Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Day 240: Banged Up Abroad

So far during this 1970s portion of the Oscar Challenge, a lot of films have felt that they dwell on quite bleak subjects. A case in point is 1979 nominee Midnight Express which was adapted from the book by Billy Hayes by a young Oliver Stone, who went on to win an Oscar for the film's screenplay. The story involves Hayes' arrest in Turkey for possession of two hasish blocks and his eventual incarceration for the crime. Along the way Billy is promised to stay in the prison for only a few years before his case is overturned and he is forced to stay in the prison for at least thirty years. Director Alan Parker presents the prison as a harsh and desolate place where even children are beaten on a daily basis. The Turkish guards essentially come off as sadistic and have no compassion for those who have been locked up. Billy is initially kept sane thanks to his friendship with a number of Western prisoners namely heroin addict Max and loudmouth American Jimmy. As time passes, the group attempt to escape but are gradually worn down by the brutal regime that is enforced within the prison. Eventually Billy loses his sanity and is only revived by a visit from his girlfriend who pleads with him to escape the confines of the institution before he loses himself completely. The final scenes of the film that play out apparently have little to do with what actually happened to Hayes himself, and that has definitely been a bone of contention ever since.

Despite this being an excellently directed Alan Parker film, to me Midnight Express has all the hallmarks of a Stone movie. The incredibly graphic scenes of violence and sexual activity coupled with a sense of despair would be go-to storytelling devices for Stone in his later films. Indeed, after reading the disparity between the film and Hayes' actual journey, it appears as if Stone had to liven up the ending to the story as what really happened was fairly dull. I have to say, at certain points, the film was pretty heavy-going especially in the latter scenes of the film. Thankfully there were several elements of the movie that worked quite well namely the set pieces, which provided the films major highlights. The opening scene in particular, from Billy's strapping the drugs to his chest to his eventual arrest, was well-orchestrated and vividly filmed. Despite being heavily fictionalised, the scenes in the prison's mental wing were similarly well-written and completely harrowing. The film was also boosted by an excellent and stark score courtesy of Oscar winner Giorgio Moroder which really complemented the awkward nature of the plot. I was personally surprised that Brad Davis didn't receive a nomination for Best Actor as he perfectly anchored the film as Billy Hayes. In fact the only acting nod the film garnered was in the Supporting Actor category as John Hurt was nominated for his turn as the drug addict Max. Hurt's scenes were indeed memorable, but I personally wanted to see more of him and especially his cat. Ultimately, I don't think you can really enjoy a film like Midnight Express but you can certainly admire it, as I did, for its bleak narrative and stark visuals.

Next time we leave the hate behind and concentrate on the love.