Directed by:
John CarpenterCinematography:
Dean CundeyCast:
Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Season Hubley, Tom Atkins, Charles Cyphers, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau (more)Plots(1)
It is 1997 and a nearly destroyed New York City has become a walled prison for over 3 million convicted criminals who have lost, but survived, a brutal war against the United States Police Force. In this maximum security prison-city, escape has been made impossible - every bridge is mined and walled, the surrounding waters are filled with deadly electricity and the Statue of Liberty has become just another guard tower from which officers in infra-red goggles blast, on sight, any prisoners desperate enough to try to get out. Radar scanners revolve and helicopters circle the island of Manhattan endlessly. Other than the monthly food drops made by air into Central Park these outcasts are left completely on their own to prey on each other. Into this living hell one master criminal, Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell), is sent alone on a mission as dangerous as the criminals within its walls; he must rescue the President of the United States whose plane crashes in New York City on its way to a world summit conference; the President is carrying papers that are crucial to the survival of the United States. (StudioCanal UK)
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Reviews (11)
Escape from New York is a great example of what an inventive director can achieve with little money. No wonder the film has become a model for many low-budget filmmakers (including Robert Rodriguez). One of the most striking aspects of Carpenter's iconic low-budget film is the surprisingly elaborate production design. The impressive drawings of a ruined New York City were done by a then-unknown James Cameron, who got his start in filmmaking as a production designer. Carpenter wrote the original version of the script back in the 1970s in response to the Watergate affair, and the cynicism of the time is evident in every inch of the film. Snake Plissken is the quintessential individualistic anti-hero. He once fought for his country, but circumstances forced him to turn against authority. He has become a renegade and an outlaw who cares only for himself, while still being more human than many of the characters around him. Casting Kurt Russell (at the time known for family films) was a big risk, but it worked out perfectly. Russell's minimalist acting, stone-faced, quiet voice and slow gait are reminiscent of Clint Eastwood's nameless gunslinger roles. And the film is essentially a kind of futuristic western. New York, which here functions as a prison without guards where the inmates create their own world, is reminiscent of the Wild West in a way, and legendary western actor Lee Van Cleef plays one of the supporting roles.
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I understand that with a film that's 38 years old, I can't set my expectations too high, but I was still quite disappointed. I’m a big fan of Carpenter as a director; I will never stop praising The Thing, but this one didn’t quite meet expectations. The idea of a prison on Manhattan appealed to me; it had something to it, and I could overlook the plot element of rescuing the American president as the main focus of the story. Yes, it's not innovative at all, but on the other hand, such a plot was typical of many action films of that era, so I don't think it’s fair to hold that against this film. Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken was intentionally over-the-top in the script, which actually suited his character, so I don’t see a problem there either. However, the execution faltered; at times it felt almost like a theatrical production, which isn’t my cup of tea. The plot moved forward very slowly, and the climax with crossing the booby-trapped bridge felt more amusing than serious. I understand that many people consider it a classic. Maybe I needed to be born at that time; to me, it seemed like a complete brain drain that made less and less sense as the minutes went by. But definitely check it out just for Russell and form your own opinion. I give it 51%.
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A typical, distinctive Carpenter film, as only he can do it. The low budget and the associated minimalism are enough to play a solid B-movie etude about one tough guy who stood up to everyone and fucked them all up... Kurt Russell is a man par excellence, who needs little to satisfy similarly-minded fans - the pissed-off face, synth music, and an hour and a half-long sequence of tense scenes that can be described in several pages of genre textbooks today. 4 ½.
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The president’s plane crashes in Manhattan, which is a giant self-governing prison, and the biggest tough mudafucka with an eye patch has 24 hours to get him out of there like FTW. If I'd known this movie when I was a kid, I wouldn't have made it out of third grade. And I'd probably starve to death in front of the video. The ideal cure for a creative crisis, I think, would be just listening to kids play on a road carpet.
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Typical John Carpenter’s madness set in an insanely looking New York as big prison, with tasteless and uninspiring action scenes, and characters that look like they've just had a stroke. The whole thing looks like one big fetish flick. We have a boxing ring, pseudo-futuristic machines, the World Trade Center, where a glider can land, all of that crowned by a tough and taciturn hero played by Kurt Russell, whom everyone knows and nobody calls anything other than Snake. It's crazy nonsense, but entertaining at times. The script is practically nonexistent and the plot is also nothing special. The only thing that stands out is precisely the cheapness and wackiness of the whole project, which is basically Carpenter's main weapon to impress the audience.
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