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The Last Castle
2001
Three-star General Irwin (Robert Redford) was a prisoner of war in Vietnam and a revered hero in the Persian Gulf and Bosnian campaigns. Now, he has been court-martialed for disobeying orders and he is sentenced to serve time at The Castle, a maximum-security military prison run by Colonel Winter (James Gandolfini), a hard-.. Read more
| Starring | Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo, Delroy Lindo |
|---|---|
| Director | Rod Lurie |
| Genres | Drama |
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The Last Castle
Three-star General Irwin (Robert Redford) was a prisoner of war in Vietnam and a revered hero in the Persian Gulf and Bosnian campaigns. Now, he has been court-martialed for disobeying orders and he is sentenced to serve time at The Castle, a maximum-security military prison run by Colonel Winter (James Gandolfini), a hard-nosed disciplinarian. A battle of wills soon emerges between the two men, as The Castle's prisoners and guards find themselves drawn to Irwin's natural leadership abilities. As Irwin inspires the prisoners to find the dignity and pride that they have lost, he threatens Winter's strict regime, leading to a conflict that can only have one winner. From Rod Lurie, West Point graduate and director of DETERRENCE and THE CONTENDER, comes this intense dramatic thriller featuring battles both psychological and military. Stars Redford and Gandolfini, joined by gifted newcomers Mark Ruffalo and Clifton Collins, Jr., give excellent performances as a group of very different military men thrown together into an ugly situation. Filmed on location at the now-closed Tennessee State Penetentiary, THE LAST CASTLE is a hard-edged tribute to courage, honor, and loyalty.
| Starring | Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo, Delroy Lindo, Clifton Collins Jr. |
|---|---|
| Director | Rod Lurie |
| Studio | DREAMWORKS HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 6 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | Arabic, Czech, English, Greek, Hungarian, Romanian, Turkish |
| Released | DVD: 15 Jul 2002 Production year: 2001 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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Robert Redford was paid a sizeable amount of money to star in this men-behind-bars drama. Unfortunately, neither he nor the film deliver full value for money. The increasingly crinkly Redford plays a court-martialled three-star general who's sent to a military jail, where he becomes embroiled in an acrimonious battle of wills with martinet warden James Gandolfini (of The Sopranos fame). However, despite trying to produce a character study rather than an action melodrama, The Contender director Rod Lurie offers up a fairly generic prison flick — a patchwork of ideas from earlier penal movies such as Billy Wilder's Stalag 17, Cool Hand Luke and Brubaker. Even Mark Ruffalo's cynical bookie, the only character of interest, is reminiscent of William Holden's Sefton from the Wilder war film. Nevertheless, Lurie's pedestrian approach to the material cannot stop actors of the calibre of Redford and Gandolfini from providing a passable two hours of entertainment.
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Stale drama of redemption and discipline that recycles most of the clichés familiar from other prison and gung-ho war movies, and miscasts Redford as an action hero.
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Most helpful member's review
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6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Not just another prison film
I thought that this might be just another prison film (my partner has some weird interest in all prison films!), but this was genuinely enjoyable, with some good action for the boys, and more thoughtful moments along the way for the girls too. I would say that this has been somewhat overlooked as a decent film for any night in. Go for it!
Nick -
Most recent members' review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Robert Redford in an usual role with some unusual twists
This is a typical RR movie, although it presents some interesting twists. RR plays the reluctant silent hero that saves the day, as usual, and he does it with allure. The first twist you will notice is that he plays an old general, not a young maverick as usual. RR seems to be coming to terms finally with his age. The second is that he plays the role of a failed hero. He may be a highly decorated general, but his daughter resents him deeply for never being around ? and the twist is that he acknowledges that and shows his emotional frailty.
This is good solid entertainment, but no more than that. Good direction, good sense of what it is like to be in military custody and that sense that you cannot break a person if you stand up to it. But it lacks a stronger point to it all, and although we never have a boring moment, we have seen it all before. Simply put: I enjoyed it, but I would never watch it twice, as I do with 4 stars movies. -
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The Last Castle
Three-star General Irwin (Robert Redford) was a prisoner of war in Vietnam and a revered hero in the Persian Gulf and Bosnian campaigns. Now, he has been court-martialed for disobeying orders and he is sentenced to serve time at The Castle, a maximum-security military prison run by Colonel Winter (...
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