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Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9780767814621
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Original recording reissued, Special Edition, NTSC
ISBN: 0767814622
Label: Sony Pictures
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Release Date: October 20, 1998
Running Time: 121 minutes
Sales Rank: 26941
Studio: Sony Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: October 06, 1978
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
Forever embroiled in controversy, Midnight Express divides viewers into opposing camps: those who think it's one of the most intense real-life dramas ever made, and those who abhor its manipulative tactics and alteration of facts for the exploitative purpose of achieving a desired effect. That effect is powerfully achieved, regardless of how you may feel about director Alan Parker and Oscar®-winning screenwriter Oliver Stone's interpretation of the story of Billy Hayes. It was the American Hayes--played by the late Brad Davis in an unforgettable performance--who was caught smuggling two kilograms of hashish while attempting to board a flight from Istanbul, Turkey, in 1970. He was sentenced to four years in a hellish Turkish prison on a drug possession charge, but his sentence was later extended (though not by 30 years, as the film suggests), and Hayes endured unthinkable brutality and torture before his escape in 1975.
Unquestionably, this is a superbly crafted film, provoking a visceral response that's powerful enough to boil your blood. By the time Hayes erupts in an explosion of self-defensive violence, Parker and Stone have proven the power--and danger--of their skill. Their film is deeply manipulative, extremely xenophobic, and embellishes reality to heighten its calculated impact. Is that a crime? Not necessarily, and there's no doubt that Midnight Express is expertly directed and blessed with exceptional supporting performances (especially from John Hurt as a long-term prisoner). Still, it's obvious that strings are being pulled, and Parker, while applying his talent to a nefarious purpose, is a masterful puppeteer. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Midnight Express
This is a fantastic movie. I remember seeing it when it came out in the 70's and it is every bit as good now as it was then. A true story and a very upsetting one until finally Billy Hayes gets out of this turkish prison. He gets caught smuggling drugs and the story from that moment on is unbelievable, intense. A well done movie to put you into the setting and feel for how horrible it was to be stuck in a foreign country without the help of your home country being able to help. A good one even ... Read More
Rating:  - Just to get this off my chest.
I apologize in advance this isn't really a review of the movie. I just can't believe how frequently older reviews say alarming things, and I had to speak up. Things like:
- the "spoiled" guy got what he deserved
- that may have been the way things were in the Turkish penal system of the '70s, but we must abide by their ways; "when in Rome" as it were
- jokes about the abuse
These types of comments weren't rare, and I found it disturbing. With so many people out ... Read More
Rating:  - Overly sensational but well-made prison film
Based on the true story of would-be drug smuggler Willaim Hayes, screenwriter Oliver Stone goes way over the top here with courtroom theatrics, sensational violence, and an overt chauvanism towards Turks in this portrayal of the Turkish prison system as a kind of hell on earth. On the plus side: great locations (Instanbul and Malta), beautiful photography, and good acting, help create a sense of atmosphere.
Rating:  - Truth is the first victim of war, and Stone is at war...
Stone won't make himself vulnerable to anyone or the facts, whether that means eliminating all JFK conspiracy theories other than his own or simplifying a story and people as he has done here in Midnight Express. Stone borrowed Billy Hayes' real story of being held in a Turkish prison for several years after being caught smuggling hashish, and hijacked it to devastating effect. [I focus on screenwriter Stone instead of director Parker because the substance of Hayes' original book was altered by Stone and ... Read More
Rating: - Clash of Freedoms
"Midnight Express" is a true story of a 20 year old American Billy Hayes, who tried to smuggle two kilograms of hashish out of Turkey. Billy got searched at the Istanbul Airport, and the Turkish police arrested Billy. In return for cooperation the police offered leniency, which Billy accepted. Unfortunately, Billy tried to escape while cooperating with local authorities. Billy now has to face the wrath of the Turkish justice system, which mainly wants to make an example out of foreigners, especially Americans ... Read More
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