The film Against the Wall offers a detailed account of the Attica riot of 1971, a significant revolt against unfair prison conditions and the lack of prisoner rights. The movie illustrates how prison brutality, influenced by racist ideologies and inhumane environmental conditions, led to prisoners forming a politically aware culture aimed at achieving change within the prison system. The film portrays prisoners as criminals rather than human beings, making it seem acceptable to cage them like animals and deprive them of basic necessities such as hot water, edible food, and sufficient wages. In popular culture, prisoners are viewed as a unique and marginalized culture, further excluded from society and categorized as dangerous and unfit to be among humanity. This movie analysis will use the texts A Vocabulary of Culture and Society by Raymond Williams, Gender, Race, and Class in Media by Stuart Hall, and Gender in Communication by DeFrancisco, Palczewski, and McGeough.

Against the Wall portrays the struggles faced by prisoners at Attica during the Civil Rights Movement and the violent actions they took to have their grievances heard and to improve the prison system. Raymond Williams, in Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society, defines culture as “a particular way of life, whether of a people, a period, a group, or humanity in general” (Williams, p. 90). The film depicts the prisoners at Attica forming a culture through a particular way of life, where they are viewed as less than human and subjected to brutal conditions. The media plays a significant role in shaping public perceptions and attitudes towards individuals within our society. In Against the Wall, viewers witness how minorities are negatively depicted in the media, particularly during the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Hall suggests that the media shapes our perceptions of different races through its representations.

In Gender, Race, and Class in Media, Hall explains how ideologies are influenced by media representations, which in turn shape our views on race. Hall asserts that “the media constructs for us what race is, what meaning the imagery of race carries, and what the problem of race is understood to be. Ideologies help classify the world in terms of categories of race” (Hall, p. 5). According to Williams, the media itself is a culture that influences our conceptualization of different races. In the film, race is a key factor in the treatment of African American and Puerto Rican prisoners by white guards. The guards view these prisoners as mere criminals deserving of punishment and caging. Despite the racial challenges, the movie shows how prisoners used the media during the riot to nationalize their grievances and demand prison reform across the U.S.

Contrary to Hall’s belief that media influences our thoughts and way of life, Gender in Communication proposes that “meaning is not determined by the media providers but created individually by each person” (DeFrancisco et al., p. 228). This suggests that the ideologies and meanings we assign to people or events are formulated within our own minds and not solely derived from media messages. However, I believe that meaning is influenced by both the culture we are part of and the media we consume. The film’s portrayal of prisoners as a detrimental culture, consequently labeled criminal by the media, influences our ideologies about minority criminals. The media has ingrained in us that being a criminal or imprisoned is abnormal, and those who are should be isolated in their own culture.

Against the Wall is essential for understanding the events leading up to the bloodiest riot in U.S. history. In popular culture today, prisoners are still viewed as inherently dangerous and are further divided from society due to their criminal actions. However, it is imperative to remember that prisoners are part of humanity and deserve the same basic rights as non-prisoners. The film depicts the unjust treatment, discrimination, and neglect faced by prisoners, leading to a desperate outcry for change. It highlights the need for effective plans and policies to address prison riots. Viewers should learn about the challenges prisoners endure due to the termination of their basic rights and advocate for prisoner rights and humane treatment.

As shown in the film, many prisoners were sent to Attica, a maximum-security prison, for parole violations related to minor offenses like drug use or traffic infractions. Society should not be quick to label those who deviate from norms as criminals and should critically assess the judicial system’s role in correcting societal issues. It is our responsibility as humans to help one another; prisoners are people too and should be treated as such.

References

Axelrod, J., Bibicoff, H., & McGlothen, R.S. (Producers), & Frankenheimer, J. (Director). (1994). Against the Wall [Motion Picture]. Nashville, Tennessee: HBO Pictures.

DeFrancisco, P.V., Palczewski, H.C., & McGeough, D.D. (2014). Gender in Communication: A Critical Introduction. Los Angeles: Sage.

Hall, S. (1981). Notes on Deconstructing The Popular. People’s History and Socialist Theory.

Williams, R. (1976). Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society. Oxford University Press.