Prisoner of Rio

Prisoner of Rio

DVD cover
Directed by Lech Majewski
Produced by Juliusz Kossakowski
Mark Slater
Written by Lech Majewski
Ronald Biggs
Julia Frankel
Starring Steven Berkoff
Paul Freeman
Peter Firth
Music by Luiz Bonfá
Hans Zimmer
Cinematography George Mooradian
Edited by Darren Kloomok
Distributed by Palace Pictures (UK)
Release dates
  • 1988
Running time
104 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Poland
Switzerland
Brazil
Language English

Prisoner of Rio is a 1988 drama film directed by Lech Majewski and starring Steven Berkoff, Paul Freeman and Peter Firth.[1] It shows the flight of the Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs to Brazil and the attempts of Scotland Yard detectives to re-capture him. It was a co-production between several countries.

Plot

After escaping from Wandsworth prison for his part in the Great Train Robbery, Ronald "Ronnie" Biggs (Paul Freeman) goes on the run to Rio de Janeiro and becomes the world's most wanted man. Hot on his trail however is committed copper Jack McFarland (Steven Berkoff), who will stop at nothing to bring him back to justice - even if that means stepping outside the law.

Cast

Release

The film was released in the United Kingdom by Palace Pictures and later on VHS by Palace Video.[2] It was later released on DVD in the UK by Anchor Bay Entertainment.[3]

It was released on VHS in the United States by Imperial Entertainment. Despite being released worldwide, the film has still never been officially released on DVD in the United States as of 2014.

Production

The real-life Ronald Biggs, the focus of the film, co-wrote the screenplay.

Steven Berkoff wrote a book about his experiences on this film, called "A Prisoner in Rio". He did not enjoy the making this film or his time in Rio.

References

  1. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/420795
  2. "Company Credits for Prisoner of Rio (1988)". IMDB.com. 2014-02-27.
  3. "Prisoner of Rio (DVD)". amazon.com. Retrieved 2014-02-27.

External links