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Despite a strong cast and story inspired by incredible real-life events, Murder in the First is strictly second rate. Read critic reviews
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Murder in the First Photos
Movie Info
Henry, a small-time criminal sent to Alcatraz, is caught attempting to escape and as punishment, he's put in solitary confinement. Instead of staying the maximum nineteen days, he is kept alone, in the cold and complete darkness for years, only to emerge a madman and a murderer. It's a rookie lawyer who proves Alcatraz is to blame, and that Henry should not be executed.
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Rating: R
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Genre: Drama, Mystery & thriller
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Original Language: English
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Director: Marc Rocco
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Producer: Marc Frydman, Mark Wolper
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Release Date (Theaters): original
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Box Office (Gross USA): $16.1M
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
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Production Co: Warner Bros., Canal+
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Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo
Cast & Crew
Critic Reviews for Murder in the First
Audience Reviews for Murder in the First
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Historical inaccuracies aside, its still an effective argument against the inherent hypocrisies and brutality of the American penitentiary system which really hasn't changed much since the 1940s unfortunately.
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Guy in prison picks Christian Slater as his lawyer. Do we need to go furtehr?
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James Stamphill: Unlike many men who lived long after, Henry Young did not die in vain. In the end he was not afraid. He lived and he died in triumph. If only we could all do that. "One broke his silence. The other broke the system." I did not for the most part like Murder in the First. Most of that came from my general distaste for the lead, Christian Slater. Everything he does in this movie irritates me. The rest of the cast is amazing though, especially Kevin Bacon, who gives one of the better performances I have seen from him. Gary Oldman and William H. Macy are also good, but they have such small roles that they don't really affect my feelings toward the movie. Murder in the First is the true story of Henri Young, a man who was convicted of stealing $5 and sent to Alcatraz. He tried to escape, but was unsuccessful and ended up being put in solitary confinement. There was supposed to be a limit on how long a man could stay in solitary and that was 19 days. Henri was stuck there for three years and when he came out he killed the man who narced him out. The rest of the movie is an average courtroom drama that seems really fabricated. I don't that that is the case necessarily, but nothing the film really felt genuine. It seems as if a lot of liberties were taken in approaching this story. It is still a worthwhile film to watch because of that performance from Kevin Bacon as Henri and of course because the story is a pretty interesting one. I just think this could have been done so much better and that it could have benefited from having a better lead. He isn't a terrible actor, but he is just all wrong in this role. Christian Slater seems more at home in movies like Very Bad Things.
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Henri Young (Kevin Bacon) is sent to Alcatraz for theft but when he attempts an escape he is thrown into solitary confinement, and kept there for over three years. During that time he is regularly beaten, starved and hideously abused by the prison warden (Gary Oldman). The story is chilling and dark and Kevin Bacon is riveting in his role as a prisoner made to suffer the mental anguish of solitary confinement. His portrayal is not only outstanding but is emotionally draining to watch. When he is finally released into general prison population he snaps and in a sudden, insane rage, plunges a spoon into the throat of a fellow inmate, one who had foiled the escape attempt by ratting on him. A novice lawyer James Stamphill (Christian Slater) takes his case and finds a history of cruelty and suffering. He uses the incident to expose how cruel Alcatraz is accusing the institution of turning Henri into a weapon by repeated mistreatment and brutality.
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