One of several great noirs directed by Jules Dassin, a man who's views gained him exclusive place on (in)famous Hollywood blacklist (which later met the representative of Dr. Walters as well). The film was shocking in its time for violent scenes and the depiction of the chief of the prison as a sadistic bastard (which is normal phenomenon nowadays). I personally enjoyed flashbacks of prisoners from cell R17, because it was nice and quick overview of their "destinies" and it was also some room for femininity in the movie - bringing the beauty of Ann Blyth, Yvonne de Carlo, Ella Raines and Anita Colby. Burt Lancaster really fit in the role of Joe and Hume Cronyn really reminded me Percy from Green Mile - the only difference was that Munsey was not so cocky...

Interesting prison drama.Joe Collins (played by Burt Lancaster) is a prisoner in Westgate Penitentiary. The senior officer at the prison is Captain Munsey (Hume Cronyn), a power-mad, manipulative sadist. Collins is rebellious and constantly in trouble with the prison guards. He formulates a plan to escape but a confrontation with Captain Munsey is inevitable...An interesting look at prison life, and how people act when they have absolute power. The central plot was well thought out and made for a good story. However, the stories of how all the main prisoner-characters got there sometimes seemed unnecessary and felt like padding.Solid work by Burt Lancaster and Hume Cronyn in the lead roles. Good supporting performances too.

After watching this you will have seen only 1 of a handful of roles in movie history as evil as the prison guard played by Hume Cronyn. He's is just that nasty. There are no redeeming qualities about him.I haven't seen too many prison flicks where I rooted for the prisoners but this one you'll be on the edge of your seat hoping these guys get outta that place. Hume Cronyn plays a deputy prison warden and is just absolutely brutal to the prisoners. He does everything he can to make their lives miserable...in his sneaky little way. The warden is a fair guy but just cares about keeping his job and leaves everything up to his deputy warden. Big mistake.Burt Lancaster is one of a handful of prisoners who have had it and decide to hatch a plan to get out...at any cost. When you see it, you can't blame em. The ending of this film is just fantastic and ultra violent. Even for the year this was made.I can't recommend a prison flick higher than this one. It'll make you think twice about committing your first crime because if you do, you may get a guy like Hume Cronyn the rest of your life wakin' you up.

In every society, there are certain men who for lack of a Good Attorney, or perhaps, a bad decision on their part, they find themselves at the receiving end of court inflicted judgment. One thing societies forget or may be they don't want to know, is that the men they have imprisoned, will eventually get out. The harshness of their punishment at the hands of the Warden or the Prison Guards is what drives inmates to remember how to treat their next victim when they do get out. In this Robert Patterson story, " Brute Force " our hero is one Joe Collins (Burt Lancaster) who comes to the attention of a most sadistic Captain of the Guards named Munsey (Hume Cronyn) (superior acting) who prides himself in knowing how to rule. His egotistic style pits him against Collins and every other prisoner at the prison. Directed by Jules Dassin, this early Black and White movie is a great example of find casting of superior talent. Men who will make their mark in other superior movies. Men such as Jeff Corey, Jay C. Flippen, Howard Duff and Whit Bissell. Throughout this story, audiences hate to root for the hero, as he is a convict. Nevertheless, when it comes to Burt Lancaster, we cannot help but feel that he may yet succeed. The end result of this memorable film is the making of a Classic and in looking back, few can argue otherwise. Superb Movie. ****