Nothing quite oozes pure undiluted machismo like a down'n'dirty low-budget guys in prison picture. Jim Brown hits it out of the ballpark with his resolutely rugged portrayal of the tough and determined Le Bras, who concocts a desperate plan to escape from the hellish penal colony Devil's Island. Christopher George likewise registers strongly as outspoken pacifist inmate Davert. Director William Whitney and writer Richard DeLong Adams bring an admittedly crude, yet undeniably effective and entertaining kitchen sink pulpy trash sensibility to the gripping premise: Besides the graphic and unflinching depiction of the brutal conditions of life in prison, we also have lots of rough'n'ready violence, a satisfying serving of tasty bare female skin, and more than enough deliciously cheap thrills that include sharks, lepers, a run-in with a tribe of savage natives (Brown even gets it on with a hot native gal!), and relentless pursuit from the police led by the vicious Major Marteau (a nicely slimy turn by Paul Richards). Richard Rust makes for a perfectly hateful villain as sadistic guard Sergeant Zamora while Richard Ely amuses as fey gay thief Jo-Jo. Rosalio Solano's proficient cinematography vividly captures the beautiful scenery. Les Baxter's robust score does the rousing trick. Sure, it's pretty raw and anything but subtle, yet it covers all the pleasingly scrappy dimestore drive-in cinema bases just the same.
Review of I Escaped from Devil's Island
