Caught Between The Rock And A Hard Place Essay, Research Paper

Sean M Fritz

March 5, 1999

English 1101

Caught Between The Rock And A Hard Place

In the summer of 1996, I went to see The Rock starring Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, and Ed Harris. I chose this particular movie because I liked it and I own the videocassette. When I sat down and watched the movie for this assignment, I was looking for these three criteria: stars, content, and a favorable story line.

The stars of this movie are three actors well know to American movie audiences. Sean Connery is known for his roles as the character James Bond and has starred in other films, such as The Hunt for Red October. Nicolas Cage is a young actor on the rise. At the time this movie was made he had starred in only a few big titled movies. Cage starred in such films as Leaving Las Vegas, Face-Off and soon to be released 8mm. The last big star in this film is Ed Harris; he has performed in such movies as Apollo 13 and The Truman Show. These three main stars really make the movie exciting and more entertaining.

The story line was a very important part of the movie. The movie spectator would have to stay in tune to the movie and not become distracted, because the ac-tion is fast and intense. The story line is this movie involves two opposing military operations: one to take over Alcatraz and threaten San Francisco with a lethal gas attack, the other an attempt to take the venerable island prison back again. Head-ing the first maneuver is Marine Brigadier General Francis X. Hummel (Ed Harris, impressive as always). Variously described as a legend and the greatest battalion commander of the Vietnam War, Hummel has more decorations than a pawn shop window. He also has a serious attitude problem towards the state he has loyally served. Irked by the lack of respect and cash paid to the families of the men who died in government-sponsored covert operations, Hummel masterminds an operation to steal 15 rockets armed with V.X. poison gas, one of the most deadly substance the Earth has ever known. Then he grabs Alcatraz, takes 81 civilian hostages, points the gas towards San Francisco Bay and gives Washington 40 hours to come up with millions in domestic reparations. Reluctant to pay the cash, the government instead infiltrates the prison with a Navy SEAL team supplemented by a pair of un-usual and highly skilled additions: a 60 year-old convict and a lab rat, played re-spectively by Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage.

This movie is rated R due to the high content of violence and language. There were over one hundred vulgar words used in this movie and several scenes with graphic content. There was only one scene with sexual content, but there was no nudity.

If you are looking for an action packed movie this is the one for you. This movie has edge-of-your seat suspense and unstoppable action from beginning to end. I saw the movie The Rock for the first time in the movie theaters and I thought it was a great action film. I was so impressed, when it came out on video I bought the cassette. I have enjoyed watching it several times since.