"I'm not fighting anyone or anything, anymore." (Review)

The Last Castle is another one of those movies that I don’t remember hearing much about while it was in the theatres. Once it was released on DVD and I had a chance to watch it, I was impressed enough to add it to my collection. The plot of the film is quite interesting and the action is entertaining, but the biggest reasons for watching, and owning, this film are the fantastic performances given by James Gandolfini and Robert Redford.

General Erwin (Redford) has pleaded guilty in a recent court martial, for disobeying orders during the Gulf War, which resulted in the deaths of eight of his men. Sentenced to ten years, Erwin is transferred to the Castle, a maximum security military prison, where Colonel Winter (Gandolfini) runs a very tight ship. Erwin quickly realizes that his fellow inmates, all former marines, have been suffering more than would be expected under the ruthless rule of Winter. The inmates decide to take over the prison with the intention of forcing the Colonel to resign.

As with most movies, a healthy dose of suspended disbelief is required if you’re going to make it all the way through The Last Castle. That’s not to say that it’s over the top or far fetched, just that a few of the sequences are pretty incredible. But we don’t watch movies to see the normal, every day stories, do we? No, we watch movies so we can have a look at some extraordinary people in extraordinary situations. The Last Castle certainly delivers on that order. The planning and intelligence used by General Irwin and his supporters is what makes this film so much fun to watch. We’ve seen prison escape movies before, but rarely do we get to watch a film where the inmates are attempting to make their own prison a better place.

Aside from some great drama and action in the prison yard, we’re given two great performances by Gandolfini and Redford. Their characters square off in a battle of wits against each other and it’s this tension that really gives the movie its appeal. This is one of Gandolfini’s best performances. Winter’s behaviour and mannerisms border on the insane but you can’t deny his flawless record in maintaining control of his prison. Redford depicts General Irwin as a man who is done fighting and just wants to serve his time and go home. However, like any soldier faced with an unjust situation, he must put aside his own desires and once again lead men into battle. Redford’s portrayal of Irwin’s evolution from General to prisoner to leader is very well done. And no, other than the way I worded that last sentence, this movie bears no resemblance to Gladiator.

The DVD is presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic video with extremely crisp colors and sharp images. I’m still amazed at times to see how much detail there is in the human face. From the tense interactions between the two main characters to the explosive climax in the prison yard, The Last Castle looks fantastic. Added to the mix is a wonderful DTS 5.1 audio track. I think it should be a new DVD rule that directors are not allowed to have explosions in their movies unless the DVD has a DTS track. I don’t want to just watch the explosion – I want to feel like I’m standing right next to it! Well, except for the flames and flying shrapnel and all that. Overall, this film looks and sounds terrific.

So, if you have any interest in military affairs, prison settings, explosions, Robert Redford or James Gandolfini, you’ll probably really enjoy The Last Castle. After all, the film did win the Taurus Award for Best Fire Stunt. What more do you want?

The Last Castle gets 7 flags (out of 10).

Trivia for The Last Castle has been confined to solitary. Find it here.