Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Murder in the First (1995)

This is a great prison drama that stars Kevin Bacon as Henri Young, a prisoner who is serving a long sentence on The Rock - Alcatraz. Young participates in an escape attempt with the notorious Doc Barker and is captured while Doc is killed. Doc is the luckier of the two.

Young falls into the clutches of assistant warden Glenn (Gary Oldman) who keeps him in solitary confinement about four years. The regulation time for solitary is no more than 19 days at a time, but Glenn disregards that. During this long confinement Glenn administers regular beatings and maims Young by cutting the tendons in his ankles with a straight razor. Alcatraz's solitary is just a hole; a medieval dungeon underneath the ultra modern (c 1938) jewel in the federal prison system.

Bacon is finally released from the hole and kills the guy who ratted him out in the dining hall, just like that; kills him with a dull spoon as a matter of fact. That's where the story shifts from a prison drama to a courtroom drama as a green young Harvard educated attorney (Christian Slater) is assigned the case, a case he is meant to lose for experience.

The movie is extremely well done and Bacon is at the peak of his performing power giving a performance worthy of an award. Slater is also good, but he is just not as powerful or charismatic, lacking the gravity that Bacon projects. Similarly, Gary Oldman, a great actor, is able to make a lot of his screen time as the sadistic assistant warden. Several other familiar faces are in the supporting cast, including R. Lee Ermey and William Macy.

The courtroom scenes are competent but not particularly set apart from other courtroom dramas that have come before, and not as good as some. R. Lee Ermey as the judge adds a nice layer of gravitas with his gravel voice and peremptory manner.

The actual story is "based on true events" as Hollywood likes to put it. A little independent research reveals there was a Henri Young and there was an Alcatraz but most of the facts presented in Murder in the First are ginned up especially for the movie to create sympathy for Bacon's character. I should think the abuse and mistreatment would be enough, especially with Bacon's hugely artistic performance, to gain sympathy for the character. Nonetheless, the movie is well done and I don't think anybody will go away from this believing that prison is exactly like they depict, unless they are coming in with an agenda somewhat left of the ACLU.

This movie really belongs to Kevin Bacon and anybody who likes him or prison movies in general will not be disappointed. Even those who believe Bacon cannot act will be convinced when they see the impassioned performance captured on celluloid. The crux of the matter is laid down when the cross purposes the two are working towards are pinpointed. Bacon wants a friend, never having had one since he was imprisoned since youth. Slater wants to be famous. "It's all about you," Bacon rightly says.

The music score by Christopher Young is also outstanding. Apart from the miscasting of Christian Slater as the chipmunk-like defense attorney, Murder in the First is about as good as it gets. Understand that Slater did a fine job but the attorney was just too young to be credible, in my opinion.

The Warner Bros DVD is presented in color, in 1.85:1 theatrical format, and running 122 minutes. This is an older issue so the only extras are subtitles.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening