Plot
Midnight Express is a harrowing tale of a naïve American caught in a nightmare of his own making thousands of miles from his home. Billy Hayes (Brad Davis) is an American tourist visiting Turkey with his girlfriend Susan (Irene Miracle) when he's caught by customs officials trying to smuggle a large amount of hashish out of the country. The crime would normally carry a sentence of four years, but officials decide to make an example of Billy, and he draws a 30-year sentence despite the promises of his Turkish legal counsel. While Susan and Billy's father (Mike Kellin) pledge to do everything they can to speed Billy's release, in fact there's little than can be done. Billy quickly finds himself in a hellish prison that's a nightmare of filth, violence, rape, inedible food, and unspeakable health conditions. However, Billy gains a few confidantes behind bars: Jimmy (Randy Quaid), an American in a constant state of emotional overdrive; Max (John Hurt), an intelligent, drug-addicted Englishman; and Erich (Norbert Weisser), a gay Scandinavian who is attracted to Billy but accepts his gentle refusals of sex. Before long, Billy is convinced that he can take no more, and he makes plans to take the "midnight express" -- jailhouse slang for escape. While his friends are willing to help, they also make clear that almost no one who has tried to escape has lived to tell the tale. Based on a true story, Midnight Express was a box-office hit which won wide acclaim for the performances of Brad Davis and John Hurt; and the screenplay, by Oliver Stone, won an Academy Award. ~ Mark Deming, RoviReview
Throughout this nightmarish tale of injustice, director Alan Parker never allows the audience's sense of fear and dread to wane. It is impossible to shake the feeling of insanity brought upon by the corrupt Turkish prison system, so vividly portrayed here. The murky, hazy camerawork further enhances the alienation. Though often unbearably frustrating and graphically violent, Midnight Express is an exceptional accomplishment from Parker and screenwriter Oliver Stone; one need only look at pale imitations such as Brokedown Palace and Return to Paradise to gauge its quality. ~ Laura Abraham, RoviCast
- Brad Davis - Billy Hayes
- Randy Quaid - Jimmy Booth
- John Hurt - Max
- Irene Miracle - Susan
- Bo Hopkins - Tex
- Paul L. Smith - Hamidou
Credit
Evan Hercules - Art Director, Milena Canonero - Costume Designer, Ray Corbett - First Assistant Director, Alan Parker - Director, Gerry Hambling - Editor, Peter Guber - Executive Producer, Giorgio Moroder - Composer (Music Score), Mary Hillman - Makeup, Geoffrey Kirkland - Production Designer, Michael Seresin - Cinematographer, Alan Marshall - Producer, Peter Guber - Producer, David Puttnam - Producer, Clive Winter - Sound/Sound Designer, Roy Scammell - Stunts, Oliver Stone - Screenwriter, Billy Hayes - Book Author, William Hoffer - Book Author| Midnight Escape (1910 Film), Midnight Episode (1951 Film) | |
| Midnight Express in Orient (1996 Film), Midnight Faces (1926 Film) |
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