Short Eyes poster & wallpaper

Bruce Davison, Curtis Mayfield, Don Blakely

Though time and HBO's Oz have eclipsed its ground-breaking impact, Short Eyes remains a milestone of American independent film, and a vital entry in the prison-film genre. Adapted by Mig...( read more  read more... )uel Piñero from his acclaimed play, this gritty drama was filmed in Manhattan's infamous Men's House of Detention (better known as "the Tombs"), giving a rough, authentic edge to Piñero's unflinching portrait of men trapped in legal-system limbo. Inmate tensions intensify when an alleged pedophile ("Short Eyes" in prison slang, played by Bruce Davison) is dropped into detention, and instantly ostracized by white, Latino, and black inmates alike. Under the documentary-like direction of Robert M. Young, this claustrophobic, emotionally raw study of hopelessness was a real eye-opener for its time (1977), revealing depths of anguish, danger, and cruelty that had never before been dramatized on film. Paving the way for harsher prison dramas that followed, Short Eyes features Piñero in a supporting role, and look closely for Traffic's Luis Guzmán in his screen debut. --Jeff Shannon

Flixster Users

72% liked it

489 ratings

R, 100 min.

Directed by: Robert M. Young

Release Date: January 1, 1977

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: August 12, 2003

Stats: 22 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites
report incorrect info

Photos

None yet... Got one?

Your Rating


clear rating
Share on: Facebook Twitter

Flixster Reviews (22)

  • domarad
    December 23, 2007
    domarad
    Very interesting prison story.

View All Short Eyes Reviews

Critic Reviews

No recent reviews.

Comments

This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "Short Eyes" !

Post A Comment | View All Comments

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

All Rotten Tomatoes content is used under license from Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, Certified Fresh, and the Tomatometer are the trademarks of Incfusion Corporation, d/b/a Rotten Tomatoes, a subsidiary of IGN Entertainment, Inc.

Cast

More Like This

This list looks lonely.
Add a suggestion!

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Short Eyes : Watch Free on TV

Short Eyes Trivia

  • The 2008 film "Quantum Of Solace" is James Bond's 22nd outing. From which original Ian Fleming book is this short story taken?  Answer »
More Short Eyes Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Short Eyes. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Short Eyes to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?