Midnight Express (1978) [30th Anniversary Edition]

Midnight Express is a harrowing tale of a naive 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.

Synopsis by Mark Deming, Allmovie.com

Despite the negative hullabaloo "Midnight Express" provoked for its brutal characterization of Turkish prison officials, director Alan Parker's rendering of Oliver Stone's exploitation screenplay is a stick of pure cinematic dynamite. The 1978 film is loosely based on the true story of American traveler Billy Hayes, caught in 1970 at the Istanbul airport for trying to smuggle a couple kilos of hashish taped under his arms. Giorgio Moroder provides a pulsing musical score to underpin the heartbreaks that Brad Davis experiences in Turkey's harsh prison system. Brad Davis's devastatingly honest portrayal is worth the price of admission alone. John Hurt and Randy Quaid are equally on par as fellow prisoners with just as much desire to escape their abysmal conditions. Oliver Stone subsequently expressed his apologies to the Turkish people for writing a film that did serious damage to their country’s tourism, but "Midnight Express" is probably just as responsible for dissuading hundreds of young people from attempting to smuggle drugs in exotic vacation lands. The real Billy Hayes was never raped by his guards, never killed anyone, and escaped by way of a tiny boat from an island prison. And the real “Midnight Express” was a train used by the government to deport inconvenient foreigners like Hayes. However you feel about stereotyped characters, "Midnight Express" is the most badass prison escape movie you could ever hope to spend two hours watching. There's something to be said for taking dramatic liberties; here's your proof.

Review by Cole Smithey

Special Features:

Audio Commentary by Director Alan Parker

"The Producers" Featurette (25:52)
"The Production" Featurette (24:29)
"The Finished Film" (23:48)
Photo Gallery (12:40)
Startup/Bonus Trailers