Rent The Siege of Pinchgut (aka Four Desperate Men) Online DVD & Blu-ray Rental

Rent The Siege of Pinchgut (1959)

3.3 of 5 from 52 ratings
1h 43min
  • General info
  • Available formats
Synopsis:
Criminal Matt Kirk (Aldo Ray) makes a daring escape on his way to prison with the help of his gang. When their boat's propeller becomes fouled they drift ashore on the tiny island of Pinchgut and take the island's caretaker and his family hostage. With their cover soon blown, the island is surrounded by armed police and a state of siege ensues.
Actors:
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , John Pusey, , , ,
Directors:
Producers:
Michael Balcon
Writers:
Harry Watt, Inman Hunter
Aka:
Four Desperate Men
Studio:
Optimum
Genres:
Action & Adventure, Classics, Drama, Thrillers
Collections:
Top 10 Films By Year, Top 10 Films of 1959
BBFC:
Release Date:
15/02/2010
Run Time:
103 minutes
Languages:
English LPCM Mono
Subtitles:
None
DVD Regions:
Region 2
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 1.66:1
Colour:
B & W
Bonus:
  • Trailer
BBFC:
Release Date:
23/11/2020
Run Time:
104 minutes
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 1.0, English LPCM Mono
Subtitles:
English
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 1.66:1
Colour:
B & W
BLU-RAY Regions:
B
Bonus:
  • Interviews with Composer Kenneth V. Jones, Assistant Director Michael Birkett and Second Assistant Editor Barry Peters
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Image Gallery

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Reviews (1) of The Siege of Pinchgut

Prison Break. - The Siege of Pinchgut review by Steve

Spoiler Alert
05/08/2023

The final release from Ealing studios is an Australian film noir about a prison break. Brawny Aldo Ray is sprung from stir and hiding out with his pals in a former penal colony on an island in Sydney Harbour, now a tourist attraction. They take a family of caretakers hostage while the fugitive demands a retrial from the State Governor.

And most cinematically, the gang's former naval gunner (Victor Maddern) has trained the battlement's functioning cannon on a ship in the bay loaded with explosives, ready to fire if their demands are not met. It's a wild plot, but the main attraction is the unusual historic location of Pinchgut, and the wider use of Sydney.

It's fascinating to see the city before its modern transformation into a great metropolis. Just a big sunny provincial sprawl. There's a memorably eerie scene in the empty streets, evacuated beyond the range of the threatened explosion. Local actors got some minor parts, but Ray is the star and he dominates as the charismatic, headstrong convict.

Ironically he breaks out of one prison, only to be penned into another. The great Ealing studio brought down the curtain with a production which reflected their penchant for social realism. And their ambition, with Harry Watt making his third film in the lucky country. It's not among their first rank of classics, but still a tough compelling noir.

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