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Midnight Express (1978)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
6 October 1978 (USA)
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Tagline:
A story of triumph. more
Plot:
Story of a man who is caught smuggling drugs out of Turkey and thrown into prison. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars.
Another 13 wins
&
12 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(24 articles)
John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The Rt Interview
(From Rotten Tomatoes. 4 November 2009, 12:35 AM, PST)
Former MGM Chief Daniel Melnick Dead At 77; Many Classic Films To His Credit
(From CinemaRetro. 16 October 2009, 9:58 AM, PDT)
(From Rotten Tomatoes. 4 November 2009, 12:35 AM, PST)
Former MGM Chief Daniel Melnick Dead At 77; Many Classic Films To His Credit
(From CinemaRetro. 16 October 2009, 9:58 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Great, But Stereotyping and Not Completely True
more (197 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Brad Davis | ... | Billy Hayes |
 | Irene Miracle | ... | Susan |
| Bo Hopkins | ... | Tex |
| Paolo Bonacelli | ... | Rifki |
| Paul L. Smith | ... | Hamidou (as Paul Smith) |
 | Randy Quaid | ... | Jimmy Booth |
 | Norbert Weisser | ... | Erich |
 | John Hurt | ... | Max |
| Mike Kellin | ... | Mr. Hayes |
| Franco Diogene | ... | Yesil |
 | Michael Ensign | ... | Stanley Daniels |
| Gigi Ballista | ... | Chief Judge |
| Kevork Malikyan | ... | Prosecutor |
| Peter Jeffrey | ... | Ahmet |
| Joe Zammit Cordina |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
121 min
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Singapore:M18 (cut) |
Iceland:16 |
Spain:18 |
Netherlands:16 |
Brazil:18 |
Germany:16 (re-rating) |
West Germany:18 (original rating) |
Portugal:M/16 |
New Zealand:R16 |
Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1999) |
Finland:K-16 (cut) (1996) |
Australia:MA (Cable TV rating) |
Argentina:18 |
Australia:R |
Canada:18A |
Chile:18 |
Finland:K-18 (cut) (1978) |
France:-16 |
Norway:18 |
South Korea:18 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:18 (video rating) (1986) |
UK:X (original rating) |
USA:R
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Turkish government officials greatly resented the portrayal of their country in the movie, and made this known to the media in general after the film's release.
more
Goofs:
Factual errors: Muslim prayer is depicted incorrectly. Muslim prayer has definite steps and rules, and there's always a leader to the prayer when more than two are praying.
more
Quotes:
[first lines]
[Susan makes her way through a line at an airline checkpoint]
Susan: Excuse me... Excuse me... Excuse me... Excuse me.
[she reaches Billy in line]
Susan: Nervous?
Billy Hayes: No.
Susan: Geez, I hate flying.
Billy Hayes: It's something I ate. I think I've been poisoned.
Susan: Or you're just excited about getting home.
Billy Hayes: No, I think it's the baklavas.
[...]
more
[Susan makes her way through a line at an airline checkpoint]
Susan: Excuse me... Excuse me... Excuse me... Excuse me.
[she reaches Billy in line]
Susan: Nervous?
Billy Hayes: No.
Susan: Geez, I hate flying.
Billy Hayes: It's something I ate. I think I've been poisoned.
Susan: Or you're just excited about getting home.
Billy Hayes: No, I think it's the baklavas.
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Cable Guy (1996)
more
Soundtrack:
Istanbul Blues
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (197 total)
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Based on a book by William Hayes, we follow him, as played by Brad Davis, on his trip into a Turkish prison and his eventual escape. Alan Parker does a wonderful job directing, and, from an artistic point of view, Oliver Stone wrote a truly good and unique script.
There are some problems, though. Hayes himself said some time after this film that most of the bad things that happened to Davis in the film never happened to him. One of the guards was mean to them, and he got in a fight with another prisoner in his first week, but that was it. Stone greatly exagerated the truth here, although if you've seen anything else Stone has done, you know that's normal for him.
This is also very stereotyping. The real Hayes was not a racist, and even though there aren't many gay people in Turkey, it isn't banned. All the Turkish characters are also ugly and mean; they could have at least made one of his cell mates to humanize them a bit. Turkish prisons are also no as bad as this; to get a more accurate picture, see Yol (1982).
Regardless, this film is a classic and enjoyable if you're not Turkish. The acting is superb, and Peter Jeffrey as Ahmet is fantastic in his cameo. The film is done well, we're with Billy all the way (he broke the law, but suffered far too much for it), and the fight scene with Billy and Rifki is the most realistic and violent fight scene in the history of film in any country, ever. That fight scene will haunt me at night for the rest of my life.