Old-timers clash in the `Castle'
By CHRIS SIKORSKI
Scene Movie Critic
"You look at any castle, and it has four things: location, walls, garrison and a flag. The difference between most castles and this one is that most are built to keep people out; this one keeps people in."
So begins "The Last Castle," a prison drama directed by Rod Lurie ("The Contender") and starring Robert Redford and James Gandolfini (TV's "The Sopranos"). The opening narration sets the metaphorical tone for the entire movie: are the inhabitants of this facility soldiers or prisoners?
General Eugene Irwin (Redford) is a decorated three star general who is court martialed and sentenced to a prison ruled with an iron fist by Colonel Winter (Gandolfini).
Their first meeting effectively sets the stage for the two gentlemen. Winter states to a subordinate, "they should be naming a base after him, not sending him here." Irwin, however, loses the warden's admiration when Winter overhears him telling the same subordinate, "Any man who has a [combat memorabilia] collection like that has never set foot on a battlefield."
An unpretentious loner at first, the former general soon finds a prison population suffering from injustice and starved for leadership. Reluctant to resume any sort of command, he initially declines prisoners' pleas for assistance. After seeing examples of Winter's tactics, however, he leads the inmates in an all-out revolt.
"The Last Castle" is reminiscent of "The Shawshank Redemption" in that the introduction of a prisoner with a "fallen" status in the outside world leads to an ultimate conflict and irreversible change.
However, the movie forges its own territory, blending elements of a stereotypical prison movie and a stereotypical war movie into a final product that is not forced or formulaic.
While some aspects may seem clichéd (the comparison of men to chess pieces, the redemption of an unsavory character in battle, male bonding among former adversaries), the strength of the acting and the dialogue result in an intensely escalating storyline and a thrilling climax.
The big-name stars are of an older generation (possibly why this under-hyped film had an insubstantial opening weekend box office take). While Mark Ruffalo ("You Can Count on Me") gives a worthy performance as an amoral bookie who has personal reasons for distrusting the former general, Gandolfini and Redford are the real draws, portraying grizzled veterans of very different sorts.
Gandolfini brings depth and menace to his role as a dictatorial prison warden, fleshing out a character that could have become a one-dimensional caricature in the hands of a lesser actor.
Redford confidently steps into the part of a former leader whose hesitance turns into calculated determination and an unbreakable resolve.
The conflict between these two leaders resembles two opposing generals negotiating terms of war, rather than a warden speaking to a prisoner. The hostility between the two is palpable, and eventually the viewer begins to wonder exactly who wields the greater power: Irwin, with his loyal army of prisoner-soldiers, or Col. Winter, with his cadre of prison guards. The individual clash of wills foreshadows the escalation into a final war.
Director Rod Lurie lends both subtle and heavy-handed elements. Some sweeping, panoramic camerawork helps reinforce the captive status of the prison's residents and emphasizes the insignificance of individuals within its walls.
However, on the whole, things seem to tie together just a little too neatly and conveniently (but very enjoyably, if you suspend your notion of disbelief).
Lurie, a West Point graduate, relies heavily on the code of honor, loyalty and respect to color our perspective of the characters' interactions. This is the stuff of good war films, but not necessarily great movies. -- Three shamrocks (out of five)
Contact Chris Sikorski at csikorsk@nd.edu.
All Scene Stories for Thursday, November 1, 2001
