The Portrayal of the Guards in "Escape from Alcatraz"

When first think of Alcatraz, it is reasonable that people would associate it with the prisoners it held. True, Alcatraz was "home" to some of the most feared and the most hated people in America. However, the role of guards in this prison should not be overlooked. They spent each day and night with these prisoners. They were a special group of citizens too. In the movie "Escape from Alcatraz", the director shows quite a few interactions between the prisoners and the guards. Through these interactions, the audience acquires an interesting portrayal of the guards.

In order to deal with some of the sliest prisoners in America, it is reasonable to picture the guards as intelligent. However, in this movie the guards seem to be very easily fooled. It might be a result from their arrogance and over-confidence. When Morris is trying to pass the metal detector while carrying two wedges, he brilliantly acts as if his plan is exposed by letting the guard take away the first wedge. Ironically, the guard notes that Morris is stupid from his seemingly simple-minded attempt. Another incidence occurs when a guard stops Morris for a instrument bag check. Morris cleverly dodges the check by tossing the suspicion toward West. From this scene, we see that Morris is the one who is on top of this mental game. He makes the guard think exactly what he wants them to think. He is manipulating the guards.

From the book, we learn that the guards are specially trained to detect any suspicion and see every prisoner as a possible threat. In general, they are still portrayed in the same way in the movie, even though they are fooled by Morris. The guards are shown as very cold-blooded. When a guard shoots a fast stream of cold water through a huge hose to Morris, the word "inhumane" instantly jumps out. Later when another guard takes away Doc's paintings and art equipments, he shows no sign of sympathy. This kind of portrayal is very close to what normal conceptions of the guards would be - cruel and apathetic.

After all, the details the movie adds in addition to the book are very interesting. The additional interactions shown in the movie make the movie much more intense and complex than the original book. The movie "Escape from Alcatraz" does a good job of telling the story of the famous escape and portraying prison life on the island.

A Focus on the Guards of Alcatraz

Much of what is known of Alcatraz as a prison relates to the prisoners it held. Common names one might associate with such an infamous place are “Mobster Al ‘Scarface’ Capone, ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly, Robert Stroud” (back cover) and others. This narrow focus on the criminals overlooks the role of the guards on Alcatraz. They are just as important as the felons who lived there, they had to endure the same monotony and they had to overcome much of the same tensions.

Whereas earlier chapters in the book stress the emotional turmoil of the inmates, Chapter 14 provides a new focus on the guards, offering a greater insight into the emotional aspects of their occupation of Alcatraz. This section begins with the after-effects of the Battle of Alcatraz: enhanced security. The guards were trained to view every criminal as a potential threat, this puts them on a vigilant mental state, creating an atmosphere of tension and anxiety.

Also, prisoners enjoyed playing tricks on the officials, thus making their watch on Alcatraz more difficult. It is hard already to be in a place with the most feared criminals and having these men use them as entertainment makes it unbearable and apprehensive. For instance, inmates enjoyed making loud noises when it was completely silent just to scare the officers on duty. Similarly, some convicts would swear to others while looking at the guards. Sometimes a convict “could call you a sonofabitch without moving their lips”(126). These events highlight the hostility that many of the
officials had to tolerate.

The torment that the officials suffered was hinted at an earlier chapter, namely Chapter 9 where Gilmore assaulted Thelma Fleming simply for collecting flowers. This action along with the pressure caused by the inmates demonstrates that they also suffered mentally and emotionally on Alcatraz. The conditions were so terrible, that some quit and left, “Now and then a man would report for duty at eight thirty in the morning and take the noon boat back to the city. A half day, and he’s had it”(126).

Chapter 14 offers an insight into what circumstances were like for the officials living at Alcatraz. While earlier chapters concentrate on the negative treatment that the prisoners received, this segment concentrates on the harassment the guards received. This gives a more complete illustration of the state of mind of all the prison dwellers.

~M.G.