Fairly taut Alan Parker thriller which is largely set in a hellhole of a Turkish prison. The story revolves around a young American who is caught smuggling some hashish out of Turkey and is sentenced to imprisonment in their none too plush prisons.

Parker has taken serious liberties with a story that the filmmakers claim to be fact. Much of the truth has been compromised to resemble a more Hollywood friendly script (Oliver Stone).

However it does remain a very effective dramatic thriller with strong performances and excellent direction. Brad Davis does well as Billy Hayes, but John Hurt stands out as a British inmate. Giorgio Morodoer's electro-disco score earned him an Oscar.

There is a fair amount of violence and the first instance that this reviewer witnessed the passing out of a person in the cinema due to the gore. It may be flashy, spectacular manipulated and homo-erotic, but it's still pretty gripping drama all the same.