I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

engrossing biopic, 2008-02-18
i purchased this film in the first part of January this year. i remembered seeing this film many years ago on tv. when it was first released i was hesitant to buy it due to the inflated pricing of Amazon. i finally conceded, however, and bought it. it was well worth the price. i am an avid conisseur of classic films, but only a few are engrossing enough to warrant multiple viewings. this is one of those. from the opening credits to the final chilling climax it seizes your attention and never ceases to keep it. br / br /the film conveys the true events depicting the life of Robert E. Burns (though the names are changed in the film). Burns was apprehended, wrongly convicted and sentenced to 10 years of incarceration on a chain gang. that premise alone should warrant interest in this landmark film. i won't divulge any details of he film, that would only ruin it for someone who hasn't seen it. br / br /as for the DVD. good transfer and sound. no real extras. a biography of the real man would have been great, but the studios seem to be getting lazier by the year in respect to spcial features. still highly recommended.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Paul Muni, an independent mortal., 2007-10-07
What an insightful film from mid-film to the end. It is hazy and quite controversial, which resonates today about the classes and the power within the jail system. Like Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, all films mentioned have an elastic irritability that you can't turn away from. Down on his luck, Paul Muni is accused of a crime he did not commit and placed in a chain gang where he escapes to be captured with some stipulations that are not granted. He then pursues to escape again with a cheering section from within. Yet, although the scenes are slow and sometimes irritating, the intensity of the performers are spectacular especially the final scene.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Socially Relevant but Entertaining, 2007-04-04
This film really surprised me by holding my attention despite its age. br / br /Paul Muni gives a tremendous performance as a slight above average kind of guy that ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time. He fills the character with a lot of emotion and when he is in his "fugitive" stage the tension is visible in him at all times. br / br /The movie is based in the 1920s but yet it very much has Depression era themes that fit more with when it was filmed. The 1920s are normally portrayed as a go-go financial decade rather than the desolate job environment seen here. br / br /The other performances do not match the intensity of Muni although the character of his wife is believably evil if rather one dimensional. br / br /The jail scenes are suitably horrible but any documentary about conditions in today's jails shows a much harsher scene. Also, the social criticism is somewhat muted because the audience is led to feel sorry for a man we know to be innocent. The point about the harshness of the system is still strong but it seems that the only plight that matters is that of Muni's character. br / br /All in all, this is a film worth watching for its quality and its pre-Code script that includes plenty of bad behavior.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Good Classic, 2007-03-17