Against the Wall

"Against the Wall."
Director: John Frankenheimer
Writer: Ron Hutchinson
By: Elise Adcock

            "Against the Wall," was based on a true story of the 1971 Attica Prison Uprising. Michael Smith, a new recruit for jail security and prison service, gets himself into a whole lot more than just patrolling a prison. He and many other colleagues of his, become caught up in a prison riot fueled by bad prison management and guards lack of understanding to prisoners needs. They become a part of the riot and are held hostage by the prisoners until they are promised to be given the things they want.
             Kyle MacLachlan, actor who plays Michael Smith, did an OK job in his role. He didn't blow me away with his acting, but it was not awful. On the other hand, Jamaal, played by Samuel L. Jackson, did an amazing job with his role. He was more like the father and controller of all the men trying to take out the prison guards. I understood his feelings and emotion through his body language and his words to Michael Smith and other prison mates. He had an overall great affect on me from his acting in this film.
          I also found the role of Sharon, played by Anne Heche, who was Michael Smiths girlfriend, quite unfitting. She seemed distant from all the other actors on an experience scale. She didn't seem to be aware of much throughout the film and I feel that she was an unnecessary Role. She wasn't frequently in the movie so there was honestly no use for her besides maybe two scenes. In my opinion, the role of Sharon was portrayed badly and was an unneeded role.
         Overall, this movie was a pretty accurate reenactment of the Attica Prison Riot. I was not wowed by the movie, but it kept my interest at some points. It was nominated for a Golden Globe award and won small awards as well. It is deserving of these awards, and was an overall well-made movie. I would recommend,"Against the Wall," to a freshman history class, no younger for discrestional reasons.
Rate: 6.8/10