1, Why did the prison governor and the wardens decide to hang him at the end? By this point his behaviour actually seems to have improved (compared to his Dad for instance). Was it just a plot device so his Dad could save him?
2, Has there ever been a single proven case (or even allegation) of prison wardens hanging a prisoner? If not, what was this plot-line doing in a supposedly realistic and gritty prison film?
Ben Mendelsohn does tell him near the beginning that if he didn't toe the line they would hang him and make it look like suicide.
I think the last episode with him was the last straw. They already held a grudge since he made them look stupid during the first few scenes, when they had so much trouble controlling him.
I choose to believe what I was programmed to believe
2, Has there ever been a single proven case (or even allegation) of prison wardens hanging a prisoner? If not, what was this plot-line doing in a supposedly realistic and gritty prison film?
As Eric's Dad, Neville said: "they will tangle you ...and make it look like scuicide".
Meaning, there wouldn't be any proof either way.
I think the woman is actually the prison Governor, the man who hangs him is the Deputy Governor. We do at one point see him taking something to the prisoner on the third floor who runs the wing, and the implication is that he is on the take and also does the prisoner's bidding. At the end he consults him as to what to do about 'Junior'ie Eric, and it is he who indicates that he should be done away with. Early on this prisoner says to Eric's father that he is a disruptive influence on the wing, and
lockdowns 'cost him money'-obviously he cannot have his men selling drugs and goods to the other prisoners if they are locked in their cells. He did try to take Eric under his wing and control him, but that possibility went out of the window when Eric threw him over the railing. I know he claims to Eric's father that he ISN'T the one who gives the death order, but I think that is just something to say when Neville has him pinned down with a knife on him. He is the one who gave the order, the bent prison guards are just happy as that also gets rid of a troublemaker for them.
As to the 'simgle proven case' I can't think of one, but I know there has been media speculation that prison officers certainly haven't been quick to rush to the rescue of notorious prisoners -or child killers/paedophiles etc- who have comitted or attempted genuine suicide.
I prefer Imaginality to reality.
@julie_robin2 I think you have it spot on there, with all of the plot points you mentioned. When the Deputy just asks 'Junior?' the top dog in the specs nods 'Yes'. And then when the top dog is pinned down he says 'If you're quick you might save him' so he knew what what happening.
And a friend worked in a jail and prisoners often 'fell' down the stairs, or worse - especially the really nasty, sick ones.
BTW I used subs throughout, even though I understood most of the dialogue as I grew up in London.
------------------------------------------------------
We all go a little mad sometimes.
i agree with the other replies here, but I thought he was hung not because he hadn't improved, but because he'd threatened the established order of things. In particular he'd attacked the prison top dog, who was in cahoots (most probably a drug ring) with the deputy warden.
You can take this to mean "they don't want you to improve, to get out of prison. If you did, they wouldn't have a job (as Eric himself points out) and they'd have no one to deal drugs to." You are messing with their 'nice little earner'
i'm agreeing with you--and i didn't even make it to the end of the film. knew that he would come to a bad end, though, once he disrespected the head of the prison drug ring. good film, but not any better than the best prison dramas. i had 20 min to go, but had lost so much interest--and had such a hard time with the accents--i decided, yeah, i'm done.
share5 years late, but look up Jeremy Epstein and how he "hanged himself" in prison. That's one recent case I can think of.
share