Midnight Express (1978)
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An American student's attempt to smuggle drugs into the United States leads to a harrowing imprisonment in a Turkish jail.
The story
American college student Billy Hayes attempts to smuggle hashish bricks into the United States after a trip to Istanbul. However, he is caught by soldiers at the airport and taken into custody. While in a local jail, he is eventually moved to a more secure prison where he meets other Western inmates. The film follows his struggle to navigate the dangers of the Turkish penal system while facing the looming threat of a long sentence for his crimes.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being caught smuggling hashish at Istanbul Airport, Billy Hayes is imprisoned in Turkey. He is initially sentenced to four years for possession, but a later appeal for smuggling results in a 30-year sentence. Desperate, Billy joins fellow inmates Jimmy and Max in a failed escape attempt through the prison catacombs. Following a period of severe abuse and a breakdown, he is moved to an asylum ward. After a final confrontation where he kills a guard, Billy manages to steal a uniform and escape the facility. The film is based on the 1977 memoir by Billy Hayes and William Hoffer.
- First release year
- 1978
- Runtime (minutes)
- 121
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English; Turkish; Maltese
- Directors
- Alan Parker
- Writers
- Oliver Stone · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Brad Davis · Hayes; Irene Miracle; Bo Hopkins; Paul L. Smith; Randy Quaid; John Hurt
- Genres
- prison drama
- Themes
- incarceration; injustice
- Tone and mood
- raw; unrelenting
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; crime; prison escape
- Source material / true-story basis
- the book by William Hayes with William Hoffer
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, though it faced criticism for its portrayal of Turks and for deviating from the original memoir for shock value.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 90% · scale: percentage · review count: 31; Metacritic · score: 59 · scale: 100 · review count: 11
- Awards and nominations
- Best Picture · Academy Awards · 1979 · nomination; Best Director · Academy Awards · 1979 · nomination; Best Adapted Screenplay · Academy Awards · 1979 · win; Best Original Score · Academy Awards · 1979 · win; Best Motion Picture – Drama · Golden Globes · win; Best Direction · BAFTA Awards · win; Best Editing · BAFTA Awards · win; Best Actor in a Supporting Role · BAFTA Awards · win
- Production trivia
- The film's title is prison slang for an escape attempt.; The film was mostly shot in the lower parts of Fort Saint Elmo in Valletta.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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