Fortune and Men's Eyes

R

1971

1h 42m

Drama

List

57%

Tomatometer

7 Reviews

53%

Audience Score

50+ Ratings

A marijuana offender (Wendell Burton) enters a Canadian prison where he can either be raped or submit to an inmate (Zooey Hall).

Read More

Read Less

Paul D. Zimmerman

Newsweek

For all its failings, Fortune and Men's Eyes remains a powerful and often shocking film.

Feb 12, 2020

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

t!'s a melodramatic soap opera that exploits its story and actors and (especially) the credibility of the audience.

Rated: 2/4

Oct 23, 2004

Full Review

Tony Volponi

Drag

Fortune and Men's Eyes cuts like a bull-dozer, but I left doubting that its ultimate purpose, that of prison reform, is left with the audience.

May 12, 2022

Full Review

Terry Alan Smith

Bay Area Reporter

To begin with the cast, it's uniformly excellent.

Apr 28, 2020

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jun 13, 2005

Full Review

Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

Rated: 3/5

Mar 22, 2004

Full Review

Read all reviews

jon c

Based on the 1967 play of the same name and taken from a poem by Shakespeare What happens in prison is a crime in itself Smitty is a marijuana offender just sentenced to prison in Canada He is unprepared of what awaits him inside these closed walls He has two options that seem inescapable; either he can face being sexually assaulted by the other inmates or submit himself to a man named Rocky This prison-drama directed by Herbert Harvey is one of the few that explores the themes of sexual slavery and homosexuality It's a fight for your life in this institution; it's a challenge to save yourself, your sanity, your soul and you can never have a private moment without getting jumped or attacked It's awful too since the guards don't care what goes on in this hell There's a lot of talking in this but shows how harsh the inmate's daily life is when there are no rules, no women, no regard for human decency The actors are committed to this hard hitting material If only the ending wasn't so downtrodden But that is how life goes sometimes when you're locked away for so long you become a part of the corruption

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Undoubtedly daring in its day (1971), this "expose" of prison homosexuality comes across as melodramatic and sleazy by today's standards.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Confused. Has no "point of view". Pretends to portray realism of prison life but it is unconvincing. Unfortunately at the time it was released, society had the view gays were predators and this film would have only enhanced that total misconception - even though the main character Smitty isn't gay nor the other major character Rocky. Yes, Queenie and Mona are, but one (although a strong character) is a drag artist and the other a weak victim. The gaolers are all violent and sick. It's all very bleak, with one of the most depressing endings of any film. No one is redeemed, nor any hope offered. For anyone struggling with their homosexuality, this would have sent them straight back into the closet! Thankfully, depiction of gays on the screen has improved in the 45 years since I first saw this - as has society's attitude towards LGBTI people. Special mention for the awful camerawork. Important to remember, this is not a film about gays but rather how men cope in prisons (supposedly). Even the great Roger Ebert (go to his review - listed first on this site) gets it wrong when he believes everyone except Smitty is supposed to be gay. I don't blame him, as it is the impression the movie conveys. Two from the numerous confusing/unexplained things: How does Queenie get out of his solitary experience so unscathed? He just suddenly re-appears and unchanged. Since when were prisoners allowed such easy access to razor blades? It's a sham. According to Wikipedia this is Canada's most produced play ever. Got great support in development stage from Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight. Shame then it wasn't transferred successfully to the screen. Also, in the same entry, the playwright based it on his experiences in a boy's reformatory where he served time as a 20 year old (?!) after being convicted for wearing women's clothing in public. These facts make the film less confusing. They make it more of a shame that the film fails, at least for me.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Smitty, a naive young man ends up in prison with a six month sentence. As he enters the closed world of convicts he immediately encounters the social game that rules everyday life in the prison ward. The constant power play and a strict hierarchy of dominance become apparent. âFortune and Menâ(TM)s Eyesâ is based on a play by John Herbert. Director Harvey Hart finished the project started by Jules Schwerin in 1971. The result is a somewhat uneven but compellingly straightforward drama inhabited by peculiar and multifaceted characters. The storytelling is a bit uneven and the whole thing seems slightly aimless and a bit barren with its subject matter. Because from the very first minutes until the very end this film is all about the expression of sexuality and especially sexual violence between inmates. One and a half hours of prison rape discussed, alluded to and shown. It is often presumed that sexual violence between men is all about a primal game of dominance. âFortune and Menâ(TM)s Eyesâ takes the interesting stand of stating the opposite: that a great deal of violence and power play between men- and by extension any people- is sexually motivated, a twisted outlet for denied physical desire and frustrated longing for closeness. Yet the film doesnâ(TM)t undermine or glorify violence, nor does it use it for shock value. It leaves you with a nihilistic statement about human fear and weakness and the ways in which those make us into beasts.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A film about prison life. The acting and story are mediocre.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Great prison movie filmed in Quebec. I loved it !

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Harvey Hart

Director

Wendell Burton

Smitty

Michael Greer

Queenie

Zooey Hall

Rocky

Danny Freedman

Mona

Larry Perkins

Screwdriver

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

View more photos

Synopsis

A marijuana offender (Wendell Burton) enters a Canadian prison where he can either be raped or submit to an inmate (Zooey Hall).

Director: Harvey Hart
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 42m