m-krajeski I am a fugitive from a Chain Gang is a strong look at the broken prison system that once and still does plague this nation. The way that Allen James starts off, reaches conflict, and must routinely follow a repetitive series of events shows what life can do to a man. The brutal and unjust political system is looked upon from the eyes of the inside. All actors are believable, and all events seem to be in a logical order. There are however slow parts of the movie that I believe are used for character and plot development, but are shown in a slow and roundabout way. This does little to detract from an interesting and fast paced adventure of a ex military, fugitive trying to succeed in a world that only wishes him damnation.

CriticalViewing The use of sound is greatly used in this film, off-screen sound is impactful, and all notable sound in this film is symbolic or significant, for either audience feeling or for meaning. These sounds include bells, sounds of metal clanking, belts, etc. And the use of close-ups are also masterfully used. These close-ups are indicative of character feeling at crucial moments, keeping the viewer emotionally connected. And the use of music, adding to the overall feeling of each frame. This film was powerful enough to prompt mass social outrage, from feelings of sadness, disgust, and true anger...the emotive impact on social views and action in 1932 was enough to push legislation, and it isn't hard to see why. LeRoy couldn't have done better in the direction of this film, nor could Paul Muni have done a better job of acting in it.

j-goslin This film does an incredible job of shining a light on a serious issue facing the United States at the time. The cinematography and talent of all actors and actresses involved really helped to solidify the point that this film was trying to make (exposing the fraud happening without the country's knowledge in the chain gang system). Paul Muni does a fantastic job as James Allen. When watching him play this major role, I had trouble remembering that he was only an actor and was not actually in this situation. I also found the special effects, especially when it comes to the mistreatment of chain gang workers, to be an incredible asset to the film.

BrandyDeragon I really enjoyed this film. It was incredibly entertaining, and delivered an amazing message to its audience. Throughout the film you see a man's struggle to be free, you see him wrongfully thrown in jail, then he escapes, and once he tries to cooperate with the authorities, after living in freedom for many years, the justice system tricks him and he's locked up for the rest of his life. This was just a really sad but entertaining movie, the acting was incredible and very believable (at least for that time period) and the message Be careful who you trust was very clear. Because of the lack of technology making this film, the actors have static high pitched voices, but it helps with the entertainment value of the movie.