Brute Force

Synopsis: At overcrowded Westgate Penitentiary, where violence and fear are the norm and the warden has less power than guards and leading prisoners, the least contented prisoner is tough, single-minded Joe Collins. Most of all, Joe hates chief guard Captain Munsey, a petty dictator who glories in absolute power. After one infraction too many, Joe and his cell-mates are put on the dreaded drain pipe detail; prompting an escape scheme that has every chance of turning into a bloodbath.
Director(s): Jules Dassin
Production: Criterion Collection
 
IMDB:
7.7
Rotten Tomatoes:
91%
NOT RATED
Year:
1947
98 min
Website
339 Views


- Milloy.

- Here.

- Harper.

- Here.

- Casper.

- Yeah.

- Crenshaw.

- Here.

- Gallagher.

- Here.

- Miller.

- Here.

- Roberts.

- Here.

- White.

- Yep.

- Patton.

- Yep.

- Franklin.

- Here.

- James.

- # I'm here, Mr. Man, I can't tell no lie #

#And I'll be right here

till the day I die ##

- Spencer.

- Here.

- Becker.

- Yep.

- Stack.

- Here.

Lister.

- Here.

- Collins.

Collins.

- Coy.

- Here.

Rain every day now for a week.

I used to like the rain when I was a kid...

even when it rained hard like now.

My last fight outdoors, it rained.

Slowed me up a lot.

One of the most beautiful ladies I ever knew,

I met in the rain.

High heels on wet pavement.

Hey. Here's your last look at Frank.

They don't waste much time, do they?

# Today they're gonna bury Frankie McLain #

# No more aches and no more pain #

#The good Lord

he treated Frankie very fine #

#He let him out

before he finished his time ##

Well, gentlemen,

that's one way of getting sprung.

Maybe he's better off.

I didn't think that even Captain Munsey...

would put a 62-year-old man

to work in the drainpipe.

Yeah, another dead guy,

compliments of Captain Munsey.

Always on tap.

There he is now.

Joe. It's Joe with him.

Too bad about McLain.

You and he were good friends,

weren't you, Collins?

Frankie only had about eight

months left to do, didn't he, Captain?

Knowing McLain,

out in eight months, back in nine.

Right, Collins?

Still carrying a grudge, eh?

Lay off, Munsey.

No, not Munsey. Sir.

Sir.

You won't even meet me halfway,

will you, Collins?

Ten days in solitary

haven't taught you a thing.

I bet it taught him

not to carry a shiv anymore.

Or do you still claim that knife

was planted on ya?

Never mind that.

The episode's closed.

Collins.

Why keep on fighting?

After all, I've got a job to do. I...

Very well. Have it your way.

- Joe.

- Doc.

Joe, I meant to come down

and visit you, but I, uh...

Yeah.

Dr. Walters.

There's a meeting this morning.

You'd better get straightened out.

And the same to you.

# Me ol' friend Joe

was in the hole #

#And it was worse than

where they're diggin' coal #

# He comes out holding

very high his head #

#And the man to blame

soon be very dead ##

- Joe.

- How are you, Joe?

- Good to see ya, Joe.

- I'm glad you're back.

Heard from the wife?

Joe, you know Kid Coy.

Seen him around.

They moved him

into Frankie McLain's place.

Frankie was tops,

a hard guy to follow.

Whatever you say, Joe.

About the stool pigeon, Joe...

We made arrangements.

Everything's okay.

Everything's okay?

What's okay?

Nothing's okay.

It never was, and it never will be.

Not till we're out.

You get that?

Out.

Joe. After solitary,

even this will taste good.

- Thanks. - Had a long talk with

my mouthpiece yesterday.

Your lawyer came all the way from New York

just to give you advice?

Nah, ain't you heard?

He's right here in stir too.

Roberts, I need a little help.

- Get away from me.

- But you're in with Gallagher.

Please.

Roberts, you know Gallagher

can fix anything.

There are some things

that just can't be fixed.

Roberts, if you could put in a word for me...

- Gallagher, I gotta talk to you.

- What's he want, Louie?

- Blow.

- You gotta listen to me.

- I said blow.

- They'll kill me.

- Who is he?

- Wilson. He's here on a 529.

Also a stool pigeon.

He planted the shiv on Collins.

Munsey made me do it. Honest.

You can fix anything, Gallagher.

If you can call off Collins, I'd pay. I'd...

You'll pay.

Hello, Roberts.

How's that cold coming along?

Fine...

sir.

- Hello, Daniels.

- Morning, sir.

Strella, they tell me you're pressuring

some of the inmates in your area.

Am I?

Captain Munsey, sir,

I've gotta talk to you.

Please, sir. Please.

- Good morning, boys.

- Morning, sir.

- Oh, good morning, Gallagher.

- Morning, Captain.

I understand you're responsible for settling

that little feud over in cell block "J."

We appreciate your assistance

of course, but...

The boys and I were only trying to help.

You and your boys.

There's a very old bylaw in this institution

about gangs or cliques.

We don't like them.

We don't want them.

Why don't you break them up, Captain?

Gallagher, when are you gonna remember

that you're not back home...

running a gang of hoodlums?

Let me be the policeman, eh?

You just serve your time.

And that way, we'll both get paid off.

That's right, Captain.

Like the Book says, we always get

what's coming to us.

All of us.

- Oh, excuse me, sir.

- What's the matter with you?

Wasn't his fault.

Sorry, Lister.

#Ah, the warden's breakfast

ready and made #

#With the ham and eggs and the marmalade ##

Sounds like a very important meeting

you're going to this morning, Doc.

Is, uh, Captain Munsey gonna be there?

- Mm-hmm.

- Mm-hmm.

# Brandy's the very best

drink in the world #

# If you drink enough

your toes get curled ##

Calypso, statistics show...

that if the level of alcohol in the blood

exceeds one half of one percent...

the blood pressure is affected,

a cerebral condition occurs...

and then... you're cockeyed.

And maybe that's the way it should be.

You don't like this place, Doc.

What for you stay here?

You haven't got much choice, Calypso.

Neither have I.

But it's not as easy as all that,

Mr. McCallum. This prison...

This prison has almost twice as many men

as it was built to accommodate.

There's not enough work

to keep the inmates occupied.

Why not?

The world we live in.

Yes, we can give them real work,

teach them trades, produce things.

But the civilian manufacturer

says we're competing with him.

Trade unions say we're putting

their people out of work.

Nobody wants to help.

Not us.

Manufacturers, unions.

You might as well blame the weather.

What you're really saying is

you can't handle the situation.

Excuse me, sir.

I don't think you quite understood

what the warden meant.

It's not only a matter of controlling

the men. He wants to help them.

Munsey, what this prison needs

is absolute discipline...

not charity.

Your loyalty to the warden

doesn't change the fact...

that he may be getting

too old for his job.

Age, Mr. McCallum,

is a matter of arteries, not years.

It's a pity, Walters, you're a better

philosopher than you are a doctor.

But I'm getting tired of you in both roles.

I was sent here today for one reason... to

tell you that if there's any more trouble...

if this prison isn't brought under

the strictest control...

- Mr. McCallum...

- There will be an immediate change in practically all personnel.

We don't want to be bothered anymore.

Is that clear, Warden?

Yes, sir.

- Clear to you, Doctor?

- Oh, absolutely.

You can't be bothered.

Well, that simplifies everything.

The great public and its servants.

You put up prisons, thick walls...

and then your job is over, finished.

But is it over?

You and your patent medicine remedies.

Change the warden.

New personnel.

Absolute discipline.

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Richard Brooks

Richard Brooks (May 18, 1912 – March 11, 1992) was an American screenwriter, film director, novelist and film producer. Nominated for eight Oscars in his career, he was best known for Blackboard Jungle (1955), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) Elmer Gantry (1960; for which he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay), In Cold Blood (1967) and Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977). more…

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    "Brute Force" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/brute_force_4769>.

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