Many consider it to be gross because of it's exaggerated version of the truth but on its own merit, it is a staggeringly intense and brutal film about a broken system turning a man into a shell of what he once was, for 2 kilos of hashish. Oliver Stone and Brad Davis (before his death) have both apologized for the films portrayal of the Turkish race so while it doesn't excuse the portrayal, the self-awareness of the mistake allows this movie to be cleared in my mind as I see it as a fictional piece more so than what actually happened. Brad Davis gives one of my all-time favorite performances, in a baring role, and watching this film again makes me wish that Davis hadn't died so young as I don't think we got all the performances he was capable of from him. The situation is nightmarish and the portrayal is extremely effective in the use of score, Oliver Stone's script, and the acting ability of Brad Davis. The pace of the film and the events it depicts are another reason this film is so resonant, every scene feels necessary and like it serves the greater narrative at play. Before you know it, it's over.
Review of Midnight Express
