Prison Films Talk: Fantasies of Fear, Authority and Escape

Organised by : Chichester Cinema

This talk, by Professor Emeritus of Cultural History Maggie Andrews, explores prison films, which have enthralled audiences and shaped attitudes towards the penal system since the silent era, when Buster Keatons Convict 13 (1920) was praised for its surreal hanging execution.

A diverse range of films such as La Grande Illusion (1937), Yield to the Night (1956) and Paddington 2 (2017) will be discussed and it will be suggested that prison films tap into the audiences desire for self-determination and their fears of oppressive authority, whilst also being grounded in the cultures from which they emerge.

Escape from Alcatraz (1979), for example, captured the pensive, melancholy tone of the USA at the time. The Shawshank Redemption (1979), which purports to portray the brutal reality of incarceration and the twee and upbeat Greenfingers (2000) infinitely re-interpret stock characters and themes including the savvy lifer, the naive newbie and idea of redemption.

100m inc Q&A

Tickets £8

In the Lumiere