Birdman of Alcatraz

Birdman of Alcatraz, 1962. A convicted murderer becomes a bird expert.

Directed by John Frankenheimer. Written by Guy Trosper, based on a book by Thomas E. Gaddis. Starring Burt Lancaster, with Karl Malden, Thelma Ritter, Neville Brand, Betty Field, & Telly Savalas.

Concept: C
Story: C
Characters: They could have been a lot more interesting if the movie wasn't so focused on making its point. B
Dialog: B
Pacing: C
Cinematography: B
Special effects/design: Mostly good, but the aging makeup is awful. C
Acting: C
Music: C
Enjoyment: It's okay. I only got moderately bored, which is pretty good for a 2½ hour character study. There isn't anything in it that stands out as notable. C

GPA: 2.3/4