20 Things You Didn’t Know About Midnight Express
4. Amnesty International Was Tied-In
As Midnight Express raised awareness of the political issues surrounding foreign nationals being incarcerated in countries far away from their own, it was a movie with a seemingly larger subtext than its original focus. Not only does the movie focus on the issue of foreign prisoners, but it also brutally demonstrates the different ways in which justice is carried out. During an early part of the movie, protagonist Billy Hayes is caught stealing a blanket and is reprimanded by being hanged upside down while the prison guard batters the soles of his feet with a piece of wood. Falaka, as this is also known, is a common method of torture in some prisons across the world.
With their focus on Human Rights violations, Amnesty International was originally on board with the making of Midnight Express. The movie’s depiction of such treatment of prisoners could help the NGO in raising awareness and rallying against such practices.
However, due to the movie’s anti-Turkish spin, Amnesty International severed ties with the movie upon seeing the final cut.