'Escape from New York' is a film that, 40 years later, still hardly needs an introduction. It's an incredible dystopian classic, a thriller that has aged very well and feels dated only because technology has advanced.
Snake Plissken is a decorated soldier turned outlaw who, in the distant future of 1997, finds himself on a one-way trip to the maximum security prison called Manhattan. When Air Force One is hijacked, and the president's escape pod lands inside the ruined city, he's given the opportunity for a pardon if he can effect a rescue.
From the very opening scene of the film, showing viewers an attempted escape, we catch a glimpse of what was New York, and find out how grim this future is. That dystopian vision only comes into greater focus as the narrative begins for real, and we see the new society that prisoners and outcasts have created in the cordoned-off ruins of the old.
New York is populated by the likes of Cabbie, a friendly and irrepressibly joyful cab driver, played enthusiastically by Ernest Borgnine. There's Brain, an experienced, intelligent engineer portrayed by Harry Dean Stanton - and Maggie, Brain's put-upon "girlfriend," played by Adrienne Barbeau. And of course there's the big man himself, The Duke of New York, A-#1, given life with a quietly menacing coolness and by Isaac Hayes.
But this is a very large cast, and certainly we can't overlook the president, played with a nervous energy by the great Donald Pleasence; nor can we forget the police commissioner Bob Hauk, portrayed by the legendary Lee Van Cleef. And of course Snake Plissken is one of the most iconic roles of Kurt Russell, who returned to the role for the 1996 sequel 'Escape from L.A.' Russell gives our antihero such a believable air of tired contempt that our eyes would be glued to him even if he weren't the star. Snake is a fantastic character, and no one could ever breathe life into the role the way that Russell does.
And we're still not done discussing the cast, as it also includes repeat Carpenter collaborators including Nancy Stephens, Tom Atkins, Charlie Cyphers, and George Buck Flower. Even Jamie Lee Curtis has a small role to play as the narrator providing a voiceover at the beginning of the feature - and renowned voice actor Rodger Bumpass has a brief moment of screentime, too, in one of his earliest credits.
All these names would amount to nothing if the screenplay weren't solid, but it absolutely is. Written by Carpenter and Nick Castle, we're given near-constant suspense and tension along with thrilling action as Snake explores the streets of Manhattan. The dialogue is smart and impactful, with more than a few sneering one-liners from Snake especially. The plot isn't convoluted, but there are still plentiful turns that would help to keep the audience engaged even if we didn't have everything else to see on screen.
As we've rather come to expect from Carpenter over the years, the climax of the film is riveting, filled with as much suspense and action as the entire rest of the feature. The conclusion is deeply satisfying, hammering home with great finality the personality of the antihero the movie has focused on. Even as the credits roll, we're ready to watch it again.
The score was once again composed by Carpenter himself and is very befitting for the picture. The main theme, of course, is a true classic, intoning in some sense a bit of the wary resignation of the dystopian society we're viewing, and of the protagonist we're following. Carpenter's music is as essential a part of his movies as the atmosphere and suspense, and 'Escape from New York' is one of his very best works.
It's a bit violent at points, and surely not the type of movie for everyone. But it's a major part of John Carpenter's legacy, and I'd argue important to cinema in general for the fact of the characters we meet and the witty dialogue and character interactions that litter the screenplay. 'Escape from New York' is a finely made thriller that I would recommend to all, and anyone with even a passing interest in the genre needs to watch it as much in 2021 as they did in 1981.
And good luck with ever again getting "Bandstand boogie" out of your head.
Snake Plissken is a decorated soldier turned outlaw who, in the distant future of 1997, finds himself on a one-way trip to the maximum security prison called Manhattan. When Air Force One is hijacked, and the president's escape pod lands inside the ruined city, he's given the opportunity for a pardon if he can effect a rescue.
From the very opening scene of the film, showing viewers an attempted escape, we catch a glimpse of what was New York, and find out how grim this future is. That dystopian vision only comes into greater focus as the narrative begins for real, and we see the new society that prisoners and outcasts have created in the cordoned-off ruins of the old.
New York is populated by the likes of Cabbie, a friendly and irrepressibly joyful cab driver, played enthusiastically by Ernest Borgnine. There's Brain, an experienced, intelligent engineer portrayed by Harry Dean Stanton - and Maggie, Brain's put-upon "girlfriend," played by Adrienne Barbeau. And of course there's the big man himself, The Duke of New York, A-#1, given life with a quietly menacing coolness and by Isaac Hayes.
But this is a very large cast, and certainly we can't overlook the president, played with a nervous energy by the great Donald Pleasence; nor can we forget the police commissioner Bob Hauk, portrayed by the legendary Lee Van Cleef. And of course Snake Plissken is one of the most iconic roles of Kurt Russell, who returned to the role for the 1996 sequel 'Escape from L.A.' Russell gives our antihero such a believable air of tired contempt that our eyes would be glued to him even if he weren't the star. Snake is a fantastic character, and no one could ever breathe life into the role the way that Russell does.
And we're still not done discussing the cast, as it also includes repeat Carpenter collaborators including Nancy Stephens, Tom Atkins, Charlie Cyphers, and George Buck Flower. Even Jamie Lee Curtis has a small role to play as the narrator providing a voiceover at the beginning of the feature - and renowned voice actor Rodger Bumpass has a brief moment of screentime, too, in one of his earliest credits.
All these names would amount to nothing if the screenplay weren't solid, but it absolutely is. Written by Carpenter and Nick Castle, we're given near-constant suspense and tension along with thrilling action as Snake explores the streets of Manhattan. The dialogue is smart and impactful, with more than a few sneering one-liners from Snake especially. The plot isn't convoluted, but there are still plentiful turns that would help to keep the audience engaged even if we didn't have everything else to see on screen.
As we've rather come to expect from Carpenter over the years, the climax of the film is riveting, filled with as much suspense and action as the entire rest of the feature. The conclusion is deeply satisfying, hammering home with great finality the personality of the antihero the movie has focused on. Even as the credits roll, we're ready to watch it again.
The score was once again composed by Carpenter himself and is very befitting for the picture. The main theme, of course, is a true classic, intoning in some sense a bit of the wary resignation of the dystopian society we're viewing, and of the protagonist we're following. Carpenter's music is as essential a part of his movies as the atmosphere and suspense, and 'Escape from New York' is one of his very best works.
It's a bit violent at points, and surely not the type of movie for everyone. But it's a major part of John Carpenter's legacy, and I'd argue important to cinema in general for the fact of the characters we meet and the witty dialogue and character interactions that litter the screenplay. 'Escape from New York' is a finely made thriller that I would recommend to all, and anyone with even a passing interest in the genre needs to watch it as much in 2021 as they did in 1981.
And good luck with ever again getting "Bandstand boogie" out of your head.