Riot in Cell Block 11

Too heavy-handed with the social commentary. Makes some salient points about the reform process, emphasising that poor prison conditions affect the guards as much as the inmates, but does so while neglecting things like character development and plot. The riot scenes are nicely done and there are one or two striking images, but on the whole there's a distinct lack of energy or tension.

Both heavy-handed and clunky, they are also being hampered by the Production Code.

Em honra do centenário de Neville Brand. Retrato bem humanista das reivindicações prisionais, vulgo rebeliões, porque vai no ponto da omissão dos chefes de Estado nesse tipo de levante. Box Versátil Filme Noir Volume 11.

Simplistic but well made 'message picture' whose grit is compromised by its moral focus. As others have noted, there is a conspicuous lack of energy or intensity which results in an oddly deflated low stakes atmosphere, even though that is contrary to the actual story itself. It scores points for realism: it was shot in a real prison with real inmates, and Siegel makes the most of the location from a spatial perspective. It's just unfortunate that was he unable to wring any tension out of it.

What it might lack in suspense, it makes up in social commentary on the prison industry and nuanced characters, f.e. the portrayal of the warden as humane and progressive keeps him from being simplistic good or bad.

An extremely solid genre flick from Don Siegel that leans way to heavily into trendy 1950's psychologism, painting all the inmates as either misunderstood or crazy. Whit Bissell seems weirdly miscast as the most violent and hated of the guards.

Arguably made better because of its dynamite (pun intended) production - using real Folsom prison inmates, riot scenes have a docu, gritty urgency. Gordon, a former inmate himself, had to be searched each day just to make sure he wasn't helping the real convicts escape. The proximity to reality is supported by a text from Hard Men Peckinpah and Siegel that leaves nothing to the imagination.

There's never the tension here that a great film could squeeze out of the scenario, probably because it makes no bones about being a message picture ate heart, but it's got a great cast of characters and the message is pretty effective. It's also tightly scripted so there's hardly a dull moment, which helps.

Good film that looks at the societal issues about prison life in the 1940's-1950's. Recommended.

The best moment is when the riot is first starting and an off-screen inmate yells "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING!!!" Other than that, it's a tightly-wound prison potboiler, shot at Folsom Prison, that puts most of the focus on the action, so it's pretty fun.

Wooden acting, poor editing and countless plot-holes ruin a decent idea for a film. The dialogue, cinematography and riot scenes are not bad though.