The Glass House (1972) - full transcript

The service, huh?

Yeah.

Navy?

No, I was in the Corps.

That's the service, aint it?

Yeah.

Well, I'll tell you something.

After you've been on this job
for after awhile

you get to spot things like that.

Well, you got a lot to learn
and I'm here to tell you.

See them guys back there?



Three of them monkeys
have been with us before.

Hey, Steve!

What?

What did you bring?

One to five.

Thought you had enough.

It's enough.

He's a tough kid.

See that little kid back there?

I wouldn't be in his shoes for nothing.

We got us a college professor.

We got a college professor back there.

Paige!

Johnathon page, get on your feet!



All rise.

This court is now in session.

Murder.

Murder?

College professor.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

have you reached a verdict?

We have, your honor.

Hey, Paige, sit down!

Let them chips fall where they may.

Irregardless of where they may.

Irregardless.

Joint's a can of worms.

I don't even know why I work there.

I know why I work there,
I got possessions.

You got possessions?

No.

Worst thing to ever happen to a guy
is get possessions.

Payments on TV, car,

kids eat like crocodiles.

They don't even let the littlekids pray
in schools anymore.

Riots in the street.

Anarchy.

The honorable

Thomas Morahan presiding.

The defendant will rise.

Will the foreman hand the verdict
to the bailiff?

What is your verdict?

Guilty or not guilty?

We find the defendant

guilty of manslaughter.

Johnathon Paige,

you have been found guilty
and convicted of manslaughter.

All right, you outlaws, come on.

Give them a hand so they don't slip.

All right, come on, let's go.

Straight on through, come on.

Give me your hands.

What are you in for this time,
Hennessy?

Same old stuff.

Same old stuff, nevermind.

All right, come on.

Lean back just a little bit.

Right there.

Turn your head this way
just a little bit.

Okay right there, look at me.

Lean back just a little bit,
right there.

Hold it.

That way and turn left.

Come on down their trousers
and up their legs, like that.

Okay, you wanna do it to me?

Yeah.

What about glasses?

Glasses are all right.

Fine.

It's too small.

Here's your pants too.

These have to last you
for nine months.

I know, I know.

What size shorts?

Small.

And trousers?

33.

What size you wear?

Oh,

15.

And pants?

34.

34 waist.

You get three sets
but they gotta last you nine months.

So take care of them
because there's no excuses.

Try to fit them tight

so they can't compress their hands
and get out of them.

Any questions?

What can I say?

This is the standard Ithaca riot weapon.

Shoots 12 gage buck shot.

Effective about 50 to 75 yards.

Never point these at anyone.

Unless you're ready to use them.

This is a fine example of handy craft.

This little plate that was across here,

the officer in the shakedown
picked the boat up

and that fell off
and here's a complete narcotic set.

Syringe, needle.

T.

O.

Z.

D.

F.

E.

T.

O.

I do solemnly swear
that I will support, obey

and defend the Constitution
of this state.

That I will discharge the duties
of my office with fidelity.

I do.

You gotta be a shark
to survive in this joint

or they eat you alive.

But the thing that gets to me the most

are these bleeding heart politicians.

They come around here,
they wanna know what's happening.

So who do they go to?

They go to the cons.

They aint gonna tell them nothing.

If they do tell them something,
it'd be a bunch of lies.

They wanna know what's happening,

they oughta talk to the guards.

The guards will tell them.

You talk to me,
I'll tell you what's happening.

What's the man like?

He's all right.

Well, he's kinda lost control
around here

but he used to run this place
like a machine.

We had some discipline.

He's on short times, he'll retire soon.

Oh, yes.

You can go in now.

He just doesn't want to make any waves.

Sir, John Courtland.

He's had the tour?

Yes, sir.

And the armory, he knows where it is?

Yes, sir.

Now get acquainted
with your different bails

and know what they mean.

And you understand
that at no time will you be permitted

to carry firearms while in population?

That was explained to me, yes sir.

If you are ever taken hostage,

the official position is you're
a dead man.

Yes, sir.

We won't bargain.

Coffee?

No, sir.

Yes, sir, I believe I will,
thank you.

You know, in actuality,

the residents can take hostages
anytime they want.

They've got the manpower.

They outnumber us six to one.

You want sugar?

No, sir, I'll take it straight.

Thank you.

This has been my place of business,

well, going on 30 years now.

I suppose after a time it tends

to callus you a bit.

But it's a job, Officer Courtland.

I know it can be a very good one.

Now,

I see here you had a tour in Vietnam.

Yes, sir.

Whatever made you decide
on corrections as a career?

When I was in Saigon

I pulled down two months brig duty
in a stockade there

and I saw a couple of things,

I don't know, it didn't add up to me,

so I just thought I'd take a shot here.

I'd really like to know,
Officer Courtland, why.

Well, things are tight
and I couldn't find anything else.

But the other stuff's true, it's true.

In a way, this has been
a rewarding life.

I think I've made a few good decisions.

And who knows,

maybe one day you, yourself,
will be sitting behind

this very desk.

Officer Courtland.

I wanna welcome you aboard.

Thank you.

Good luck to you, now.

Thank you, sir.

Two months brig duty.

He'll get the hang of it.

That new prisoner, Johnathan Paige,

he's a college professor?

Yes, sir, manslaughter.

He seems like a clean type, straight.

Great, great, that's fine.

I want him in the pharmacy.

Sir?

I want Professor Paige behind that counter.

Sir, that's a very difficult spot
to put a new man in.

You just said yourself
that he was straight, didn't you?

Yes, sir.

I want Professor Paige in the pharmacy,
Officer Brown.

Yes, sir.

All right, fish,

down the stairs, turn left.

Fresh meat!

Here they come, fresh pickin'.

Okay, home sweet home,
that's what it says right here.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Paige?

Campbell?

Cell 131, ground floor.

Wait a minute.

Get your toilet paper
and your soap right just in there.

Okay.

Paige, cell 129, ground floor.

Berinie, 120--

Berino.

Berino, 125, ground floor.

Cellblock classification.

Cellblock classification.

Harold Campbell, Donald Simpson.

Robert Mulland,

mail room.

Robert Mulland,

mail room.

Ajax has got the fish list.

What's happening with the kid?

The kid, his name is Allan Campbell,

he's doing five to life
for pushing grass.

I don't care what he's in for.

Steve-O's back.

Didn't take him long, did it?

Three weeks.

What are you laughing about?

This could happen to you.

What's that, smart?

We got us a professor in today.

Professor.

Probably a fag.

Maybe he's a lawyer.

A lawyer?

I'm through with a lawyer,
what I need is a judge.

He teaches.

Teaches what?

Political science.

Mhmm.

Political science.

He's a honky, man.

He got a brain.

I wanna take a look at his record.

All will be delivered then, man.

Hey.

Get over here!

What's the story on Brown?

He needs another week, Hugo.

That's all.

I'm positive he's gonna--

Tell him he's got three days
to ante up the bread.

He's losing his touch.

What do you mean you know my old lady?

Where do you know my old lady from?

Well, man, I was out there
and you was in here.

It's all right, it's all right.

They can handle it.

Out there's where the action is.

Saved a place for you.

Hey, sit down, sit down.

Best seat in the house.

Oh, thank you very much.

Bunch of crumbs in here, you know?

Really.

Nice to break bread
with a real boss for a change.

This food's good tonight,
do you know that?

Yeah, looks good.

Hey, you know what they tell me?

Tell me you're a...

PhD, right?

PhD?

Yeah, PhD.

Wow, I really could use a guy
with that talent.

Bowl of chili.

Forget the onions!

Them onions,

giving me ulcer.

Hey, do you want any?

No, thank you very much.

My names Hugo Slocum.

Johnathon Paige.

Let me clue you in to something.

Professor, in here you can have...

You can have like three thousand PhDs,

they don't mean nothing.

Nothing, you're dog meat
just like the rest of these cons.

Especially, you don't know nothing.

You don't know yet, you know?

So maybe,

maybe we can kinda help each other out.

That's interesting.

See, I'm tuned into this joint.

Want a cigarette?

No, thank you, I don't smoke.

See now,

that's your first mistake.

When I offer you something for free,

you take it.

Come on, take it.

Thank you very much.

Let me clue you into something,
professor.

Light this, will you?

There's two kinds of times

that you can do in here, you know?

Good, bad.

Depending.

Like take that hassle
that just happened over there.

You know, that fight?

Okay.

One of them guys, he's gonna get cut.

It happens everyday.

There are shives all over this place.

This is nice.

I'm enjoying your company,
you know that?

You know,

I can get you a little soft job here.

One of my associates can fix you.

Hey, Professor,

I don't think you've been
listening to me.

What I'm trying to say is

that I can make things easier for you,
you know?

I really appreciate your offer,
Mr. Slocum,

but I think I'll pass on it.

Let me tell you something else.

This is very important,
you listen now.

Say you're walking down the corridor,
right?

Any corridor, the whole joint.

Yeah?

And you bump into a guy, you know?

Boom.

Accident.

Doesn't have to be boom,
it could be boom.

Little.

You better apologize.

Your life might depend on it.

Then, after you apologize,
they're gonna cut you up anyway.

See?

Yeah.

It'd be a shame
to see a guy with your talents

go to waste, you know?

You know, everybody's gotta bring
their tray back clean.

Why don't you finish up
Hugo's food for him?

He'll appreciate it.

Eat up.

And you owe Slocum five cartons, right?

We gave you three weeks,

before that we gave you three weeks.

Now where the hell are they?

Three weeks, Sunday.

Look, it was three weeks Thursday.

Don't jab with me.

You owe those guys.

Look, I want them fast
or I'm gonna open you up like a pig

and there'll be steaks
all over the floor.

Now come on!

Straighten it up with Slocum,

I'll give you seven.

He's been all over my neck!

Come on!

Hey, man, come here.

Ajax, come here!

What do you got there?

I've got nothing there.

Let me see.

I haven't got anything.

You've got a shank.

I have not got a shank.

Hey man, you wanna go to max?

Better talk to Slocum.

Hey, Courtland.

You have a little problem here?

Yeah, he's got a shank.

I don't.

All right, all right.

I'll take care of it.

Now beat it.

Fish bowl.

It's nothing.

Well,

only two thousand,
nine hundred and 72 days to go.

Ugh.

What are you in for?

Do you really wanna know?

Yeah, if you wanna tell me.

It was a bum rap.

That's that.

No, no, I'll tell you, I'll tell you.

It's a good story.

I was gonna go over
to see my girlfriend.

I was gonna walk over.

She lives on the other side of town,
right?

I thought I'd walk my dog too

and I took a little grass
along with me just to,

you know, keep things friendly.

So we're walking across town, right,

and my dog stops to do his thing

and I look next to me
and I see there's these two people

having this business transaction,
you might call it.

Well, suddenly!

Two thousand cops are surrounding us.

We're pinned up against the wall
and they're patting us down

and I'm just saying,

"Listen, I'm just walking my dog."

So they put me in the can.

That really happen?

Some of it.

Boy.

Sure would be nice
to have a guitar in here.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a guitar?

Do they let you bring a guitar in here?

I don't know.

They let us wear long hair.

Hugo Slocum, he could get a guitar.

Hugo Slocum?

You don't know.

I'm working for him now.

I'm one of his runners.

You're kidding.

No.

No, isn't that terrific?

Everything's really gonna be fine.

I don't think it's a good thing.

I think it's dumb.

Sometimes you amaze me.

I mean, did you see the faces
of those guys

when I came in here?

Man, I need someone
to protect me around here.

Listen,

I don't wanna tell you what to do,

but I think that's a big mistake.

I think that's a very big mistake.

Well,

we'll discuss it later, all right?

Hey, listen,

now that I'm a heavyweight around here,

a criminal type,

if you want anything,
just let me know, okay?

Yeah.

Think it over.

Douglas Havelock,

Allan McCoy,

Captain's office.

Douglas Havelock,

Allan McCoy.

Hey.

Hear you're a pill-pusher.

Got that job in the pharmacy, huh?

Yeah.

Well this is the guy
that you took his job away.

They put him to work in the laundry.

I didn't know that, I'm sorry.

Well, he knows the ins and outs
of the job,

so if you got any questions,
why don't you ask him?

He knows how it works

and once in awhile,

Ajax, here, will be coming through.

There will be an envelope
underneath the counter.

Just makes sure he gets it.

Some joker put Sinclair
out of business.

That's not my problem, Hugo.

Maybe.

Games, games,

games.

Got a letter from my wife today.

Did you get any mail?

Sometimes it's harder getting mail
than not getting it.

Writes to let me know
what's happening with our kid

and keeps me up-to-date
on our friends.

I hear these guys talking
and I've heard so many guys say

that they've lost their family
since they came here.

Hey.

Listen,

you're only in here for a year.

Then you can go back to teaching

and your wife and your kid.

It's kinda like a paid vacation.

A sabbatical, huh?

Yeah.

Hey.

What's it like working with Slocum?

Straight and narrow.

Yeah, all right,
I won't give you any advice.

Hey, listen,
I'm gonna give you some advice.

Oh yeah, what?

Don't get depressed.

I guess we'll be working together.

Uh huh.

My name's Johnathon Paige.

Mhmm.

What's your name?

Why?

Well, no particular reason, I guess.

Well,

if you have to have a name,

it's Lennox.

Lennox, okay.

Morning.

Let's see what you got there.

Okay.

There you are.

What's happening?

Come on in.

Lie down, I'll give you something
to put in your eye.

Okay, there you go.

There you are.

Here you go.

Okay, my man.

Okay, there you are.

Okay.

There you go.

You know what you're doing, man?

Yeah, I think so.

I know what I'm not gonna do.

That thing you did with Ajax
sure took a lot of style.

I'm gonna tell you something.

It's not gonna end there.

Sooner or later, you're gonna have
to answer to some people.

That's too bad.

Could've been a walkthrough,
you just had a year.

How do you know that?

Read your file.

Oh, you did?

Mhmm.

Was it interesting?

Not too much.

Take my file,

maybe one, two inches thick.

Starts at age nine.

Some heavy, heavy stuff.

There aren't any secrets in here,
Paige.

So I'm beginning to see.

What'd you say you teach?

You read my file.

That's too bad.

You could've done easy time.

How goes the battle?

Getting the hang of it?

Yes sir, I think so.

It's okay.

A lot of routine, you know.

So far, routine.

Knock on wood.

Well, we didn't promise
adventure or travel.

No, sir.

It's a job, Courtland.

It's a job like any other.

I don't know, I tell you,

I get to thinking,
seven out of ten of these guys

come back in here, isn't that right?

That's the figure?

Seven out of ten of them?

Well, that's not right.

Man, that's a bad scene.

Seems to me like something,
somewhere,

along the line is not working.

You're not gonna change anything,
Courtland.

Half these guys are nuts anyhow.

This is dynamite

looking for a fuse.

These blacks aren't criminals anymore.

They're revolutionary martyrs.

They hate you
because you put them inside.

The white cons,

it's the same thing.

Now don't let yourself get soft.

This bunch of animals in here
will eat you alive.

How about you and the little lady

coming over for dinner next week?

Oh, I'm not married.

I don't have a wife, Captain.

Married your career, huh?

No, I had a wife.

We split up, I got a divorce.

Well the invite still holds
for yourself.

Thank you, sir, appreciate it.

A little bit of love

so that we can understand
that definition.

A lot of people throw "love" around.

They talk about it,
they give definition,

but they don't even understand
what it's about.

I learned something
that love comes in many ways.

Yeah, right.

Love can be a hard motherfucker too.

An old man once said to me, he said,

"It aint how many times you fall down
that counts.

"It's how many times you get up."

How you doing, Professor?

Fine.

Hey, kid, when your finish your chow,

come on over to my house.

I got something for you.

You bet, chief.

Well, I better get going.

Hey,

come on.

What the hell are we gonna do
about Paige?

I stood in the line,
he looks at me, I look at him.

I coulda stayed there all bloody day.

I mean, us guys, we need this.

Hey, hey, kid, come on to my house.

Sit down, sit down.

Bet you're wondering
what I got for you, huh?

Huh?

Watch this.

The hand is quicker than the eye.

Watch this, kid.

Look at that.

Look at the wood, feel the wood.

All yours, kid.

Hey, Hugo,

what're we gonna do about Paige?

We'll take care of him later.

You didn't have to do this.

Isn't that lovely, huh kid?

Yeah, it's really nice.

I know you're still new here,

you're still a pinky.

Pretty soon you're gonna find out
that there's only

a few things Hugo Slocum
can't get in this prison.

Like one's a helicopter.

And the other one's a woman.

Hey, you want some cake?

Look what I got here.

Look at this cake.

Isn't that nice, huh?

- You want some?
- No.

Hey!

Is it your birthday?

Look at this.

Look, anything in this prison you want,

you just let me know,
I can get it for you.

Anything.

Oh yeah, what about grass?

Grass.

Grass.

Mary-jo-wanna?

You better believe it.

I can even get the angels
to put a little

dust on it, you know?

Why don't you play me
a little something?

Oh yeah, sure.

Let me just get it tuned up first,
okay?

Is that how your tune it up?

Hey, look, look, just relax.

Nobody's gonna hurt you, kid.

You know what I hear?

I hear that you wanna

get into the machine shop.

Right?

Yeah.

I can fix it for you, just like that.

It's that easy.

I know you've been doing
little things for me, you know,

but you haven't been doing enough.

In here you're gonna need
my protection.

With me around,
you got no worries, you know?

Yeah, I think that's true.

It's just that I don't know
what else I can do for you.

Look, kid,
I don't think you get my message.

I say that you need protection

because this is a jungle here, see?

There's a lot of animals out there
just waiting

to grab a kid like you, you know?

Hey!

What's the matter with you?

You wanna be fair game?

I like you, kid.

It's either me...

or everybody.

Punk.

As long as I live,
I'll never understand why

a man would want to do that
for a living.

I swear, I don't.

Can't do anything else, that guy.

Fish bowl.

The same as all the others.

Cons, guards,

can't tell the difference after awhile.

How long are you in for?

All my life, one ghetto to another.

This time I drew
an indeterminate sentence.

A friend of mine down in Mississippi

brought 19 hundred years.

You're kidding.

Nope.

At least he knows what he got.

You know,

I spent my life writing checks
to make the world better,

you know what I mean?

And passing out petitions
and going to meetings.

I'm not ready for this.

I can't do my own time.

Everybody's hustling me,
everybody's after me,

everybody's doing a con.

The whole thing's a big game.

It's a system.

That's how it gets you down.

You know,
I think you haven't been around

a lot of hard drugs before.

Well, in here, that's how a lot of guys
get through the day.

That what makes Slocum king.

Gives him power.

He has control on the floor.

What you did was stop him.

What I did?

Mhmm.

Listen,

what do you want?

What're you saying?

You know, everybody wants something.

The whole place wants something.

They're all hustling.

From the warden on down.

I'm not gaming you, Paige.

What I want is

these men to realize
their value as individuals

and as human beings.

That's all you want?

Look,

I'm no Slocum because I'm political.

That's something
he'll never understand

or the warden neither.

Because they're both part
of this system

and I'm gonna change
that system, baby.

You wanna know why?

Because I'm in here for life,
forever,

and I got nothing to lose.

You keep the junk out of Slocum's pipeline
and he'll dry up.

He'll be ripped off by his own punks.

And then what?

What do you mean?

It's a funny thing about change,

everything seems to stay the same.

What's to prevent you from taking over?

You know,

I thought you could dig
on what I was saying.

But you're no different from any of them.

Hmm.

I'm not gonna make it.

You all right?

I mean, do you need anything?

Is it terrible?

No, it's okay.

Oh God, I miss you so much.

Let me have--

Cigarettes.

What?

Buy cigarettes.

Oh yeah.

Can I have two cartons of those there?

Yeah and one of those.

Right.

Thanks.

All right, got the cigarettes.

Now what?

Thanks.

Hey, wait.

What do I do now?

What?

What do I do?

You're paying Hugo back.

What do you mean I'm paying Hugo back?

What I mean
is you owe him eight more cartons.

Eight?

What are you talking about?

Why do I owe eight for?

For the guitar.

For the guitar?

He didn't say anything about that.

He didn't?

No, I don't have any bread.

Well I don't know anything about that.

Bree said I owe you eight cartons.

Yeah, that's right.

That's the way Sinclair figured,
isn't it?

That's right, eight cartons.

Bree didn't rough you up, did he?

No.

Then what's your beef?

No one told me.

No one told him.

Look kid, there's no problem.

Forget the smokes.

In here, cigarettes mean money,

but money isn't everything.

I'll let it slide because I like you.

Hey, wait a minute, Hugo.

You guys wise?

Nobody asked you.

I'll tell you what,

I'll get you the rest
of your cigarettes.

Too bad.

Nice kid.

Hello, Professor.

You play ping-pong?

No, I don't.

If I get any good out of it,
they'll send me to China.

I thought I could talk to you.

If you got a minute.

A minute?

Yeah, I got a lot of time.

I wanna talk to you too,
why don't you step into my office?

Look, it's about Allan.

About Allan?

Yeah.

He's all right,
he's been taken care of.

He's a good kid.

Yeah, well,

I just think he's a very naive kid.

I think he can leave this place

pretty much the same way
he was when came in

if he's given the chance.

Professor, you know who you sound like?

Sound like one of them case workers,
you know?

No, I'm just concerned about him,
that's all.

You sound like one of them case works,

so why don't you handle my case?

I don't know what you mean.

You're working in that pharmacy
and I want you out.

Why don't you tell the warden?

I'm telling you.

See, Sinclair,

I mean, it's not nice.

He's going fruity working
in that laundry room.

He doesn't get his coffee
in the morning.

That disturbs him.

Ajax?

Isn't that right?

Doesn't Sinclair miss his coffee
in the morning?

That's what he said.

Just what I'm telling you.

It's like I told you the other day
in the corridor,

I want Sinclair out of that laundry room

and back into the dispensary.

Yeah but I can't help that.

Look, do I talk funny or something?

You understand me?

Yeah, I understand you.

I don't talk to fast for you, do I?

No, no, I understand you.

I just hope that I can make myself clear.

Look, I can have you cut right now

and you'll be dead
before you hit the floor.

Happens that quick.

You wouldn't have the chance
to say bye-bye.

It's amazing, Professor.

There aint no place in here
you can get away from me.

I don't care if you go to chapel,
your got to the can,

I'll get you.

So don't you mess with me.

From now on, you handle my case,
you got that?

Beat it.

Beat it.

Hey, Paige.

I'll see you.

Walk straight ahead.

You better watch yourself, Paige.

Things got a way of happening
around here.

So I've heard.

What're you looking at?

Nothing, I wasn't looking at you.

What're you looking at?

I saw you staring.

I wasn't looking at you.

I'm sorry if I was staring.

Hold it, Paige.

Just hold it.

Look, I didn't mean anything by it.

I want you to do me a favor.

A favor?

You're a teacher, right?

Yeah.

Read my book.

Did you write this?

Yeah.

It's a book for kids.

What made you decide
to write a book for children?

I used to have a daughter.

Used to?

What do you mean?

Your wife leave you when you came here?

I don't know.

Hey, look,

I know it's got bad spelling

but maybe if you read it over for me

and if you know somebody on the outside,

you can get it published?

Did you do these drawings?

Yeah.

How long you been working on this?

About three years.

Yeah, three years.

You must have something going for you
if you can do this.

Why do you let Slocum
push you around like that?

Hey, that's none of your business.

Get your head together.

I'm sorry I asked you to read my book.

Wait a minute,
what're you getting so excited about?

Listen,

you know, you can get wasted in here.

Who turned off that tune?

It's the professor.

He oughta know better than that.

Turn it back on.

You don't go around just changing things.

Sorry, I didn't know anybody was watching.

Well don't ever do that again.

I didn't know, all right?

Hey, let me go.

Hey, Professor.

Just cut it out!

Cut it out!

Cut that out!

Just take it easy.

All right, I'll take it easy,
you take it easy!

Just relax!

Cut it out!

Just relax, okay?

Take it easy.

Get back in your house.

Yeah, just relax.

Let go of me, will you?

Relax.

Get in.

I think somebody's gonna get dusted,
sir.

Oh?

Yes, sir, and I think it's possible

there will be more than one of them.

I get that kind of news everyday.

Yeah.

Yes, sir, I know you do.

But it's the tension,
I've been watching.

It's the tension down in C-block,

it's been building up to a point

where I think
if think something isn't done--

If something isn't done, what?

Prisoners sometimes carry grudges
for years

and then suddenly,
one becomes a dead body.

If I tried to follow up
every little fracas

I wouldn't have time for anything else.

Not if it's only just suspicion--

No, sir, it's not just suspicion.

I think you oughta move Paige
to another block.

Take him out of C-block.

I think you also oughta move him
out of the pharmacy.

Another block
wouldn't make a bit of difference

and I want him in the pharmacy.

Warden, I'm telling you,
Solcum is gonna have somebody--

Don't try to tell me my job,
Officer Courtland,

I've dealt with such situations as this

every day for years now.

You're fooling around
with a man's life here.

We've learned through experience

it's sometimes better
to let certain given situations

adjust themselves.

File a report, if you must.

Anybody home?

Oh, hi Hugo.

Hi.

Missed you today.

Oh, I wanted to work on my book.

Oh,

well that's all good and fine

but you're supposed to pick up
that envelope from Brown.

Oh.

I forgot.

Yeah, that's what the boys
have been saying.

You've been forgetting a lot of things,
you know?

I'm sorry, Hugo,
listen I'll get on Brown's--

No, no, no, don't sweat it.

We passed it down already.

Believe me, Hugo, I'm sorry.

I know, you're working
on your book, right?

Yeah, that's right.

Speaking about your book, Sinclair,

I understand you had a friendly chat with

the Professor in the library.

No, no.

Don't give me that.

No.

Don't give me that!

What were you talking about?

Nothing, Hugo.

You were supposed to lay on him

and get him out of that pharmacy.

I just asked him to read my book.

I wanted him to check the spelling, Hugo.

Check the spelling?

Yeah, that's all, that's all.

Oh.

So he was helping you with this, huh?

Yeah, that's right.

I'll murder you.

I got others to take your place.

Secure!

Secure it!

Hey, kid.

Hi.

Hey.

How bad, kid?

You know, I could kill you right now?

I know.

You're a boy, aren't you?

You're a sinner before God
or you wouldn't be here.

You know, I could squeeze the life

right out of you with one hand.

I've done it before.

Do you believe me
when I tell you I could kill you?

I'm scary, aint I?

But you know,
you just don't wanna mess with me

ever since I turned to God.

Kid, I know you got a lot of things
hitting on you at once.

But there are rules.

Now Hugo don't want you dead

but you gotta understand
that he does mean business.

Is that the one?

Just like Slocum said.

Not a feather on him.

No!

No!

No, please!

No!

No!

Please!

No!

No!

No!

Hey.

Can I get you something?

Look, just hang on, okay?

Look, it doesn't make any difference
what happened.

You're still a man.

You're still the same person
you were when you came here.

Go away, please.

I got it.

Guard room, Brown.

Okay.

A flyer in C-block.

Come on, jump!

Fly, baby!

Allan, don't!

Hey, stop!

I don't care what happened.

It's not bad enough
to make you wanna die.

Come on.

Come on.

Oh, God!

God!

God!

Oh, Jesus Christ.

Oh, Jesus.

Oh, Jesus.

Oh, Jesus.

Paige.

Let's go back down.

Come on.

Let's go back down.

Come on.

Get your hands off me!

He's wiped out, man,
you can't do anything now.

You can't do a thing.

Let's you and me go back downstairs.

That kid's gone.

Go on.

Paige.

I can bust this thing wide open
in writing.

I don't know what you're talking about,
I'm sorry.

What do you mean?

Look, Paige,

let's just say I'm Slocum's accountant.

Yeah?

Eight years he kept a record.

All down,

every detail.

Do you have guards in this?

Got all the names.

Brown.

Eight years is a lot of ground to cover.

You know the right people,
we'll nail this guy.

Who knows about this book?

Slocum.

Me.

Ajax.

Now you.

I don't understand something.

Why are you doing this now?

Listen, Paige,

I'm dead.

Who's got the book?

It's yours right now.

♪ Soldiers ♪

♪ Marching as to war ♪

♪ With the grace of Jesus ♪

♪ Going on before ♪

♪ Christ, the royal master ♪

♪ Lead against the foe ♪

Listen, I gotta ask your
help in something.

Is that right?

I gotta get something out of there,
to the outside.

Do you know how to do that?

Yeah, I know how to get
something out of here

but why should I help you?

Because it's very important.

What do you wanna do?

Send a letter out to your old lady
or something?

No, no.

It's important to you too.

What is it?

I can't tell you what it is.

I can't.

It's something written.

I know what it is.

And if you wanna get Slocum,

this is how you do it.

Bullet, trigger,

boom.

I can't do that.

Anyway, I don't wanna get Slocum.

You don't even know what's happening,
man.

All you got to back you up.

If that's what you want,
why don't you do it?

We could start a war, baby.

Let me tell you one thing.

If you wanna get Slocum off your back,

you better get something.

You understand?

I can't help you, man.

They got everybody checked out.

They got everybody checked out.

They got a dossier on everybody
in this country, man.

When a black man,

I know this guy,
his mother was working for the CIA.

Boo.

Get the hell out of here, will you?

Whatever you gonna do
with Solcum's book,

you better do it fast.

Fast, baby.

Come on, hurry.

Grab them rugs and stuff and get out.

Hurry.

Not there.

I want my book.

No.

Open the gate!

Open the gate!

Help!

Help!

Help, for God sake!

Help!

I'll take that book.

The hell you will.

Well, you've been baptized.

Congratulations.

Welcome to the club.

Too bad about the PhD.

Paige.

Johnathon Paige.

It's amazing how many problems
got solved yesterday.

Here it is.

Yeah, I read that.

I read that.

I know you read it.

I need your signature.

There's a lot missing in here, sir.

This is the official version,
Courtland.

Nothing I reported is in here.

A convict died yesterday
in a racial flare-up.

No.

A race riot, pure and simple.

Happens all the time.

No, no, sir.

That is not the way this was.

You're the one that came in
on the tail end of it.

This office, that's all the facts.

There was a power play.

Look,

I submitted Slocum's book for proof.

What book?

The handwritten notebook
with the names and bribes,

that's what the hell it was all about,
warden.

There is no book, Officer Courtland.

Not gonna do it.

I won't sign your paper.

I won't sign your statement.

No one is forcing you to sign.

I'm only presenting you
with the smoothest way to explain

your killing of a prisoner.

Officer Brown has already been
severely reprimanded

for gross negligence of duty.

Oh boy.

You see, you're still too inexperienced
to grasp

all of the ramifications, Courtland.

Our duty is to keep things
from bubbling over,

from exploding.

That is,

Warden, that's just a bunch of crap!

Your joint's exploding right now,
you don't even know it.

And if you do know it,

you don't even know why.

There are panels, Courtland.

Panels and boards.

And we have to answer to them.

And the senators

and the human right groups.

And left-wingers and right-wingers.

And death penalty and no death penalty.

Kill the prisoners,
let the prisoners go free.

Sorry, no more money.

I'm not in love with this system

but it's all they've got

and it's better than having
no system at all.

No.

No, I'm gonna tell this story.

I'm gonna tell it.

Officer Courtland,

you will be on your own.

Absolutely alone.

That's all right.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Courtland?