Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)

A lot of fun.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

In 1912, the notorious and violent prisoner Robert Franklin Stroud is transferred to the Leavenworth Prison convicted for murdering a man. When a guard cancels the visit of his mother, Elizabeth Stroud, due to a violation of the internal rules, he stabs and kills the guard and goes to trial three times. He is sentenced to be executed by the gallows, but his mother appeals to President Woodrow Wilson who commutes his sentence to life imprisonment. However, the warden, Harvey Shoemaker, decides to keep Stroud in solitary for the rest of his life. One day, Stroud finds a sparrow that has fallen from the nest in the yard and he raises the bird until it is strong enough to fly. Stroud finds a motivation for his life raising and caring for birds and becomes an expert in birds. He marries Stella Johnson and together they run a business, providing medicine developed by Stroud. But a few years after, Stroud is transferred to Alcatraz and has to leave his birds behind.This clown was diagnosed as a gay psychopath and this movie diefies him.Nuff said. And you wonder why so many don't respects life today?

This 1962 biopic from United Artists claims to tell the story of Robert Stroud. However, it is mostly fictionalised and refuses to depict the real Robert Stroud. The end product is merely a drama which addresses issues associated with the prison system which are still very much relevant today. In 1912, Robert Stroud is transferred to Leavenworth prison in Kansas to serve out a sentence for murder. During his first few years there, Stroud kills a prison guard who refuses to let him see his mother. Now facing the death sentence, Stroud's doting mother appeals to the President to have the conviction quashed. The President obliges, but Stroud must spend the rest of his life in solitary confinement. As the years pass, Stroud finds a baby sparrow in the exercise yard and nurses it back to health. Now taking an interest in ornithology(the study of birds), Stroud soon acquires a menagerie of finches and sparrows which changes his life. He even finds a cure for a deadly virus among the birds and writes a book on how to treat them, gaining the nickname "Birdman".In reality, Robert Stroud was a psychopath, not the mild mannered individual who is shown in the film. There are instances of Stroud threatening to kidnap and murder the children of some of the prison guards. Although Hollywood could not glorify an individual with such tendencies, especially in 1962, hence why this movie has been watered down. However, the ever brilliant Burt Lancaster transforms Stroud into a likable character. The robust script gives the character some truly memorable lines("a man ain't whipped until he quits")and it is Burt's unsurpassed professionalism which makes the character succeed. Karl Malden is also superb as the governor, Harvey Shoemaker. Malden would always inject passion into the characters he played and it shows here. It was also great to see an early role for Telly Savalas(with hair!)as convict Feto Gomez. The Greek gets a substantial amount of screen time and executes his role with the awe striking charisma that I have come to expect from him. Neville Brand, Hugh Marlowe and Thelma Ritter also shine in supporting roles.John Frankenheimer's direction holds the movie firmly together by making each character real. The film depicts it's characters as human beings and not just prisoners/guards. The highlight of the film is the heated discussion between Stroud and Shoemaker regarding the progression of the penal system. Shoemaker believes he has succeeded in transforming the prison into a more human environment. Stroud knows that this new system is no different from the old one. The prisoners have the ideals of the prison staff pressed onto them thus when they are released they have been robbed of their individuality which acts as a catalyst in encouraging them to re-offend. A scathing comment on the justice system handled in a mature way by Frankenheimer. There's also a particularly moving scene after the riot in which a young convict dies as Stroud begs him to reconsider what it means to be alive.Birdman is a rather long slog, but it's easy on the eye. On top of this the sturdy script and rich characterisations make it an engaging watch. 8/10.

In 1912, convicted murderer Robert Stroud (Burt Lancaster) is transported to Leavenworth Prison. He breaks a train window and immediately gets on the wrong side of warden Shoemaker (Karl Malden). When a guard costs him a visit from his mother, he stabs and kills the guard. After 3 separate trials, he is sentenced to hang. His mother intervenes and President Wilson commutes his sentence to life. Warden Shoemaker keeps Stroud in solitary. He raises a bird found in the yard. Shoemaker is transferred and the new warden gives him permission. The other inmates start getting canaries. Feto Gomez (Telly Savalas) is his neighbor. When his birds get sick, he works to formulate the right cure. Then fellow bird lover Stella Johnson comes and they form a partnership in selling his cure. New directives ban pets and businesses. To gin up more publicity, Bob marries Stella. Shoemaker and the system relents but his mother wants him to end his marriage. He ends up writing a scientific book on birds. In the middle of the night, Bob is transfered to Alcatraz with only the shirt on his back leaving behind his birds. Shoemaker is his warden once again as he is put in solitary there.It's a compelling story but may be not that real. The movie is playing up the nice guy angle. It might be more compelling and possibly more real to play up his anger. Burt Lancaster is more than capable of that. That would have been much more interesting. The character growth and inner turmoil seems to be a better way to go with the material.

Birdman of Alcatraz isn't just a movie, it's an experience. The story of a man who's able to lead a meaning and productive life despite serving a life sentence in solitary confinement. A man who is able to create an empire of bird keeping and aviary research within the solitary confinement quarters of a prison. When I first watched the movie I only vaguely knew about the story and I was in awe as just how his empire gradually comes to be. I don't know what it's like to be isolated in a confined area for days on end but I suspect this movie may provide the closest feeling I could ever get to it; black & white cinematography and claustrophobic prison cells go hand in hand.Birdman of Alcatraz made me a fan of Burt Lancaster. It was not the first film I had seen him in but it was the first at which I was struck at what an immense powerhouse of an actor he is, carrying a two and a half hour long, mostly single location picture. His portrayal of Robert Stroud is the classic characterisation of tough on the outside, soft on the inside but Lancaster's immense performance prevents this from coming of as a corny dichotomy. Stroud's relationship with his mother even has shades to the Cody Jarret mother complex; yet I find the most compelling relationship in the movie is of that between Stroud and the warden played by Karl Malden, which I feel is summed up with one line (and one of my favourite movie quotes), "That convict has been a thorn in my side for 35 years but I'll give him one thing, he never lied to me."Like many biographical films, Birdman of Alcatraz receives criticism with the historical liberties taken; most prominently in this instance the fact that the real Robert Stroud was reportedly an incredibly unpleasant individual. I'll say it now and I'll say it again: Movies are not documentaries. When adapting a real life story to the screen, changes and liberties are likely going to be made for the sake of storytelling and entertainment; would a story closer to the truth have been more interesting? My second rebuttal to the 'not historically accurate' criticism is that how many people would even be aware of certain historical figures if it wasn't for their film biopics; movies can act as a gateway to learning about history. After watching Birdman of Alcatraz I wanted to read about the real Robert Stroud, otherwise I might not have even heard of the man.