In this story, the fictional Island of Santa Maria is the setting...a place much like Devil's Island in French Guyana. The prison's philosophy is simple...the prisoners are scum and anything you do to them is acceptable. Inmates die all the time and are a miserable lot...so it's hardly surprising that they are plotting an uprising. And, considering how brutal and hellish the place is, you really cannot blame them. The leader of this movement is one of the trustees, prisoner #83 (Conrad Veidt). And what is 83's name? Who cares to the folks running this place...he's just another piece of filth who deserves all you give him!
I appreciate this film because you find yourself rooting for the prisoners...the guards and folks in charge are THAT vicious! Most prison films never achieve this, though "Brute Force" comes pretty close.
So is it worth seeing? Absolutely. The film is quite exciting, well written and kept my attention throughout. I wish it had ended a bit differently....but that's more due to personal preference as opposed to the ending being weak.
I appreciate this film because you find yourself rooting for the prisoners...the guards and folks in charge are THAT vicious! Most prison films never achieve this, though "Brute Force" comes pretty close.
So is it worth seeing? Absolutely. The film is quite exciting, well written and kept my attention throughout. I wish it had ended a bit differently....but that's more due to personal preference as opposed to the ending being weak.