Alan Parker's 1978 movie remains a masterpiece of exploitation cinema. From the stupendously misleading "based on a true story" legend (most of the gooshy stuff as well as the toning down of Billy's gay affair is script invention) through incredible racism (Amnesty International pulled out of a publicity deal with the filmmakers when they saw the flick), borderline homophobia and ultra-stylish gratuitous violence,
Parker retains a vice-like grip on his audience's emotions, building both tension in the stunningly realised arrest and escape sequences as well as a mounting sense of sympathy for Hayes (Brad Davis who died in 1991 from AIDS).
Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning script displays the explosive bombast that would typify his later directorial work, particularly in a fight sequence in which Hayes bites out a guard's tongue. Incidentally, the Turkish authorities still have a warrant out for the real Hayes' arrest. God knows how they feel about Alan Parker.
