Standing in the middle of San Francisco Bay with its stone walls and foreboding presence, Alcatraz Island, the former prison once thought to be escape-proof, has long captured the public’s imagination. For decades, the penitentiary served as an inspiration for movies based on the real events that took place behind its walls. In 1995, one year removed from the highly successful release of the prison dramaThe Shawshank Redemption, cameMurder in the First. Loosely based on the trial of Henri Young (a case that would change how prisoners on the island were treated), the film’s greatest attribute is the performance ofKevin Bacon, who is completely unrecognizable in the role.
Bacon’s iconic performance aside,Murder in the Firstis one of many films with Alcatraz as its focal point that spend too much time portraying the institution as a symbol of barbarity that turns hardened criminals into anti-heroes, taking liberties with its would-be protagonists. Young is portrayed as a victim of institutionalization whose mental state is completely diminished due to lengthy stretches of solitary confinement.Murder in the Firstcontains the same message of hope against the struggles that accompany incarceration, such as inThe Shawshank Redemption, but glosses over the historical facts for the sake of relating its message to its audience.
Murder in the First
An Escape Attempt, a Murder, and Solitary Confinement
Like many films that claim to be inspired by true events,Murder in the Firsttakes liberties with the facts. The saga of Henri Young begins on June 16, 2025, with an escape attempt that involved Young, Dale Stamphill, William Martin, Arthur “Doc” Barker, and Rufas McCain. As was the case for many of theattempts that took place on Alcatrazuntil the 1962 breakout that was dramatized inEscape from Alcatraz, it was unsuccessful and thwarted, with Barker and Stamphill being gunned down. Upon their return to the prison, Young and McCain were both placed in solitary confinement without clothing for a lengthy period of time.Following their release into the prison’s general population, Young murdered McCain with a sharpened spoon, never fully disclosing his motives.
Young’s trial for the murder of McCain was one in which the methods of solitary confinement were brought out in open court, and the press took full advantage of calling for an investigation into the methods employed at Alcatraz.The old methods of solitary confinement, which took place in an area underneath the prison, were phased out in favor of a new block of cells in the 1940s. Young’s trial, one in which he and his defense team (portrayed inMurder in the Firstby Christian Slater) argued that the harsh treatment had rendered him punch drunk due to the inhumane treatment of solitary confinement and had driven him to commit murder.
The 10 Most Underrated Prison Movies Ever Made
Some of the most underrated movies ever made have been set behind the bars of a prison cell.
A Courtroom Drama With Stacked Performances
Murder in the Firstis told through two powerhouse performancesthat chronicle the subjugation of the inmates on Alcatraz and the aftereffects of what was eventually deemed cruel and unusual punishment. Many prison films deal with an oppressive authority figure, usually a guard or a warden, who doles out punishment in a sadistic manner to keep the inmates in their place. InMurder in the First, this role is assumed by associate warden Milton Glenn (Gary Oldman).Oldman’s performance as the authority figurewho oversees the harsh treatment of Young (Kevin Bacon) in solitary confinement is something of a Jekyll and Hyde persona. The conservative exterior hides the cruel, sadistic methods by which he subjects Young to harsh punishment.
Through Kevin Bacon’s portrayal of Henri Young, the audience is taken on a journey in which the prolonged effects of torture render someone almost completely devoid of his faculties.Of all the roles Kevin Bacon has taken on in his career, his portrayal of Henri Young is by far the most perplexing and committed by the actor. Bacon mimics the traits of someone who’s been institutionalized and is completely incognizant of his surroundings. ThroughoutMurder in the First, one completely loses oneself in Bacon’s mesmerizing performance.
The crux of the narrative is Young’s trialfor the murder of McCain, one in which he was convicted of the lesser offense of manslaughter and not first-degree murder. The film glosses over a fair amount of details regarding Young’s past to create a sympathetic character, such as his extensive criminal background and the film’s conclusion, which ultimately turns him into a martyr for prison reform. Despite the manipulation of fact to craft something that offers the audience an uplifting ending, the performances of Oldman and Bacon are powerful and captivating.
The Goldman Case Review: This Tense Courtroom Drama Sticks Too Closely to the Facts
A worthy watch and a fascinating true story, but The Goldman Case suffers from its dedication to reality.
When Facts are Obscured for the Sake of Entertainment
A film such asMurder in the Firstbrings up an interesting question: how much should facts about a true event become distorted for the sake of entertainment? BecauseMurder in the Firstwas released so soon afterThe Shawshank Redemption, it’s rather easy to make comparisons between the two, as they both thrive on themes of a convict overcoming the odds against their oppressors.The Shawshank Redemptionexistsin a completely fictionalized world, whereasMurder in the Firstis rooted in a real case that occurred. Still, despite the incredible number of liberties that were taken,Murder in the Firstcontains some of the best performances from its cast, and forces introspection regarding empathy and how we treat others.
