Attica

ATTICA, a made-for-TV film released in 1980, is an intense re-telling of the true story of the Attica prison riot in 1971 which led to a number of inmates being gunned down in cold blood by the authorities. This devastating incident is an almost legendary part of American history - I knew about it from watching DOG DAY AFTERNOON - so I was eager to see how the material was handled.

It turns out that this is a very well made production that sticks to the facts of the case without sensationalising them. The story is stark, complex, and deeply human, and the casting director deserves particular kudos for assembling a team of greats. On the one hand we have the likes of Charles Durning and Henry Darrow as the guys at the top trying to sort things out and then we get Morgan Freeman and David Harris as the empowered convicts trying to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

This is a thoughtful exploration of a hot topic and really an actor's dream, because many of the dialogue scenes are powerfully put across. ATTICA might well be the definitive retelling of an unforgettable true story.

Great movie if you're looking to get the facts about what actually happened during the Attica Prison Riot in 1971. But the writers were obviously so concerned with being fair and accurate that they forgot about stuff like drama, action, and humor, and atmosphere.

The only entertaining thing about this movie is that the casting is all over the map. Morgan Freeman is slotted perfectly into his usual role -- the dignified, thoughtful older black man who desperately wants to keep the young bloods from doing anything foolish. He found a role that worked for him, and even though he's quite young in this picture he plays the part like a man decades older.

At the other extreme is Anthony Zerbe, wildly miscast as hippy lawyer William Kunstler. A long time friend and collaborator of Charlton Heston's, Zerbe is best remembered today for his chilling portrayal of "Brother" Matthias, a freaked out mutant cult leader in the science fiction classic THE OMEGA MAN. Now the irony is that Zerbe brilliantly underplayed Matthias' psychotic mania, giving him an urbane, civilized air even as he was trying to roast Charlton Heston alive. Yet here, as a hippy lawyer who believes in peace and brotherhood, Zerbe chews the scenery and rolls his eyes incessantly, as though grooving on his own righteousness. It's hilarious, but not very convincing.

Young David Harris plays T.J. He's the gullible young black convict who believes that revolution is right around the corner. You'll never guess what happens to him at the end of the movie! Ironically, David Harris was red hot at this time, coming off his role as Cochise in the teen-gang classic THE WARRIORS. But while in that movie he could convey brutal power and menace with barely a glance, here he bleats "black power" in a hypnotized, childlike sing-song that makes him come across as more pathetic than anything else. From here it was all down hill, and Harris was last seen playing Denzel Washington's weak-willed sidekick Smalls in A SOLDIER'S STORY. "Now Peterson, he told me, uh, don't desert, but when that train start coming I just run, suh! C.J. he tole me to!"

I am curious if they included the nude scene at the end where we were all stripped down and beaten by the guards as we were filed back into the building. It was pretty realistic. It was filmed at the Lima state hospital for the criminally insane which was open for business at the time and we would converse with the inmates. I remember wearing a short haired wig to not cut my long hair.as they did not allow long hair in Attica in the 60's/70's. I wanted to be in it as I had followed the injustice during that time and hitched from Columbus and back to make 5 bucks an hour for really hard work as an extra standing around in the heat with a bunch of other folks. There was actually almost a riot when the director of the institution came out and made remarks about people bringing in drugs,some pot smoking was happening and sharp instruments and that he would bring the highway patrol in to frisk and arrest all involved..hell there was hundreds of us and it was late in the afternoon with no lunch yet so the reply was quite radical towards the man...Q guy next to me quipped they are gonna start a real riot and film it. fortunately the main director got the mike and cooled us down and we in turn threw little things like safety pins and other harmless items into a box to act like we were complying and all was well and our extra work finished up that day and no one was accosted on the way out of the secure environment we had definitely mocked. Pat Adkins Aheville, NC

Just a little note, my brother in law was the foreman on the jury, I still remember seeing his face on T.V. & his mother getting all upset, thinking the inmates or families would come after him. He never did have any problems but one of the other jurors & my brother in law became best friends and are still friends to this day.

Strange how bad things can sometimes lead to strange things, like friendship, marriage among others. I now live within a dozen miles from the prison, I have driven past the prison on many occasion, thinking what a scary place it is and how tough you need to be to survive a stint inside the stone walls. I drove my son past one day, explaining about how his uncle was on the jury. I think it frightened him a little bit. I told him to behave or he could end up on the inside! I remember watching the guards in the towers watching me, holding what looked to be M-16 automatic weapons. That was enough to make me turn around and head out of the parking lot and not look back!!

Not knowing much more about the Attica Prison Riots than hearing about it through "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Saturday Night Fever", but familiar enough that it was a dark period of history, I chose to start my study of the riots by watching this film. Regardless of whether that method of research was the smartest, I watched "Attica" with an open mind and the realization that TV movies tend to overdramatize and take liberties with historical-based subjects. However, I found little of this in "Attica". The movie seems to take a bold, straight-forward look at the events without muddying it with personal relationships, unnecessary side stories or drawn-out dialogue. There is a sympathy, a compassion and an understanding of both sides of the story for both the prisoners and the negotiators. It swiftly moves from one important scene to the next, addressing the pivotal points that occurred throughout those four days, climaxing on the unavoidably prolonged massacre at the film's conclusion. As a whole, I thought this was a well made, well directed, and a well acted movie, and hope that it has been faithful to the facts.