ElMaruecan82 John Frankheimer's "Birdman of Alcatraz" was adapted from the novel of the same name written by Thomas E. Gaddis. The original material was already a fictionalization of the life of Robert Stroud, a convict sentenced for life in solitary confinement in Leavenworth prison due to his rebellious and psychopathic behavior yet, thanks to his predispositions for intelligence, he turns into a self-taught expert on birds and avian pathologies writing many scientific essays and becoming an authority among bird lovers and poultry risers. The film tells the story of this evolution, and one of the most intriguing and captivating premises from any prison movie.So how futile and sterile can all these debates about the accuracy be? Granted the real Stroud wasn't as mild-mannered as Burt Lancaster in the film, although he wasn't the jolliest fellow either, all right, there are some inaccuracies but aren't they all diluted in the richness of a life totally dedicated to birds and living creatures? Isn't it worth enjoying the film for the inspirational lesson of self-made-rehabilitation and conquered dignity? There's so much to appreciate in the story that I fail to see what kind of improvement a 100% accurate movie would have done. And to conclude that parenthesis, I've read the man's biography and the changes are not crucial to the story. The main plot points of his life, so to speak, are all there.And what is remarkable is the slow pacing and the way that slowness conveys most of the excitement. It's the story of a man who's got only time, and at a time where time has become such a luxury, Robert Stroud is almost a wealthy man, because all his intelligence needs is a trigger, a compass to his actions. One of the greatest lines of the film describes the hellish nature of solitary confinement from the certitude of everything that will happen. Since he excitement of life comes from its unpredictability, a man in solitary is a living dead. Stroud's first admirable act will be to get rid of that miserable condition and find something to make his life enjoyable. In a certain way, he reminded me of Andy Dufresne and his passion for rocks, and I guess Dufresne had the stuff to become as respectable a geologist than Stroud a cytologist.Yet unlike Dufresne, Stroud had the time, but not the pressure. So it all started with a little sparrow found from a fallen nest during a stormy night, a bird promised to a certain death if someone didn't feed him. At that time, Stroud had no redeeming qualities, too many Oedipal ties with his mother (Thelma Ritter), misanthropist, constantly questioning the authority of the warden (Karl Malden) and signing his own death warrant by stabbing a guard to death. It's only thanks to the dedication of his mother that he's finally condemned for life sentence. Anyway, the guy is obviously a maniac but even the coldest heart can't just let a poor living creature to her death. Does it contradict his nature as a killer? I guess in a sense, he felt empathy toward the bird as if he was incarnating his own solitude and entrapment, helping the bird would break his routine and save a life, give his life a tiny purpose even for a few days.So, he takes him, stamps on a few insects and give him some parts, the bird grows, then learns to fly, and with the same patience and perseverance, Stroud in a fatherly wisdom encourages the bird to fly, and that's his epiphany. He knows what he's been born for. The rest is history, from one bird, he adopts many other sparrows, canaries, allowing many other inmates to have theirs, including his neighbor Feto (Telly Salavals), he also learns a lesson of courtesy of politeness from the same guard who's been watching him for years without getting one kind word, especially when he's been helping him for building cages and nests. His character evolves and so is his expertise, and his knowledge of the avian world, the movie almost takes a documentary style of directing as we can follow a bird getting from the eggshell and observe the whole process of making the medicine that could finally cure the septicemia that stroke his birds raising. The most surprising thing is that he never gets any money or recognition for his efforts and it's only when he's forced to live his birds and stop his medicine trade that he uses his mother and a supporter for his cause to give him publicity, and allow the legend to be born.The film gets more and more dramatic and while it sometimes serves the narrative, I, for once, appreciate the exchange between Stroud and Shoemaker about the difference of conception of what the judicial system on the true meaning of rehabilitation, and although a bit preachy, the part are well-written and hit a sensitive chord. But I don't understand why they feel the need to insert that battle of Alcatraz that adds nothing whatsoever to the plot, and distracts us from the core of the film. It had the same frustrating effect than watching the final part of "Cast Away" after the mesmerizing middle act where Tom Hanks conquered Nature. Stroud, like Chuck Nolan, was a fascinating character enough not to need any supplementary excuse for thrills.If the "Birdman of Alcatraz" stuck with birds, it would've been perfect, the film is still a remarkable inspiration for everyone to transcend adversity and to sometimes find the true path for their lives, when they think they're in dead-end.

ma-cortes Thought-provoking studio of a prisoner , Robert Stroud , who during many years in prison became a world-renowned bird authority . At one point, the real Robert Stroud had over 400 birds in his cell . Burt Lancaster plays Stroud , in one of his best acting as the convict murderer and according to the biography of Robert Stroud , he killed the prison guard because he was denied a visit from his brother, not his mother as portrayed in the film. However , Robert Stroud really should be known as the "Birdman of Leavenworth," since it was there that he kept his birds and did his research , he was not actually allowed any birds during his time at Alcatraz. Due to this popular movie, the real Robert Stroud became one of the most famous inmates of the federal prison at Alcatraz, second only to mob boss 'Al Capone . The real Stroud was an extremely difficult and demented inmate who, though highly intelligent, was a vicious killer and a psychopath , spending 53 years in prison. Robert Stroud died the day before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy; therefore news of his death was not well publicized. This is a pensive examen of an inmate and contains emotion , imaginative sidelights , interesting dialog ; though overlong and sometimes static . Very good acting by Burt Lancaster as a surly convicted murderer held in permanent isolation who redeems himself when he becomes a renowned bird expert .Well produced by the same Lancaster and United Artists . In fact , Burt Lancaster was forced by United Artists to make four films for $150,000 a picture in the 1960s: The young savages , The Alcatraz Birdman , The train and The Hallelujah trail rather than his normal fee of $750,000, because of cost overruns at his production company, Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, for which he was personally responsible . Extraordinary support cast gives magnificent performance such as Karl Malden as Harvey Shoemaker , Thelma Ritter as Elizabeth Stroud , Neville Brand as Bull Ransom , Telly Savalas as Feto Gomez , Edmond O'Brien as Thomas Gaddis , Hugh Marlowe as Albert Comstock , Whit Bissell as Dr. Ellis and Betty Field as Robert Stroud's wife and business partner, whom he married while in jail, she was actually called Della Mae Jones . Atmospheric cinematography by Burnet Guffey , one of the main cameraman of Noir Film along with cinematographer John Alton , the latter was fired two weeks into production and replaced by Guffey . Evocative as well as sensitive musical score by Elmer Bernstein . The motion picture was stunningly directed by John Frankenheimer , though Charles Crichton was fired several weeks into production to be replaced . At the beginning Frankenheimer worked for TV and turned to the cinema industry with The Young Stranger (1957) . Disappointed his with first feature film experience he came back to his successful television career directing a total of 152 live television shows in the 50s . He took another opportunity to change to the big screen , collaborating with Burt Lancaster in The Young Savages (1961) and Birdman of Alcatraz (62) ending up becoming a successful director well-known by his skills with actors and expressing on movies his views on important social deeds and philosophical events and film-making some classics as ¨The Manchurian candidate¨, ¨Seven days of May¨ and ¨The Train¨ and , in addition , ¨Grand Prix¨ also with great car races . Later on , he went on directing nice films such as ¨I Walk the line¨, ¨The gypsy moths¨, ¨Black Sunday¨ ,¨French Connection 2¨, ¨Ronin¨, among others . Rating : Better than average and well worth seeing . The flick will appeal to Burt Lancaster fans .

Reno Rangan The name Alcatraz is pretty much known to everyone especially those who watch Hollywood movies and television series. 'Birdman of Alcatraz' is the story of the Robert Stroud which begins in 1912 who is being transferred from an Alaskan prison facility to Leavenworth correction facility with other prisoners. To spend his 12 year term in prison which given him for a murder he committed. The movie won't tell us the story before the sentence but everything after till he leave the Alcatraz.Stroud is a tough guy who listens to no one and loves his mother a lot. He won't leave who teases his mother when his mother was not allowed to see him he commits an another crime which adds extra more years to his sentence. Now he got to spend his whole life behind the bars. One day he rescues a lost baby bird and soon after he becomes an expert on birds which leads him to find the cure for the bird diseases. When a man becomes at his best there will always be an enemy to oppose it, well here the warden Harvey stand against him with a reason behind. He could not take it what Stroud becoming, so there comes his transfer to another maximum security prison, Alcatraz.This might be a story of a convict but it was lovable and inspiring about what he does during the sentence. I love animals, of course it includes birds as well. After the 2nd millennium the man came too far from the actual world he used to share with other species. The man invented and discovered many stuffs that helped the human world to run smoothly such as automobiles, cure for the diseases, giant buildings and the fancy lifestyle. But this man, Stroud built a bridge to connect us from animal (bird) kingdom. He studied about birds' behaviour and discovered the cure for the bird diseases during the time science becoming modern.Well I got some doubts about this story. When Stroud was in Leavenworth facility he had permission to have birds in his cell so he raised hundreds of canaries during his stay. But after he transferred to Alcatraz the permission was denied due to new rules initiation throughout the country in all the prison facilities. So that is what I wonder how the name 'Birdman of Alcatraz' came. Is it because he had birds and studied about it while he was in Leavenworth or because he spent his most of day in Alcatraz which was also called birds island. I don't know much about this man other than this movie. It looked kinda coincident to me, after he got the name 'Brdman' in Leavenworth he flew like a bird to the birds island (Alcatraz).This movie was nominated for the four academy awards during 1963 Oscar ceremony. There were already fighting for trophies within other top nominees so this movie did not get any. I felt this movie deserved some appreciation but experts say it had few flaws and inaccuracy in the story that mean largely fictional. I really don't know how much it borrowed the original story of Robert Stroud or from a book but I liked this movie a lot. It delivers the message about to do or discover something new or find ourselves our strength. Most of the great biographies I know are not from the real criminals so this story tells us from the different perspective. There are few bad stuffs from Strouds' life to forget and many good stuffs to learn from it. There are many movies about prison theme this movie was a little different to those. You can have it to enjoy or to know the real Robert Stroud, left up to you but I say go for it with a thumbs' up.8½/10

AaronCapenBanner Burt Lancaster plays Robert Stroud, a violent inmate sent to Leavenworth prison in 1912 for murder, but later kills a prison guard when denied a visit from a relative. He is sentenced to death, but due to his mother lobbying president Woodrow Wilson, has his sentence commuted to life, though warden Harvey Shoemaker(played by Karl Malden) gives Stroud a solitary cell for life, as his own punishment. Stroud takes this stoically, but one day, after helping an injured Sparrow in the outside exercise area, takes it in and helps it back to health, then dedicates his life to the care and study of birds, becoming a foremost authority on the subject, until one day many years later when he is transferred to Alcatraz, and must leave his beloved birds behind.Beautifully directed by John Frankenheimer, engrossing film about Stroud is a bit long, and viewer must keep in mind that Stroud was no saint, but as far as helping birds, and being gentle with nature in a way he could never be with his fellow humans is most interesting, and Lancaster is excellent.