Midnight Express

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Expreso de medianoche nos narra la historia de William, "Billy", el mismo escritor, quién es condenado a 30 años en una prisión de Turquía. The film was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director for Parker at the 51st Academy Awards in 1979, and won Best Adapted Screenplay for Stone and Best Original Score for Moroder. It also won six Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture – Drama and BAFTA Awards for Best Direction, Best Editing and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (for Hurt). Si bien yo me esperaba "más acción", por así decirle, creo que sucede todo muy rápido al final, pero eso no quiere decir que no me gustó.

Billy Hayes’ chronicle of his horrific five years in a Turkish prison doesn’t read like tense existentialist struggle against impossible odds, but rather like a Hallmark movie of the week. In more recent times, Billy has travelled round the world with a one man show Riding the Midnight Express, which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2013. He has written two sequels to his original book both published in 2013: Midnight Return (Escaping Midnight Express) and The Midnight Express Letters – from a Turkish Prison, 1970 – 1975, a collection of letters written to his friends and family from prison. In the same year, the story was made in to a ballet, which was the subject of much speculation when the lead dancer, Sergei Polunin, left the show one week before opening. In 2016, the story was the subject of a documentary, Midnight Return: The Story of Billy Hayes and Turkey. Billy Hayes. Στους τίτλους τέλους παρατήρησα ότι πρόκειται για την αληθινή ιστορία του Hayes και η ταινία βασίστηκε στο αυτοβιογραφικό βιβλίο του το οποίο για κάποιο λόγο δεν είχα διαβάσει μέχρι σήμερα 25 περίπου χρονιά αφού είδα την ταινία.Pauline Kael (1980). When the Lights Go Down. New York: Hall Rinehart and Winston. ISBN 0-03-042511-5. The movie differs from Hayes' account in his book. Among the differences is a scene in which Hayes kills the prison guard Hamid "the bear," the main antagonist of the story. In fact, the prison guard was killed in 1973 by a recently released prisoner, whose family Hamid insulted while beating the prisoner, years before Hayes' actual escape. Hayes wrote a book on his experiences, Midnight Express, which was later adapted into the 1978 film of the same name starring Brad Davis as Hayes. The film was directed by Alan Parker, with a screenplay by Oliver Stone. The movie differs from Hayes' account in his book. Among the differences is a scene invented by Stone in which Hayes kills the prison guard Hamidou 'the Bear' (portrayed by Paul L. Smith), the main antagonist of the story. In fact, the prison guard was killed in 1973 by another person entirely, a recently released prisoner, whose family Hamidou had insulted while beating the prisoner; this took place years before Hayes' actual escape. Champlin, Charles (October 22, 1978). "Brief Review of 'Express '". Los Angeles Times. Calendar, p. 7.

A few weeks later, Billy's father (Mike Kellin) arrives and embraces him, forgiving his mistake and introduces him to Stanley Daniels (Michael Ensign) of the American Consulate and his requested lawyer Yesil to defend him. Yesil is a fat, shifty, greasy-haired, chain-smoking, ever-smiling man with gold teeth that promises Billy to get him the right court and judge and not to worry. Their goal is to get bail for Billy and a fake passport to get him across to Greece to leave. Quest'estate ero in Svizzera, gironzolavo tra le bancarelle di Lugano e da lontano ho visto la copertina di questo libro, non sapevo neanche che prima del film ci fu il libro, potevo immaginarlo certamente, ma ci sono delle cose che dai per scontato e basta. Ammetto che ho tenuto da parte questo libro per un po' perchè avevo una paura folle che mi offuscasse uno dei miei film preferiti. Ma come ormai è regola poteva essere il libro inferiore al film? Certo che no, perchè se il film è maraviglioso, il libro è stupendo e ci sono voluti solo due giorni per leggerlo. In desperation, Billy accompanies Jimmy and Max to try to escape through the catacombs below the prison. They give up after running into endless dead-ends. A particularly sycophantic prisoner named Rifki, who routinely acts as an informant in exchange for favors, tips off the guards about the escape attempt. Hamidou suspects Jimmy of being responsible for what happened during the first escape attempt. Jimmy is taken away again for punishment and is never seen from then on. Billy's imprisonment becomes harsh and brutal: terrifying scenes of physical and mental torture follow one another, and Billy has a breakdown. He brutally beats Rifki, killing him. He is sent to the prison's ward for the insane, where he wanders about in a daze among the other disturbed prisoners. Max is also sent there too. He is seen running from guards for an unknown infraction and is grabbed by Hamidou and thrown across the place and is severely injured. Arnold, Gary (October 28, 1978). "Sensationalistic Trip on The 'Midnight Express '". The Washington Post. B4. Siskel, Gene (October 30, 1978). "Book-to-screen trip bumpy for 'Express '". Chicago Tribune. Section 2, p. 2.For me it was pretty compelling reading. It has aged well (1977 it was published), and doesn't suffer from being a generation or two old. Four stars for me.

Kate Shelley lived with her mother and younger siblings on a farm in Iowa. Their house overlooked the railroad line which ran over a bridge built on top of Honey Creek river. Oliver, whose films are frequently criticized for straying from the truth, claims that if he knew the full story, he would not have taken the job — the job that won him his first Academy Award and dramatically advanced his career. Yeah, right. He says that his sense of truth was offended. Where was his sense of truth when he substituted what I actually said to the Turkish Court during sentencing, which was that I couldn’t agree with them, all I could do was forgive them, with his rabid screed against Turkey, having my character call them “a nation of pigs” and vowing to “f**k all their sons and daughters”? This scene, along with Oliver’s completely concocted scene where I kill a Turkish guard, which I did NOT do, led to the Turkish government issuing an Interpol warrant against me that stood for the next 20 years. Not issued when I escaped or when my book came out, but when they heard Oliver’s ranting words coming from my character’s mouth in the film. Not that it mattered to him, apparently. BILATERAL AGREEMENT FOR REPATRIATION OF FOREIGN NATIONAL PRISONERS TO COMPLETE SENTENCING IN OWN COUNTRY / 091243Z MAY 75, U.S. State Department, Ankara, May 1975

Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrateded.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p.282. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.