Some movies will always be impossible to ever forget. The film "Midnight Express", released in October 1978, is definitely one of those movies. This movie starred the late Brad Davis, who died of aids when he was only 41. This movie was written by Oliver Stone and won the Academy Award in 1979 for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. The late John Hurt was nominated for an Oscar for best-supporting actor and the movie was also nominated for best picture for 1978.
This story, about an American Drug Smuggler, Billy Hayes, who was arrested in Turkey is a true one and about as riveting and unbelievable as any movie about a true story has ever been. The series of events that lead to Billy Hayes arrest, his 5 years in prison and mostly the ending were so unbelievable I remember thinking that this story was almost impossible to believe really happened. I also remember one of the trailers for this movie in 1978 that simply stated, "If you get caught smuggling drugs over there, your in for the hassle of your life".
The horrible and depressing life during Billy Hayes imprisonment in Turkey was extremely well depicted in this film and the conditions in the prison he was in for 5 long years were both cruel and inhumane. His family and lawyers tried many times to get him released only to fail time after time after being lied to repeatedly by the corrupt legal system in that country. How Billy Hayes finally got out of this horrible death spiral in a Turkish prison is the most amazing and best part of this great movie.
For those who have never seen or heard of "Midnight Express" I highly recommend it.
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