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9 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Above Average prison thriller, 21 December 2001
7/10
Author: Vedder13 (filmdude13@hotmail.com) from New Zealand

Against the Wall is another one of those movies that just slipped away. Its about the true story of the take-over of Attica Prison by the in-mates in 1971 and is seen through the eyes of a novice prison warden (Kyle MacLachlan).

Although made for cable, what make this brilliant movie different from the others are the incredibly brutal prison scenes and unsettling violence (one scene has an unlucky wardens' head slammed between two iron doors) and the brutality of the film, along with the nudity, may turn off some viewers.

The acting is some of the best I've ever seen. The characters are not stereotyped and are actually quite believable. Samuel L Jackson, in particular is a highlight as a black inmate while Kyle MacLachlan is just as good as a sympathetic warden. These performances give the film a lot of depth and the bonding between these two is very powerful.

John Frankenheimer direction is incredibly good and that sets the mood for this powerful and sad movie. Check it out but be aware that this is not a happy movie. ***/****

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8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Gripping and disturbing, 19 November 2002
Author: Renaldo Matlin from Oslo, Norway

Legendary filmmaker John Frankenheimer made an impact as perhaps televisions greatest director in the 1990's (after directing several big-screen classics earlier in his career). With "Against the Wall" he shatters all our illusions about America. The United States really is the land of opportunities, but the government has also branded it's reputation with some ugly events through the years. The Attica riot of 1971 (or should I say "the Attica massacre") certainly is one of it's ugliest moments.

This shocking dramatization shows us everything that's wrong with America in a way that almost sent me reaching for a vomit-bag in disbelief. A great job by Frankenheimer and it's actors, particularly worth mentioning: Kyle MacLachlan, Samuel L. Jackson, Frederic Forrest, Clarence Williams III, Harry Dean Stanton, a young Steve Harris (The Practice) and Danny Trejo.

This really made me yearn for some American on-screen heroism. At times like these I'm sure glad I have the Die Hard-trilogy in my DVD-collection :)

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4 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
True story captured on film, 4 November 1999
8/10
Author: Dakota Corbeau from Montana

"Against the Wall" reveals a reality everyone knows is there and yet is afraid to look at. Our Correctional System not only doesn't help any in the ressocialization of the inmate, but also generates more violence. What makes this movie a great movie it the fact that you won't stop thinking about it the moment it's over. This is real life, this is true. And you'll think of it over and over when you lay down to sleep.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
A good thriller. An exemplary TV movie., 31 January 1999
Author: Stu-5 from Western Australia

For a TV movie, this is quite good. It's the true story of the Attaca prison break, which caused a hell of a ruckus back in the seventies and started all sorts of prison rights and liberation talk. The film is a tautly trimmed, suspenseful and well acted production with a good cast including Sam L. Jackson and Kyle MacLachlan.

A rookie prison guard at Attaca finds himself immersed in the awful treatment of the prisoners, and has a hard time reprimanding the prisoners. He's then unwittingly slung into a violent prison break, and held hostage by the prisoners.

There are some unnecessarily offensive and crude moments in the film, which are not relevant and are entirely superfluous. The violence is quite impactful, and the film deserves a high rating.

Six out of ten.

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The event that changed the system, 10 October 2009
10/10
Author: theotherbritney from United States

"Against the Wall" is an amazing portrayal of the uprising that took place at the Attica prison in the 1970's New York. It is an important film that shows, that while the uprising caused the loss of life among prisoners, staff, and civilian personnel, it was what reformed the American prison system for the rest of time. It is an important legacy and stepping stone in both American history and in the civil rights movement that needs to be told. The director did a fantastic portrayal of the true life situation to the screen in the HBO made for TV movie, which has since moved to DVD. Prison life was changed because of this one event and because of what these men stood for.

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John Frankenheimer was great., 4 March 2009
8/10
Author: Avice728 from United States

I was an extra in this movie and I was just amazed by John Frankenheimer. We just filled seats in the bar as guards' wives, but he came over and explained who we were and told us about the lives of these people. He told us that the average guard's salary was $13,000. He told me he loved my face (which believe me is not lovable), probably because the part called for us to be bored and disgusted and I was very good at that. I just could not believe that the director went into such detail with us. I was just there one day but my husband was in several scenes, working every day, and he was likewise impressed with Mr. Frankenheimer.

And as for the comment about the people of Nashville deserving better--Nashville and its people suck. I was never so glad to get out of anywhere. If, as one comment put it, Mr. Frankenheimer was a bear, maybe it was because he expected people to WORK.

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
A serious prison film, 30 March 2002
8/10
Author: encyclpedia (encyclpedia@go.com) from Florida, USA

It's hard to always understand what prison is like, and Attica depicted an old one, but it was still prison, and it was gripping. This was a good movie. The character played by Kyle Maclachlan was a wimpy one, but yet, a way for us to see things through an innocent standpoint. This was a movie about a prison that was not contained to the proper ordinance and showed what could happen if it wasn't. In that result, it played out to be a movie that can keep you at *awe* and utter despair for the prison gaurds. The role played by Samuel L. Jacson was a good one as well. He is always been such a good actor and to me, he shined in this one, to a point. Those were the good things about it, and my only gripes were seeing naked inmates, Mike Smiths' feistiness, and the totally annoying head gaurd. I forget his name, and I don't much want to know anyways. Aside of those little pests, I enjoyed the film to it's fullest. Frankenheimer did a good job directing this one. This was my rating: 8/10

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3 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Typical made-for-tv exploitation fare., 16 July 2001
6/10
Author: George Parker from Orange County, CA USA

"Against the Wall" is a journeyman tv docudrama (with the emphasis on "drama") which tells of the Attica prison riot of 1971. Okay as a gritty and violent prison drama, "ATW" fails to crystalize prison issues or make significant social commentary. Pretty much your usual run-of-the-mill Hollywood exploitaition flick fraught with inconsistencies and a poor sense of direction though, perhaps, there's no more to be found in the Attica story.

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2 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
behind the scenes, 27 January 2006
Author: jboyter from United States

Frankenheimer was a bear to work with, he treated the crew terrible and all the extras worse. I guess he was struggling to save his career. I worked in the property department, and I still think about digging the old man up and setting his body on fire. The prison was a good location except all water had to be shipped in. (bad plumbing) Kyle McLaughlan, Samuel L. Jackson, Fredrick Forrest were top notch to be around...they and of course Harry Dean Stanton are true professionals.

The movie in the end was missing the "ummp" that makes it a big release. But hey, a job's, a job. Nashville deserves bigger pictures to be made there, they have great production people.

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0 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
An excellent primer on how NOT to deal with a prison riot, 24 December 2007
Author: Fingaroo from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This film should be required viewing for all people involved in corrections. It accurately portrays how the Attica prison riot ballooned into a full scale uprising through the weakness and indecision of a few cowards in the governors office. Here are the lessons learned from this incident:

1. Immediately cut off all water and electricity to the prison. Restrict the access of the media, otherwise the inmates will be warned beforehand what is about to transpire, and will be able to resist more efficiently.

2. If force is necessary to quell a riot, then use enough and use it quick.

3. Never negotiate with inmates. They are inmates for a reason--they are not trustworthy and will not negotiate in good faith anyway. Empowering them is a sure way to assure more riots.

4. When you take back the prison after a riot, try to kill as many of the resisting inmates as you can. That way you not only deter future rioters, but you save the state a great deal of money that would be otherwise wasted on meaningless trials.

At Attica, the authorities ignored these facts and only succeeded in giving the rioters time to consolidate their positions. This led to the deaths of inmates who were considered snitches as well as the brutalization of the hostages. Had they attacked right away the final death tally would have been much lower. On the plus side, when they finally did attack they did so with overwhelming force.

All in all, a good movie, and a reasonably accurate portrayal of the events.

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