The Last Castle

USA, 2001. Directed by Rod Lurie. Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo, Steve Burton, Delroy Lindo, Robin Wright Penn.

Prison drama which centres around the arrival of the highly decorated soldier General Irwin (Redford) at a military prison run by the obsessive, sadistic Colonel Winter (Gandolfini). We learn Irwin has been incarcerated for disobeying a direct order which led to the death of soldiers under his command. Winter admires Irwin and initially the general states he just wants to do his time and get home and we see him discouraging other inmates from treating him any differently from anyone else. But Winter’s cruel regime soon changes Irwin’s mind and before long the two are locked into what is effectively a battle of wills within the confines of the prison as Irwin plans and leads an uprising. Both men use military strategies; the difference is that Winter is largely a theorist (he even has a collection of books and military memorabilia), while Irwin has fought many real-life battles. It’s a film whose plot doesn’t stand too much close scrutiny but it is highly effective in its portrayal of the two opponents and the final battle is exciting to watch. It benefits from two solid leading performances. Redford is as reliable as ever, bringing all those qualities we have come to expect of him over the years, oozing a mixture of fairness, inner strength, determination and toughness. But it’s Gandolfini who impressed me more – his portrayal of Winter is subtle and gives a real sense of the inner life of the man without turning him into a caricature. He proves once again there’s more to him than his breakthrough role in The Sopranos.