"The Last Mile" is a heck of a good prison movie. Although there are a LOT of really good prison film, I'd rank this up among the best due to a script that never gives way to sentimentality as well as a wonderful performance by Mickey Rooney in the lead.
The film is set on Death Row in a prison. While quite a few other films have been set in such a location, the film's prologue claims it's based on a real story. Whether or not that's true, I have no idea. Regardless, much of the film is spent just passing time....waiting until each guy's number is up and they are sent to be executed. At times, it's interesting to watch the guards, as a couple of them are not much better than the inmates. But the most interesting, clearly, is 'Killer' Mears. Unlike others who sweat out their time and worry about death, he's a cool and nasty piece of work. You see just how awful and determined he is when he is able to overcome one of the guards and he leads a prison revolt. However, this is not just a run of the mill attempt to break out. This group has nothing to lose and Mears is more than willing to kill all their captives without hesitation. This grittiness makes the film and those who see Rooney as just a child star are unaware that he could really act--and here he is amazingly good. Overall, this is a wonderfully realistic film--one that never gives way to sentiment and which ends on a gritty note instead of a happily ever after contrived ending.
Currently, you can see this film streaming from Netflix. Despite appearing like a low-budget and forgettable 50s film, it's anything but.
The film is set on Death Row in a prison. While quite a few other films have been set in such a location, the film's prologue claims it's based on a real story. Whether or not that's true, I have no idea. Regardless, much of the film is spent just passing time....waiting until each guy's number is up and they are sent to be executed. At times, it's interesting to watch the guards, as a couple of them are not much better than the inmates. But the most interesting, clearly, is 'Killer' Mears. Unlike others who sweat out their time and worry about death, he's a cool and nasty piece of work. You see just how awful and determined he is when he is able to overcome one of the guards and he leads a prison revolt. However, this is not just a run of the mill attempt to break out. This group has nothing to lose and Mears is more than willing to kill all their captives without hesitation. This grittiness makes the film and those who see Rooney as just a child star are unaware that he could really act--and here he is amazingly good. Overall, this is a wonderfully realistic film--one that never gives way to sentiment and which ends on a gritty note instead of a happily ever after contrived ending.
Currently, you can see this film streaming from Netflix. Despite appearing like a low-budget and forgettable 50s film, it's anything but.