Rating: 
Summary: The Gripping True Story...
Review: ...of the trial the ultimately put Alcatraz out of commision. Kevin Bacon gives one of his finest roles as a man who has spent three torturous years in solitary confinement on Alcatraz, let out for exercise for a half hour per year and viciously tortured and beaten by the Warren.All of the acting in the movie is good, and the drama and suspense building is masterful. During the movie, you can really feel for and empathize with the characters, and even though its not a cool jail movie like Shawshank Redemption, it is every bit as good, especially in that it is a true story. This is also an incredibly hard movie to watch at times. When the guy being slashed with a razor, or digging a spoon into a guys throat, or even just sobbing pitifully because his organ isn't working right after three years of malnutritioned hell, this movie has the capability of leaving you wincing in your seat. This is not a movie to sit back, relax and enjoy, but rather one which you should watch and learn from.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie!
Review: Although the writers of this movie stretched the truth it was an excellent movie. It kept me at the edge of my seat wondering what will happen! Anyone who is interested in true crime stories and prisons will love this movie!
Rating:
Summary: Good Prison Picture; Bacon Nails His Part Perfectly!
Review: Based on true-life events, "Murder In The First" premiered in U.S. movie theaters in January 1995 and stars Kevin Bacon as Henri Young, a 28-year-old man who (as depicted in the film) stole five dollars and ended up doing 3-plus years in the solitary "dungeons" of Alcatraz prison in San Francisco in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
Upon looking up some information on the Internet regarding the "real" Henri Young, it seems that the filmmakers of this finely-crafted and well-shot Warner Brothers' drama did, indeed, dish up a liberal dose of "dramatic license" regarding the true events in Mr. Young's life. But, I suppose, this is to be expected from a Hollywood story depicting real-life people and events.
One thing that's been fictionalized for the movie is the brief scene when we find out that Young died while still behind Alcatraz bars. It's never fully explained in the film just exactly HOW Young died while still in prison. I think this should have been more thoroughly spelled out in the movie (even from a "fictionalized" point-of-view).
Evidently, according to info I can gather, Young did NOT die while in prison, and, in fact, might still be alive to this day. Young disappeared after being paroled from a Washington State prison in 1972, after serving additional prison time for another murder. (Sounds like another "D.B. Cooper" type of saga.)
"Artistic filmmaking license" notwithstanding, "Murder In The First" is an excellent piece of motion-picture entertainment, IMO. Bacon is just terrific in his role as the beaten, nearly-savage Young, who was confined to the pitch-black solitary confinement area of Alcatraz for more than 1,000 days before finally being released from the "dungeon".
Gary Oldman and Christian Slater also display their considerable acting chops in this film, along with R. Lee Ermey, who plays the Judge at Young's murder trial. You'll want to slap Ermey silly after a few scenes as the obnoxious "Judge Clawson" here. He's quite effective and humorous (although not altogether believable) as the rather overbearing chief court official.
This film has a classy style to it, with many interesting camera angles and camera movements employed by the movie's brain trust, headed by Director Marc Rocco. I particularly liked the way Rocco moves the camera in circles during the first scene featuring Slater and Bacon, with the camera moving non-stop as it circles completely around Bacon's/(Young's) jail cell. An effective way to present this scene, rather than just "planting" two cameras in the cell and cutting between still shots of the two actors.
This DVD version of "Murder In The First" offers up a dual-sided disc, with a Full-Frame (1.33:1) version on one side, and a nice, crisp-looking Anamorphically-enhanced Widescreen (1.85:1) version on the other side. Colors look rich and well-rendered here, IMO, with many scenes exuding a deliberately-grainier "1940's" look and feel to them.
The sound gets good marks here too. It's not a full-blooded 5.1-channel track utilized for this DVD, but the Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Stereo soundtrack fills the speakers very nicely nonetheless. There's a good musical score too.
More about this DVD ....................
>> Extra Bonus Material -- None at all.
>> Chapter List? -- Yes; located inside the "Snapper" DVD case (38 total chapter stops included).
>> Languages -- English and French (both in DD 2.0 Surround).
>> Subtitles -- English and French.
>> Region Encoding -- "Region 1".
>> MPAA Rating -- R.
Parting Thoughts ....... 1995's "Murder In The First" is a Grade-A motion picture, serving nicely as a good character study of one Mr. Henri Young, and at the same time doubling as a dandy "courtroom drama", too. A most-worthy 122-minute experience.
Rating: 
Summary: A true story
Review: Contrary to some opinions this movie is based on a true story. I thought this movie was very good in the fact that it does show actual events and took place on Alcatraz Island, in doing my own research including visiting the Island I found out this capturing movie is based loosely on a true story, in the fact that the actually Henri Young was a bank robber who received unjustified punishement for his crime.
Rating:
Summary: shocking, in a good way
Review: Great movie with unusual but good casting. Kevin Bacon is great, yes great, he plays the role of the unfotunate, abused and stricken inmate who's life is destroyed due to a simple thrift store steeling to save his sister. It makes you realize how the system can really go totally wrong. Christian Slater does an acting job of a lifetime. Bacon and Slater both work amazingly well together. A move for the ages and one to be viewed with open eyes of astonishment. A true story of ultimate magnitudes with brutal consequences.
Rating:
Summary: WHERE WAS OSCAR THAT YEAR?
Review: Having just come off this year's Oscars, one need look no further than MURDER IN THE FIRST to see how the awards are merely an extravagant popularity contest that more often than not misses truly outstanding performances. Kevin Bacon's performance in this powerful film is tremendous and more than worthy of just a nomination, but a winner. Kevin brilliantly captures the person who is Henri Young. Physically, emotionally, Bacon brings a rare depth to a complex and wrongly treated person. Christian Slater, who I have long considered an average performer, also shines in this role as David, the public defender who fights to show the real villain - Alcatraz itself. Gary Oldman is superb as the assistant warden to whom cruelty and inhumanity is as natural as drinking water. Embeth Davidtz, William H. Macy, Kyra Sedgwick (as a hooker who tries to "service" Henri) and even the hammy F. Lee Ermey provide excellent support. To those reviewers who claimed the movie was phoney, poo poo on you. I found myself riveted to the screen and Bacon's performance alone should earn the movie five stars!
Rating: 
Summary: Please people, have some common sense and read the TRUTH !
Review: Henry Young was a brutal kidnapper who enjoyed terrorizing his victims. He did not steal $5.00 to feed his starving sister nor was he sent directly to Alcatraz upon sentencing, no one was ever sent directly to Alcatraz from the courts. The associate warden didnt slice brutalize Henry and he didnt kill McCain because he was insane, he killed McCain because he felt McCain had botched their escape attempt. And finally, the funniest part of this whole movie is where Henry commits suicide in prison. Henry jumped his parole in 1972. Whoever said that Henry's case was one of the reasons that Alcatraz closed is also sadly ignorant of the facts. Alcatraz closed because it was too expensive to operate, pure and simple. Its an entertaining film, like the Birdman of Alcatraz. But its Hollywood hype, nothing more. If you want to see an excellent film that follows the truth of the story, see "Escape from Alcatraz" with Clint Eastwood. But most of you simpletons will probably be bored with a movie that attempts to tell the truth.
Rating:
Summary: This movie is AWESOME--one of my favorites
Review: I can't believe that this movie didn't get the recognition it deserves. I just happened to see it on nbc one day, and it instantly caught my eye. I own the dvd, and i have watched it many times. Bacon truly gave a performance of a lifetime, and Slater equals Kevin Costner in JFK. A must see movie.
Rating:
Summary: Best acting performance by Bacon by far
Review: I cant say enough about Bacon's performance. It is one of the best acting performances I have ever seen. The movie is worth watching solely on his acting, even if you are not a Bacon fan.
Rating:
Summary: Another Great Movie with Kevin Bacon
Review: I saw this movie along time ago and my husband has not so I started looking for it and here it is. This movie is worth seeing at least one time. Very good drama movie.
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