Birdman of Alcatraz

Director: John Frankenheimer
Screenplay: Thomas E. Gaddis and Guy Trosper
Minutes: 147
Year: 1962
Score: 5.60
Release: Olive Films

Okay, my issue here is solely an expectation problem. This is not a fault of the film but of my ignorance. That said I stand by my opinion and will try and explain why, with a few, marked, spoilers, sorry.

From OliveFilms.com:

Birdman of Alcatraz, director John Frankenheimer’s (The Manchurian Candidate) biographical drama, stars Burt Lancaster (Elmer Gantry) as Robert Stroud, the “birdman” of the title, who, as the film begins, is incarcerated at Leavenworth Prison for murder, a sentence that will eventually lead him to Alcatraz. Seeing his days stretch out to life without parole for the murder of a prison guard, Stroud will pass his days in solitary confinement caring for a baby sparrow, an act which eventually blossoms into caring for an array of birds sent as gifts to fellow inmates.

Birdman of Alcatraz offers supporting performances by Thelma Ritter (who would receive an Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actress) as Stroud’s mother; Karl Malden as prison warden, Harvey Schoemaker; Betty Field (Picnic) as Stroud’s future wife, Stella; Telly Savalas (The Dirty Dozen) as fellow inmate Gomez; Neville Brand (Stalag 17) as Bull, a prison guard who befriends Stroud; and Edmond O’Brien (The Wild Bunch) as Thomas E. Gaddis, the author of the book based on Stroud’s life. Birdman of Alcatraz was photographed by Burnett Guffey (Academy Award® winner for From Here to Eternity – 1954, Bonnie and Clyde – 1968) and scored by Elmer Bernstein.

About a week ago I watched Logan Lucky and Brawl in Cell Block 99, along with listening to the recent Pure Cinema Podcast episode about prison films so my brain suggested that Birdman of Alcatraz, by site favorite John Frankenheimer, would be a prison breakout film and not a prisoner biopic. But it isn’t the former and it is the later so I was expecting something exciting and ended up with an incredible performance in a drama picture about a armchair scientist.

For the most part, in either genre, the film excels in three aspects and merely exists in the rest, if not drops the ball entirely. It feels like Frankenheimer executes the intent of the film. I felt a connection to the Stroud character and his accomplishments for avian sciences, and it helped me to better understand the life of a convict, which plays into the story as well, there was adequate the craft a Hollywood feel-good flick. On top of that Burt Lancaster proves, even though it was not needed, that he is a great actor and has the ability to carry an emotional film from start to finish.

I don’t often like to highlight the problems I find in films but I think it is necessary as the film is wildly accepted as a great picture. First, it is too long, and since it was, clearly, a romanticism about Stroud’s life, focusing more on his life after the crime and the social commentary of prisoner rights, there are plenty of moments which could be trimmed down to get it below 2 hours. Most of the supporting cast are throwaway characters and as a score they are being propped up by a young Telly Savalas’s inmate neighbor, and recidivist, and Neville Brand’s single good scene as a fed-up prison guard. The rest exist.

**Spoiler** Now, the zero in parity, there are two women in the film. His mother, Thelma Ritter, whether it is accurate or not, was made to be a villain because she doesn’t like sharing Stroud’s female attention, she is made a petty, small, human who is a cheerleader then a villain, nothing in between. The second, Betty Field, was portrayed a princess in need of a savior, rather than an entrepreneur. It was weak and should be held against the film. **/Spoiler**

With that aside I wish the film would have been given the Olive Signature treatment and be packed with a bunch of supplements because I do see the value in the film even if I don’t much care for it. However, I am glad that Olive released the film so it is readily available. The cherry on top is that, aside from a few audio issues, which may have well always been there, this is very strong release.

Special Features:

• Audio commentary by Kate Buford, author of Burt Lancaster: An American Life

Director: 10 – Cinematography: 5 – Edit: 3 – Parity: 0 – Main performance: 9 – Else performance: 5 – Score: 5 – Sound: 5 – Story: 9 – Script: 5 – Effects: 7 – Design: 5 – Costumes: 3 – Keeps interest: 8 – Lasting: 5