Alcatraz Reunion

Combining sociology and history, Alcatraz Reunion tells the story of the famed federal prison operating on a forbidding island in the San Francisco Bay from 1934 to 1963, while also chronicling the efforts to organize a reunion of ex-cons and former guards in 2004. Filmmaker John Paget follows the tireless attempts of National Park Service Ranger John Cantwell to locate former prisoners and invite them to spend a day on the Rock in the company of ex-guards to commemorate Alcatraz's 70th anniversary from its official designation as a penitentiary. Paget spends time with a half-dozen or so former inmates in their 70s and 80s who are now trying to live regular lives, many of them understandably dubious about returning to Alcatraz under any circumstances. Ultimately, however, the reunion takes place, and while it is a strained and weird event to say the least, there is nevertheless a sense that for some (who describe Alcatraz as a unique hellhole) to return as free men is liberating. Combining archival footage and stills with illuminating interviews with ex-cons who have not forgotten their terrible years in confinement, Alcatraz Reunion is another interesting, offbeat documentary from the director of Almost Elvis (VL-7/00). DVD extras include a trio of vintage featurettes. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)