By EWAN McDONALD
Two stars, one from the big screen and one from the smaller, turn in remarkable performances.
Robert Redford plays General Irwin, former POW in Vietnam, hero of the Gulf and Bosnia, much decorated, sent to a military prison for disobeying a direct command (for heroic reasons, of
course).
The prison is run by Colonel Winter (The Sopranos' James Gandolfini), a sadist who obsesses over his military memorabilia. Winter admires Irwin until he overhears the general telling a lowly ranked soldier, "Any man who has a collection like this has never set foot on a battlefield".
While Irwin wants only to do his time and go home, Winter's nature emerges and the prisoner finds himself in conflict with the commandant. Their rivalry becomes a power struggle, at first psychological, later armed warfare.
Which brings us to the downside: there are one heck of a lot of holes in the plot. For instance, Irwin and the prisoners manage to build some pretty major weaponry under Winter's nose, which they unveil late in the play.
Critics have seen parallels with Cool Hand Luke, the masterwork of Redford's foil, Paul Newman, and its battle of wills. At the same time it's also an old-time prison drama with more than a nod to classics like The Bridge on the River Kwai.
Be aware, too, that this was the first major movie to come out of Hollywood after September 11. It promotes pro-military values — and ends with a full-screen, rippling, American flag.
Rental video, DVD: Today
• DVD features: movie (120 mins); director's commentary, Rod Lurie; HBO feature, Inside The Castle Walls; 9 deleted scenes; theatrical trailer; cast and crew bio; production notes.
