MIDNIGHT EXPRESS

UK, 1978, 121 minutes, Colour.
Brad Davis, Randy Quaid, John Hurt, Irene Miracle, Bo Hopkins.
Directed by Alan Parker.

Midnight Express is, unfortunately, not an unusual story of the '70s, the young man travelling, tempted to make some quick money by drug-carrying episodes. Turkey and its foul prisons and brutal treatment is the setting, but by amplifying some of the incidents in the real Billy Hayes experience, the film highlights the widespread cruelty in the treatment of internees, justly or unjustly, in jails world-wide. The cumulative effect of the experience is a scene of savagery rarely seen and which I, for one, empathised with in a frightening way. The degrading of an average callow young man is supported by the excellent performances of Randy Quaid and, especially, John Hurt. Many Oscar nominations in 1978. Director Alan Parker's credits include Bugsy Malone and Fame.

1. Did the film deserve the acclaim it received? Numerous awards? Oscar nominations? The film was also condemned by many reviewers and audiences, especially because of racist and anti-Turkish comment. Did it merit this condemnation?

2. The film was based on a true story. It differed from the original story. It was considered to have sensationalised some of the incidents and made them more violent. Is this true? The difference between the written medium and the visual medium? Audiences identifying with Billy Hayes, responding to his plight? The atmosphere of Turkey in the 170s, United States relationships with Turkey? The authentic atmosphere of the story, dates, places? The background of President Nixon's policies?

3. The film reflecting the drug trafficking of the 1960s and 70s? Large scale trafficking, small scale? International difficulties and policing? Turkey and drug traffic? The Turks and xenophobia? The comments on the Turks making scapegoats of particular victims? Is this true of Turkey, of other countries?

4. The themes of justice: the nature of a crime, the responsibility of the criminal? The criminal not being able to be excused basically from his crime? The nature of punishment? Punishment as proportionate to crime? The role of the courts and the application of the law? The courts not being concerned with morality? The relationship between law and its administration and justice? How well did the film portray aspects of the relationship of crime and punishment? The effect of prisons on people? People's lives being consumed by time in prison, punishment, humiliation? The portrayal of excessive punishment as regards prisoners' rights? The repercussions and the responsibility for the administration of justice?

5. The film's presentation of Turkey and the Turks? How anti-Turkish was it? Billy Hayes' angry statements in the court scene? The comments of the other prisoners? Were they merited or not? The application of these comments to universal prison systems which dehumanize their prisoners?

6. How authentic was the atmosphere of the film? The style of photography, giving an atmosphere of audience being present during the imprisonment of Billy Hayes? Editing, pace? Maltese locations and Turkish inserts? The setting of the prison? The portrayal of violence? The special effects especially for portraying the atmosphere of violence? The contribution of the musical score: the basic them, the variety of instruments, the portrayal of tension through musical background?

7. The introduction to Billy Hayes, an ordinary callow young American, the light and darkness with which he hid the drugs? How did he present himself as a person, tension, sweat? With Susan and the airport? The dark glasses, jeans, gum-chewing young American student? His fear at the airport, the encounter with the customs men and the problems of language? His visiting the toilet and his tension? The bus and his searching for his passport? The sudden discovery of the drugs, the pulling of the guns, Susan watching? The build-up to justice for his crime? A person who has committed a crime and a person who is to be punished? The background of his one crime, his greed, easy money, callow approach?

8. How did the film build up its atmosphere with the interrogations, the photos and the police taking credits, their arguments about responsibility? The American and his presence with the Turks? His persuasiveness and overtures of friendship to Billy? Persuading him to search out the taxi driver who supplied the drugs, the sequence in the cafe? Billy's running, the atmosphere and tension of the chase, Billy's sense of escape and his suddenly being caught by the American with the gun? The futility of trying to run away?

9. Billy's personal response to his crime and imprisonment? The device of his letter to his father to give the atmosphere of the crime, his humiliation, the hurt to his parents? The later device of the letter to Susan? His father's visit and the loving bond between the two? Billy being sincere? His father and his anger and resentment and sorrow? Filling in the background of his family - and the picture of Billy as an ordinary young American? The Turkish lawyer (how fair was the film to have him so fat, obsequious, even nose-picking, searching for every opportunity to get money?), the consul and his ineffectual help? Billy and his wearing the suit, going into the court, his presentation of himself, the prosecutor and his intensity, the judges and their sympathy, the lawyer? The heavy sentence and the effect on Billy?

10. Our introduction to the prison with Billy? The appearance of the officer in charge with his baton, size, humourlessness? The introduction to Rifki and his obsequiousness, his appearance, his wanting money? A sinister presence and the object of hatred by the prisoners? Billy and his being cold, getting the blanket, the punishment and the bashing of the soles of his feet and his being hung up? As he recovered his getting to know Jimmy, Eric, Max? The various prisoners? The portrait of the prison itself?

11. Comment on the film's presentation of detail of prison life - the cells, washing facilities,' recreation, meals? Exercise? The enclosed atmosphere, the reasons for people being there? Billy's comments on the prisoners, drug pedlars, homosexuality? The fights in the yard and the stabbings? Max and his cat and Rifki killing it? Scenes of talking, exercising, the bonds that grew up between the prisoners?

12. The portrait sketch of Jimmy? An ignorant and naive young American, his robbery, his rough reaction to the prison, hernia, violence, being slashed, the desperate need to escape, his being shot, the infirmary? His scheme for digging out of the prison? The enthusiasm of the digging, the frustration of not getting out, his being singled out as responsible and his being bashed? A portrait of a prisoner? Audience interest, compassion?

13. Eric, Swedish, drugs? Gentle? His care for Billy? Exercising together? The homosexual overtones? Billy's rejection of the relationship? His care for Eric?

14. The portrait of Max - as an Englishman, a long sentence, partly mad? His knowledge and experience, advice about lawyers? The quality of John Hurt's performance? Appearance, manner, weakness, helping? The cat and its death? His participation in the digging plan? His being singled out and his going mad? In the mad ward and his withdrawal? The wreck of the human being by prison? The scenes of his advice and dialogue where he had insights? The destruction of this?

15. The sketch of the lawyer and his greed, his reopening of the case, his wanting money to effect an escape? Billy's condemnation of him in his final outburst? The consul and his not being able to do anything? The 53 days and its frustration? Billy's angry speech in the court? the valid points, the anger? His being good and the frustration and the impulse not to be good any more because there was no reason?

16. The change of atmosphere and the attempts to escape? Jimmy and the blueprints? Billy in charge of the attempt to escape - the exhilaration of finding the opening, frustration and the return? Meantime the background of the officer in charge and his brutality e.g. having his fat sons watch his bashing the soles of young boys? Rifki and his ever-watchfulness and the others loathing him? The revenge on Rifki and his money being burnt and the effect on him? Max as being victim of this? The build-up in Billy for his frustration, life imprisonment, the treatment of Jimmy, Max? Rifki and his place and Billy's going berserk? The presentation of Billy's berserk violent scene as violent cinema? The physical intensity, the way it was filmed, his frustrations, the bashing of Rifki and the final biting of his tongue with the close-up of Billy's face with blood and animal-like expression? Audience identification with an horror at this violence?

17. The transition to the mad ward and the criminally insane? The range of types there, the old men and the young, vacant minds and faces, sexual preoccupations? The circle and everybody moving from right to left? The educated man and his insanity and talking with Billy? The allegory of the bad machines? Billy and his confrontation of the man and his power over him in saying that he made the machines? Susan's visit within this context? Her grief at seeing him, his degradation, madness, filth? The importance of the sexual frustration? The photo album and the money? Billy being able to move himself to some kind of activity through this visit of Susan?

18. The build-up to his escape, his trying to bribe the officer in charge who took him out, the preparation for a rape. the accidental violent death? Billy's tension and the irony of being able to escape because of the officer, changing uniform? The tension of his walking down the stairs, getting the key. passing the other police, freedom on the street and his leap of joy? The photo collage as rounding out his escape?

19. How well could audiences identify with the personalities, the events, the situations? The highly emotional response? Themes of justice, prison, violence?

20. Insight into human life, crime, the values of society and as exhibited by their prisons? This story altering attitudes towards crimes and proportionate and disproportionate punishments?