Even in our times, dominated by mean-spirited, sensationalist media, it is difficult to find a story about a professional athlete falling from grace in such a spectacular way as that of the protagonist of The Longest Yard, the 1974 action black comedy directed by Robert Aldrich. For Paul Crewe (played by Burt Reynolds), an American football player, life was good. He had it all – the title of the league’s best player, fame, money, women, fast cars and the respect of adoring fans. And he threw it all away by taking part in a match-fixing scandal. Things get even worse when he wrecks his girlfriend’s car and fights with policemen, which results in him being sent to a Florida prison. Having to share a roof with the worst killers, rapists and thugs is, however, less of a problem for Crewe than Warden Hazen (played by Eddie Albert), a sadistic warden who has plans for someone with Crewe’s talent. The prison has its own semi-professional American football team that struggles in its league. An exhibition match with a team made up of prisoners would serve as good preparation for the real competition. Crewe reluctantly agrees to lead the prisoners’ team and is given a month to prepare it. The prisoners are at first sceptical of the idea of playing the game, but Crewe explains that it could be a good opportunity for them to beat the hated guards. Crewe soon realises that the game will be something even more – an opportunity for people with nothing to restore something of their dignity. Hazen, however, sees this as an opportunity to finally establish his authority, and this means that Crewe will be asked to throw the match again.
The Longest Yard was a rather popular film in its time, but the passing decades, at least at first glance, have not been too kind to it. Seen from today’s perspective, it has a pace that is a little too slow and a script full of clichés (good prisoners vs. bad guards). On the other hand, the protagonist is unusually amoral by today’s Hollywood standards. This, in turn, explains why Robert Aldrich, one of the directors known for his social criticism, accepted the project. Made during the Watergate affair and set in Georgian prisons, run by the future US President and Nobel laureate Jimmy Carter, The Longest Yard represents a condemnation of the established order. The state, with its powerful monopoly on violence, represents a greater evil than even the most depraved individuals, which include murderers and rapists. Many viewers, particularly those uninterested in the bleak political and cultural realities of 1970s America, would care little for what Aldrich actually wanted to say. They would be more impressed by the incredibly efficient way in which he directed the action, especially during the final match. Burt Reynolds, one of the most popular actors of the time, does very well in the role of the macho protagonist, so typical of the roles that built his stardom in the 1970s. Fans of action films from the era would also have the opportunity to see great performances by many notable character actors, such as Ed Lauter and Richard Kiel (who later became famous as Jaws in the James Bond films). With its combination of irony, sentimentalism, humour and violence, The Longest Yard represents good entertainment even for those who aren’t very nostalgic towards the 1970s. The film’s popularity led to three remakes – the 2005 Hollywood film starring Adam Sandler, the 2001 British film Mean Machine starring Vinnie Jones and the 2015 Egyptian film Captain Masr, the latter two replacing American football with football (soccer).
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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