Escape from Alcatraz

Frank Morris, sentenced to a long prison term for armed robbery, already has several successful prison breaks under his belt, and so he is transferred to the prison island of Alcatraz. The maximum-security facility built there is considered impregnable, surrounded by a death strip, steep cliffs, and freezing water. Right at the start of his sentence, the cynical warden makes it clear to the intelligent, charismatic Morris what his goals are for the infamous Alcatraz: The aim is not to turn the prisoners into better people, but to make them realize that they are an anomaly in society. Among other things, this leads to the sensitive inmate Doc chopping off his own fingers in front of the guards and fellow prisoners after the warden arbitrarily banned the passionate painter from practicing his craft. Morris eventually devises a sophisticated escape plan and finds allies. One night, he sets out with his cellmate Charley Butts and the brothers Clarence and John Anglin to gain their freedom. But after months of preparation, the elemental force of the freezing water in San Francisco Bay might prove to be their greatest adversary.