Are leaders made or are they born? The movie The Last Castle effectively addresses that question.
Directed by West Point graduate Rod Lurie, this film focuses on a military prison lovingly called the Castle. Convicted of insubordination and manslaughter, Three-star General Irwin (Robert Redford) has been stripped of his rank and sent to the Castle for a ten-year prison sentence.
What he finds in the Castle is a new enemy in the form of Colonel Winter-the prison warden.
At first Irwin has little interest in the suffering of his fellow prisoners, but the intolerable actions of Colonel Winters drive him to lead again.
Slowly he helps the inmates reclaim their dignity and desire-as only a born leader can do. Now with an army of his own, Irwin has only one goal: Winters.
This film gives audiences a new look at Redford. Usually filling the role of heartthrob and love interest, Redford now finds himself in the role of the older statesman. It’s as though Alec Guinness (who played Obi-Wan Kenobi) had taken over Redford’s body to play this part. In short, Redford is flawless.
James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano from The Sopranos) plays Colonel Winters and plays the role of anti-leader eloquently.
A word to those Sopranos die-hards: don’t expect any Chevy Suburbans, running outfits, or even the occasional curse word that Gandolfini is now famous for.
If you’ve seen The Mexican, you know Gandolfini has impressive range as an actor. In the role of Winters he is impatient, na?ve and easily aggravated-the perfect antithesis of Redford’s role.
Much of the acclaim should also fall on Lurie. The entire movie takes place in a relatively small prison, but he gives the movie an epic feel. This is especially prevalent in the final battle scenes.
At the same time there is an intimacy that is portrayed between Irwin and the other inmates, which truly shows what makes a man a leader. Lurie balances these two juxtaposed elements with ease.
It is perhaps no coincidence that this movie comes out at this time, during one of the darker moments in American history.
It is a war movie that relies not on the size of its explosion or on the accuracy of its plot. Instead, it focuses on the ancient art of leading men-a skill that has changed the world many times over with its power.
Grade: A
