Much like the film's plot progression, it's quality followed an arc. The beginning was rather standard and forgettable but once the birds begin appearing the film takes on full life, becoming a really good character study full of parallels between caged birds and imprisoned men. Towards the end it begins to falter a bit, as the Alcatraz sequences feel rushed while at the same time the film as a whole starts to feel overlong. Overall, it's really good, as that middle part is the bulk of the film.

bazie bazigarash ghashangesh karde, yani Burt Lancaster va Karl Malden, be ezafeye Telly Savalas va zendoonboone. in film be eghtezaye dastani ke revayat mikone rythme kond va taghriban khaste-konandei dare va makhsoosan finalesh kheili bad kar shode. man entezar nadashtam barkhi vaghaye' mese jange alcatraz inghad sarsari o shetabzadeh neveshte shode bashe.

Wasn't as good as I was led to believe. It's really hard to feel sorry for the guy when the first fifteen minutes or so of the film does it's best to make you hate him.

79.875

Stroud's true story is enticing, and as in many prison movies, there's a kind of Zen heroism here that grabs one. However, the movie lacks believability, the characters are unconvincing, Lancaster's performance is awful (he can pull off neither viciousness nor vulnerability), and Betty Field does rather poorly, too. They should'nt have made the Stroud character (a psychopath in real life) into a sympathetic mama's boy just to please the crowd. The script should have been braver and less cheesy.

Amazing film and a must see for film fans.

Good story based on true events

Fantastic acting from Lancaster.....a must see for fans of his.

A message movie. Some of the melodrama feels pastiche and falls flat, but it's generally an excellent ode to science, reason, love and stewardship.

Not far as good as "One flew over the cuckoo's nest (1975)", but still memmorable.

Quality movie.

a utterly fantastic film that takes all the right steps in artistic license. lancaster and malden do amazing jobs, and the story is epic and completely enveloping. i'm surprised this movie doesn't get more acclaim than "elmer gantry" did.

Freaking Burt Lancaster.