Short Eyes

Robert M. Young's 1977 American film, adapted from Miguel Piñero's own play, is set in the Tombs prison in New York. A young man brought in on a charge of child molestation is placed in the block; once the charge is known, the hierarchy among the inmates goes to work. The film was shot in a real prison and some of the cast were former inmates; Piñero had become known for the text he wrote inside. Its interest is not the crime but how justice is constituted in a closed community: the inmates decide who will be punished and the guards look away. The subject is extremely heavy and the film offers relief at no point. Who it's for: viewers interested in American independent cinema of the seventies and prison narratives. Who it's not for: anyone avoiding content involving child abuse and sexual violence, or wanting a morally clear conclusion.