The new warden of a small prison farm in Arkansas tries to clean it up of corruption after initially posing as an inmate.

Brubaker poster

Brubaker (1980)

One man against a cruel system.

★ 7.1/10 June 20, 1980 131 min

CrimeDrama

Director: Stuart Rosenberg  ·  Writers: W.D. Richter, Arthur A. Ross

The new warden of a small prison farm in Arkansas tries to clean it up of corruption after initially posing as an inmate.

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Trailer

Director

Stuart Rosenberg Stuart Rosenberg

Cast

Robert Redford Robert Redford Brubaker Yaphet Kotto Yaphet Kotto Dickie Coombes Jane Alexander Jane Alexander Lillian Murray Hamilton Murray Hamilton Deach David Keith David Keith Larry Lee Bullen Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman Walter Matt Clark Matt Clark Purcell Tim McIntire Tim McIntire Huey Rauch Richard Ward Richard Ward Abraham Jon Van Ness Jon Van Ness Zaranska M. Emmet Walsh M. Emmet Walsh C.P. Woodward Albert Salmi Albert Salmi Rory Poke

User Reviews (3)

John Chard
John Chard June 28, 2014
★ 7.5/10

Corruption and Murder told with cathartic style. It's odd that whenever talk of Prison base films crops up you rarely see Brubaker mentioned as a viable piece of work, which to me personally is a damn shame because it's origin source provides a worthy story to be involved in. Based on the writings of Tom Murton, a Prison Farm Reform Warden in Arkansas in the late 60s, the corruption and murder the film deals with is a very frightening reality, and although this film is obviously fictionalised to a degree, the evidence of the main themes can be found from many sources. Robert Redford plays the title character who chooses to go into the prison farm as a convict to see at first hand how the Farm is run, what he sees shocks him to the core, which in turn rightly shocks the viewer as well. After learning all he needs to, he comes forward to take control of the Farm and tries to put…

aushro3
aushro3 June 27, 2022
★ 10/10

One of the top 3 prison based movie ever made but highly underrated, sometimes I feel really so sad when see that there are many many top class movies from 80"s & 90"s are very underrated while they need or deserve a really very high attention and fame too,and this one "Brubaker" is one of them.

Wuchak
Wuchak May 31, 2023
★ 6/10

**_A maverick prison warden uncovers corruption and tries to make positive changes_** In 1967-1968, a state penal farm in Arkansas gets a new warden (Robert Redford) who discovers condoned sexual abuse, severe beatings, electrical torture and extortion by inmates with guns who work as "trusty" guards (to save money otherwise spent on salaried guards). Then there’s the lousy quality and meager amount of sustenance for the inmates on a penal plantation that marketed enough produce and dairy products to create profits in the millions. “Brubaker” (1980) is a fictionalized detailing of Tom Murton’s 1969 book, Accomplices to the Crime: The Arkansas Prison Scandal. It’s a realistic prison drama with the expected grunginess and brutalities revealing how the penal installation was basically a means for the government to make money by treating inmates like property (slaves) to be …