? Because picking a movie apart is what they do. Comparing movies like this one to classics. Such nonsense. You can't compare every movie to "Casablanca". Which is what some people will do. This movie is not "Citizen Kane". Nor will it ever be an "Amadeus". These are not fair comparisans. This movie is good, because it is. If I had to compare it to another movie, in the field of how deep it is, or how powerful it is. I would put it in it's own league, which is where my favorite movie of all time, "SE7EN", resides. Don't compare this movie to anything else, just enjoy it for what it is. Let the people who gets paid to nitpick, nitpick. Just sit back, grab the tissues, and enjoy this work of cinematic genius.