Brubaker

Name: Brubaker
Genre: Drama, Crime
Released: June 20, 1980
Duration: 131 min
Rating: 54
Cast: David Keith, Jane Alexander, Jon Van Ness, Matt Clark, Morgan Freeman

1980

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Ratings

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7.3

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7.3	Your Score
7.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Ratings

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Brubaker

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Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: June 20, 1980 | R

Starring: David Keith, Jane Alexander, Jon Van Ness, Matt Clark, Morgan Freeman, Murray Hamilton, Richard Ward, Robert Redford, Tim McIntire, Yaphet Kotto

Summary: The new warden of a small prison farm in Arkansas tries to clean it up of corruption after initially posing as an inmate.

Director: Stuart Rosenberg

Genre(s): Drama, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 131 min

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Critic Reviews

David Ansen

Director Stuart Rosenberg and screenwriter W. D. Richter have a strong, grim, angry story to tell, and the urgency of their convictions overcomes the frequent clumsiness and confusion of the telling. Unsparing in its evocation of brutality, and unswerving in its commitment to Brubaker's radical, uncompromising ideals, the film at its best provokes a powerful sense of tension and outrage. [23 June 1980, p.75]

Pauline Kael

This muckraking melodrama has considerable power and some strong performances. The script, by W.D. Richter, has offhand dialogue with a warm, funny edge.

Roger Ebert

Brubaker is a grim and depressing drama about prison outrages - a movie that should, given its absolutely realistic vision, have kept us involved from beginning to end. That it doesn't is the result, I think, of a deliberate but unwise decision to focus on the issues involved in the story, instead of on the characters. Read full review

Gary Arnold

Although Richter's screenplay leaves certain large areas unexplored or unexplained -- including Brubaker's own psychological makeup and the precise linkage between the groups inside and outside Wakefield that have a vested interest in resisting reform -- there's not a bit of slack in the picture. Read full review

Judith Martin

Filmmakers ought to be granted time off for good intentions. Then, perhaps, those responsible for the prison film Brubaker could have gotten their do-good impulses under reasonable control, and used them to make a good picture, instead of a goody-goody one. Read full review

Jay Scott

David Keith, a native of Tennessee, had a tiny role in The Rose (as Bette Midler's soldier friend) and he is one of the few in the Brubaker cast whose accent is authentic and who appears to have the wherewithal to survive in a penitentiary. His scenes are the only respite from the movie's shrill, simplistic self-congratulation. [21 June 1980]

Time Out London Staff (Not Credited)

By its attribution of every evil to simple human greed, the melodrama remains hamfisted; while Rosenberg's direction signals 'realism' with crude denim-blue tints in every image. After two hours and ten minutes one is left only with a numbing awareness of Redford's charmless charm, the macho image unable (unlike Eastwood or Reynolds) to even contemplate self-irony. Read full review

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User Reviews

Kai82

Aug 9, 2022

A prison drama with a really strong Robert Redford that is sadly based on a real life scandal (fictionalized aka the Hollywood version but not hiding atrocities). If you are interested in this you should google “Joe Hyams / Tom Murton” and / or “Arkansas Prison Scandal”. It is set in 1969A prison drama with a really strong Robert Redford that is sadly based on a real life scandal (fictionalized aka the Hollywood version but not hiding atrocities). If you are interested in this you should google “Joe Hyams / Tom Murton” and / or “Arkansas Prison Scandal”. It is set in 1969 and the main character Henry Brubacker was appointed as the new director of the Wakefield State Prison by the governor to reform it to fit the new laws / regulations. Because he wants to see what he is up for he disguises himself as inmate and gets into the prison. What he sees and experiences is far surpassing his worst expectations (and probably nightmares). It is his duty to change this inhumane, illegal and disgusting system. Of cause this made him a lot of enemies as many do not want to get the public's attentions to the serious misdeeds. It is to dangerous to the people in charge that want to cover it up. Sidenote to all that say undercover is exaggerated. People lie to higher ups / their bosses for various reasons. All employees have to learn what to say to their boss and what not or face consequences. As boss you never get the truth and you are mostly to blame for this yourself. Many companies create this atmosphere of euphemism, denial and hiding unpleasant truths. “Undercover Boss” is factual correct in this regard. Back to the review. It is a great story of a battle against the awful status quo and people in charge. There is the critique that you learn not much about the characters and it is theoretical valid but I think this was not necessary here or the point of the movie. The characters deliver a great performance and especially Robert Redford made an impressive performance. I think it is fair to praise the whole cast, writer W.D. Richter, director Stuart Rosenberg and team behind the screen. Another strong point are the location and sets. They used a closed real life prison in Junction City. This created an intense and believable atmosphere that I never doubted. Overall this was a surprise as I watched it because nothing else I liked was on TV. I did not regret it and it was a good experience. An 8/10 for me with a recommendation.… Expand

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amheretojudge

Jan 31, 2019

Change Comes Involuntarily.

Brubaker Rosenberg's prison stay is exactly how it should go, an impenetrable fascism writhing against an unbiased force with of course a pinch of madness. This recipe has always worked, not for its procedure, but for the obvious tasty ingredients it is brimmedChange Comes Involuntarily.

Brubaker

Rosenberg's prison stay is exactly how it should go, an impenetrable fascism writhing against an unbiased force with of course a pinch of madness. This recipe has always worked, not for its procedure, but for the obvious tasty ingredients it is brimmed of. Yes, it overstays its welcome and feels a bit stretch over here and there, but there is a lot to look and ponder about. The meticulous gritty long sequences that it adapts to convey a messages out loud and clear is a double edge sword, since there is barely anything cinematic about it, it can be both unnerving and illuminating. The characters are stereotypical pawns as we usually see in such genre, a big bully, a corrupted cop and a rotten system run by bratty misleading leaders.

But all of it can be forgiven by easily, since our protagonist is equally glorifying and worth rooting for. The whole "one man can change" theory bodes well in this narration, which the makers being aware of, makes sure that the protagonist bubbles up as the ultimate dream hero there ever was and should be. Portraying such a powerful character lies Redford's exceptional performance, where the annoyance and irritation of single minded people is expressed freely through him.

In fairness, the elements of the storytelling too helps him, a few incident where the right and wrong scale is imbalanced and shucked out of the window, to makes you clench your jaw. What makes this experience jarring- and mind you not poignant, which is usually the case- is the buoyancy of the screenplay, it keeps throwing enough reasons back to makes you punch your way out of this. On that very note, Rosenberg triumphs on mapping down that emotion for us to visit blatantly on screen, Brubaker is the leader we want but we cannot get.… Expand

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