Customer Reviews

Murder in the First (Widescreen/Full Screen)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Upon seeing Burt Lancaster in "The Birdman of Alcatraz," a young boy wrote a letter to the warden pleading for his release. One of the things left out of the film, of course, was that in addition to ornithology, the real Birdman had another hobby -- writing pornographic stories for other inmates involving young boys about the same age as the one who wrote the letter....

"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....

It's currently Dec. 8, 2003. I was watching my usual line up, which includes some "Comedy Central" and the "NFL Network". I had just finished watching "A Few Good Men", a masterpiece in my opinion, and the next movie to be shown was one called "Murder in the First". I was about to change the channel to one of the above I listed earlier, until something told me to watch it. A feeling I had, said this one was a winner. Well, I was right.

"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.

MY USUAL TASTE IN FILMS RARELY INCLUDE ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF COMEDY. I USUALLY GET BORED AND UNINTERESTED IN DRAMA. THIS MOVIE IS AWESOME FROM SCENE ONE UNTIL THE CREDITS ROLL. KEVIN BACON'S PERFORMANCE SHOULD WIN HIM AWARDS FOR HIS PROTRAYAL OF HENRY YOUNG UNTIL THE END OF TIME!!!!! THE MOVIE, OVERALL, IS A GREAT PEICE OF CINEMA. I CAN WATCH THIS MOVIE EVERYDAY AND STILL STARE AT THE SCENE IN AWE. WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET THIS MOVIE, IT'S WORTH IT!!!!! BUTTERFLY26@VERIZON

MURDER IN THE FIRST begins just as an escape attempt from the maximum-security federal penitentiary at Alcatraz has failed. Two escapees are dead, a third (the informant) is returned to his cell, and a fourth, a young man named Henri Young (Kevin Bacon), is placed into a dingy, black hole underneath the ground. He remains there for three years, only visited by Associate Warden Glenn (Gary Oldman) and his vicious beatings and a spider that knows a way out.

Once he is released, Young is placed back into the prison population. With revenge consuming him, he lashes out at the informant who was responsible for landing him in confinement by running a spoon through the man's throat. Unknowing of the treatment that transformed Young from petty thief to cold-blooded killer, the government tries Young for first degree murder. Enter Christian Slater who stars as James Stamphill, an up and coming public defender who is assigned to defend Henry Young and maybe the only person in Young's life who doesn't want to just give up on the man.

While how much of the story is actually true and how much of the story has been created by Hollywood is in question, there's no doubt that MURDER IN THE FIRST is entertaining. While most of the things about Henry Young are true, I understand that some liabilities have been made with the characters played by Christian Slater and Gary Oldman. That shouldn't matter though. They are not the heart of the story. Henry Young is at the heart of the story and the fact that any of this ever happened to a man is horrific and makes it a story deserving to be told. And even if all of this had never truly happened (I wish it hadn't), and the story was a complete work of fiction by a Hollywood screenwriter it will still be a good movie and an involving look into the human psyche.

For his performance as Henry Young, Kevin Bacon should have been nominated for an Academy Award. With his haunting eyes and his unhealthy appearing weight loss alone, Bacon makes us care for the character. His performance is flawless. Christian Slater does also does well in one of the finer acting choices of his career (aside from TRUE ROMANCE and INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE). His Slaterism's are often subdued for a more relaxed, more innocent man approach, which works rather well. Gary Oldman, who I would go as far as to say is the most underrated actor in Hollywood, gives another great, over the top performance which to me comes as no surprise. I've never seen Gary Oldman once seem like the same man in anything he's ever been in. That' s got to say something for his talents.

With great performances and an endearing story, MURDER IN THE FIRST is a first-rate film. And, despite its title, it's not about a murder. It's about life.

Maybe I'm a simpleton but I liked it.

B+

Henry Young was a brutal kidnapper who enjoyed terrorizing his victims. He did not steal $5.00 to feed his starving sister nor was he sent directly to Alcatraz upon sentencing, no one was ever sent directly to Alcatraz from the courts.

The associate warden didnt slice brutalize Henry and he didnt kill McCain because he was insane, he killed McCain because he felt McCain had botched their escape attempt.

And finally, the funniest part of this whole movie is where Henry commits suicide in prison. Henry jumped his parole in 1972.

Whoever said that Henry's case was one of the reasons that Alcatraz closed is also sadly ignorant of the facts. Alcatraz closed because it was too expensive to operate, pure and simple.

Its an entertaining film, like the Birdman of Alcatraz. But its Hollywood hype, nothing more. If you want to see an excellent film that follows the truth of the story, see "Escape from Alcatraz" with Clint Eastwood. But most of you simpletons will probably be bored with a movie that attempts to tell the truth.

This is easily Kevin Bacon's finest. His performance is Oscar worthy. This film inspired me when I was a young legal student. It had been sometime since I have seen the movie. A friend of mine had borrowed the movie and kept it for a good year. I had first bought this movie via a laser disc. Thereafter when the DVD came out, I paid over US 25 for it.

Here the performances are solid. I am sure many have written about how great the movie it. As such the purpose of my review is to focus what this show means to me. This movie explores the importance of the client solicitor relationship. The show begins with Young being very alienated to Slater's character. This is shown by the director's careful photography angles. It somehow seems to convey that one has to enter into someone's prison to get another out. It cleverly shows that not only Young was in prison but Slater's character also. This is clearly pointed out when he (the lawyer) chose to enter his (Young) cell. It cleverly shows that he was a slave to the legal system and to the footsteps of his brother brilliant played as always by Douriff.

It was clearly a battle that not only Young had to fight but one that Stamphill had to fight as well. Hence trust had to be developed. The story captures a solicitor's need to win his clients confidence. It also deals with situations when the client's instructions are clearly against his advice.

My favourite scene is when the judge reprimanded Young and said; "This is my court. I am the one who says whether is OK or not OK". Then staring at Young he asks "OK?" Now that is brilliant. Well done, Marc Rocco. You have won a fan. Can't wait for a director's cut with 5.1 sound to come out.

the most gripping movie about prison life. excellent

Very well done movie, in spite of whether it is 100% accurate. The movie was still great. Kevin Bacon delivered (in my opinion) his best performance ever, as did Christian Slater. Gary Oldman is always good, and it is hard to judge him because all of his performances are oscar-worthy. This is the kind of movie that is hard to forget, because it makes an impact. You fall in love with Kevin Bacon's character, even though the film completely showed him murdering a man. Brilliantly directed, one of my favorite films. The R rating is due to some strong prison brutalities (including a rather graphic murder and some nudity) and language. Some brief sexual innuendo occurs, but not enough to kick up a fuss (as far as I remember).

The performances in this film are gripping. I actually believed in the plight of Henri Young, portrayed by Kevin Bacon. I wanted to be as good a Public Defender (This is what I do for a living) as Christian Slater portrayed in the film (oddly, the character's last name he uses is one of the real-life escapees). The judge, played by R. Lee Ermey, actually reminds of some of the judges I have been in front of - his iron disipline is that convincing. Then, to my shock, I found out that the truth had been stretched beyond all recognition.

The movie itself deserves at least four stars for the performances, particularly by Bacon, who should have been at least nominated for an Oscar for this film. The DVD must have been made at the beginning of DVD technology. If a director's cut DVD is complete with interviews, historical perspectives (why did the jury do what it did, anyway? I don't believe the Federal Board of Prisons and its smear job of Henri Young any more than I believe the version proffered by the director of this film) and the like then I will certainly buy it. Until then, I recommend that you rent this film, or buy a used copy.

It is truly sad that a little historic inaccuracy will cause people to say that this is "one of the poorest films ever directed." If it were true that historic inaccuracy creates a poor movie than both Braveheart and The Messenger would both be horrible movies, CLEARLY that is not true. Braveheart was one of the greatest movies of all time with The Messenger being gripping despite being a little "edgy." Murder in the First is no differant, Christian Slater and Keven Bacon I have found true respect for after acting so gorgeously their parts. Anyone who says any differant must, honestly, be declared legaly blind.
True, the court room scenes were relatively inaccurate, with Christian Slater pushing the envelope consistantly. But, than again, if he didn't we wouldn't have truly realized just how "green" he was. The storyline is expected and, honestly, has been done before. However, the actors hold this movie and carry it through even the weakest moments of plot.
The director has had his very "poor" (to put it lightly) moments in the past with earlier films he has directed. However, with Murder in the First he manages to stick his head above the [stuff] he had created before and rise above with beautiful shots and lighting that is truly breathtaking without ever pulling away from the acting. As I have already stated, the movie rides on the actors, the director honestly made the effort to keep everything toned down to make it "all about them". The director did a public service and this movie is beautiful. I would highly recommend it, it is sentemental and sad without being overly so. Watch this film (at least) to see the performances of Bacon and Slater, they are worth any amount of money.