Midnight Express
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Billy Hayes, Brad Davis, Ken Minyard, Peter Guber, William Hayes Sr.DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Surround Sound, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 121 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1998-10-27
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures
Movie Reviews of Midnight Express
Movie Review: Midnight Monument
Summary: 5 Stars
As I think back over the decades, there have been a fair number of memorable films that I originally saw in the theatres and which have endured as favorites on DVD. Films like ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, DRESSED TO KILL, ALIENS, THE STUNT MAN, THELMA & LOUISE, and THE ABYSS.
But for every decade, I can identify one theatrical release that hit me like a freight train, and which in my mind has become a cinematic monument. In the 1960s, it was BONNIE & CLYDE. In the 1980s, it was BETTY BLUE (37'2 LE MATIN). In the 1990s, it was BASIC INSTINCT. And so far in the current decade, I would give the honor to CHICAGO. I skipped the 1970s, but you know which film it was: MIDNIGHT EXPRESS.
I have read the reviews, and a good many of them deal with political issues, and whether the film is faithful to the facts. But just as I don't judge, say, Madonna's music based on my views of the singer as a human being, or whether the lyrics she writes are expressions of honesty, I don't judge films based on anything beyond what is actually produced on celluloid.
Various reviewers have praised the gritty cinematography, the Oscar-caliber acting, the riveting storyline, the Moroder score, and other aspects of this film. I cannot agree more. To my mind, a masterpiece is born when every element of the filmmaker's art converges perfectly to create a rare cinematic experience. This is the case for MIDNIGHT EXPRESS. When I walked out of the theater on my first viewing, I was shaken to the bone. The impact has since been diluted somewhat due to repeated viewings on VHS and on DVD, but my opinion of the film has not changed one iota. For me, MIDNIGHT EXPRESS is still the number one cinematic masterpiece of the 1970s. This is a very personal appreciation, but I'm sure that any serious film student who is able to objectively analyze the film within the exclusive context of cinematic art would have to conclude that MIDNIGHT EXPRESS is a true masterpiece.
When it comes to purchasing a film for viewing, there are any number of criteria: the artistic achievement of the film (e.g., MOULIN ROUGE), the extent to which the story is compelling (e.g., JAWS), how well the story is told (e.g., CLUELESS), and the psychological impact the film will have on the viewer (e.g., THE EXORCIST). Notice how the cited examples (I chose some obvious ones) arguably only satisfy one or two of these specific criteria.
Films that thoroughly satisfy are BONNE & CLYDE, MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, BETTY BLUE, BASIC INSTINCT, and CHICAGO, and they all achieve masterpiece status in my pantheon. Not that others don't (e.g., MY FAIR LADY). But these are the films, one per decade, that I've placed highest on my altar.
I highly recommend this film to the objective viewer. You may or may not agree with my qualifying MIDNIGHT EXPRESS as a rare cinematic masterpiece, but you will never forget the raw emotional experience of it (personally, I've always found it more uplifting than depressing). In fact, in every way that a film can, this one will haunt you for life.
Summary of Midnight Express
Forever embroiled in controversy, Midnight Express divides viewers into opposing camps: those who think it's one of the most intense real-life dramas ever made, and those who abhor its manipulative tactics and alteration of facts for the exploitative purpose of achieving a desired effect. That effect is powerfully achieved, regardless of how you may feel about director Alan Parker and Oscar®-winning screenwriter Oliver Stone's interpretation of the story of Billy Hayes. It was the American Hayes--played by the late Brad Davis in an unforgettable performance--who was caught smuggling two kilograms of hashish while attempting to board a flight from Istanbul, Turkey, in 1970. He was sentenced to four years in a hellish Turkish prison on a drug possession charge, but his sentence was later extended (though not by 30 years, as the film suggests), and Hayes endured unthinkable brutality and torture before his escape in 1975.Unquestionably, this is a superbly crafted film, provoking a visceral response that's powerful enough to boil your blood. By the time Hayes erupts in an explosion of self-defensive violence, Parker and Stone have proven the power--and danger--of their skill. Their film is deeply manipulative, extremely xenophobic, and embellishes reality to heighten its calculated impact. Is that a crime? Not necessarily, and there's no doubt that Midnight Express is expertly directed and blessed with exceptional supporting performances (especially from John Hurt as a long-term prisoner). Still, it's obvious that strings are being pulled, and Parker, while applying his talent to a nefarious purpose, is a masterful puppeteer. --Jeff Shannon
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