The Last Castle (2001)

Director:

Rod Lurie

Writers (WGA):

David Scarpa (story)
David Scarpa (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

19 October 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

A castle can only have one king

Plot:

A Court Martialed general rallies together 1200 inmates to rise against the system that put him away.

Plot Keywords:

Rubber Bullet | Snitch | Sadism | Vietnam Veteran | Sadistic Warden

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Robert Redford	...	Lt. Gen. Eugene Irwin
James Gandolfini	...	Col. Winter
Mark Ruffalo	...	Yates
Steve Burton	...	Capt. Peretz
Delroy Lindo	...	Gen. Wheeler
Paul Calderon	...	Dellwo
Samuel Ball	...	Duffy
Jeremy Childs	...	Cutbush
Clifton Collins Jr.	...	Cpl. Ramon Aguilar
George W. Scott	...	Thumper
Brian Goodman	...	Beaupre
Michael Irby	...	Enriquez
Frank Military	...	Doc Lee Bernard
Maurice Bullard	...	Sgt. McLaren
Nick Kokich	...	Pvt. Niebolt

Also Known As:

The Castle (USA) (working title)
Untitled Rod Lurie Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and violence.

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | USA:R (certificate #38538) | Iceland:12 | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | New Zealand:M | South Korea:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Brazil:16 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

Winter and Yates are the names of two British chess champions.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Aguilar is shot with the rubber slug, the slow motion shot shows him being struck on the right side of his head. However when he is lying on the ground, he is wounded on the left side.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Irwin: Take a look at a castle. Any castle. Now break down the key elements that make it a castle. They haven't changed in a thousand years. 1: Location. A site on high ground that commands the territory as far as the eye can see. 2: Protection. Big walls, walls strong enough to withstand a frontal attack...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Flushed Away (2006)

Soundtrack:

Concerto for Oboe, Violin, Cello and Orchestra in D Major

A good if predictable movie.

The Last Castle is a fine if somewhat predictable jail movie of redemption and determination against the odds. Having seen the previews I thought nothing of ever seeing the film, but saw it on the shelf in the video store and thought it would pass an evening.

It did that very well, and is worth seeing for at least one reason. Although Robert Redford puts in a solid performance, James Gandolfini steals this movie with his simpering, bully-boy performance. Despite knowing from the opening scene that he will undoubted lose against Redford's disgraced general, Gandolfini's depiction of a man in authority but with little power is very subtle and worth watching.

The rest of the film has some clever moments, but you see everything coming - Redford inspiring the other prisoners, the inevitable conflicts and the finale. The Last Castle is worth seeing once.