Penitentiary
Watch TrailerA hitchhiker named Martel Gordone gets in a fight with two bikers over a prostitute, and one of the bikers is killed. Gordone is arrested and sent to prison, where he joins the prison's boxing team in an effort to secure an early parole and to establish his dominance over the prison's toughest gang.
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📋 Film Details
| Year | 1979 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Genre | Action, Drama, Crime |
| Director | Jamaa Fanaka |
| Runtime | 99 min. |
| Rating | TMDB: 5.1/10 (27 votes) |
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🎬 MovieFinder's Take
The film constructs a gritty narrative that relies on the raw physicality of prison boxing and the stark hierarchies of incarceration. It explores redemption through discipline, where the ring becomes a brutal arena for personal transformation.
What lingers after viewing is the visceral sense of confinement and the protagonist's relentless drive to fight his way out, both literally and metaphorically. A raw, compelling slice of indie filmmaking. — MovieFinder Editorial
Director: Jamaa Fanaka
Best Watched
Watch late at night to absorb the film's oppressive atmosphere and unfiltered, street-level energy.
🎭 Cast
Leon Isaac Kennedy
Martel 'Too Sweet' Gordone
Thommy Pollard
Eugene T. Lawson
Hazel Spears
Linda (as Hazel Spear)
Donovan Womack
Jesse Amos
Floyd 'Wildcat' Chatman
Hezzikia 'Seldom Seen' Jackson (as Floyd Chatman)
Chuck Mitchell
Lieutenant Arnsworth
Gloria Delaney
Peaches
Wilbur 'Hi-Fi' White
Sweet Pea
Badja Djola
'Half Dead' Johnson
Cepheus Jaxon
Poindexter
💬 Audience Reviews
Audience Score
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