Shakespeare Behind Bars

Shakespeare Behind Bars is a compelling and moving documentary released in 2005, offering a profound exploration of crime, redemption, and the transformative power of art and literature. Directed by Hank Rogerson, this film features Curt Tofteland, the founder of the Shakespeare Behind Bars theatre program, as he embarks on a unique journey with a group of inmates at the Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in La Grange, Kentucky.

The film provides viewers with a dramatic insight into the world of men who have committed horrendous crimes yet are striving to find redemption and reform through the universal themes of Shakespeare's works. Over the course of a year, the inmates rehearse and perform a full-scale production of Shakespeare's The Tempest, allowing the viewer to witness the transformative process of prisoners turning into players and offering a stark contrast to the hardened criminals seen at the beginning.

Shakespeare Behind Bars delves into the individual stories and psyches of the inmates involved in the program. Each character has a unique narrative and diverse criminal background that provides a series of contrasts and nuances that enrich the film's overall narrative arc. Tofteland works with murderers, fraudsters, robbers, and a wide array of convicted criminals who carry not only their respective sentences but the guilt, remorse, rage, despair, and desire for redemption.

The film depicts the therapeutic potential of art and literature in offering rehabilitation to society's most hardened criminals in a way that traditional correctional programming often fails to do. The inmates not only memorize lines but they also deeply reflect on the themes and characters of Shakespeare's work, identifying with the flawed humanity present in many of his characters and discovering cathartic scenarios that enable personal growth and encourage emotional healing.

Tofteland is seen as the catalyst pushing these men to question their past actions and decisions. Through their engagement with Shakespeare's text, the inmates are confronted with themes of loyalty, power, redemption, and revenge. The film paints a portrait of a kind-hearted yet firm director passionate about his work, willing to push boundaries and never patronizing his cast.

In one of the film's many poignant moments, the inmates talk candidly about their crimes, their remorse, and the self-discovery they've made through their immersion in Shakespeare. They grapple with the raw emotions and challenging realities unearthed as they delve into their characters, which often mirror their realities and personal journeys, giving the audience a rare insight into their humanity and complex emotional landscapes.

The setting is a stark, real-life prison environment, and Rogerson doesn't sugarcoat the harsh realities of prison life. The boundaries of prison life is a constant reminder of the prisoners' situation throughout the film, with shots of barbed-wire fences, uniformed guards, and the cold, sterile environment. Still, amidst the harsh setting and often harsher pasts of its participants, a vibrant community of redemption and rehabilitation is seen to emerge in the form of a Shakespearean theatre troupe.

The film also uses 'The Tempest', not only as a plot instrument but also as an allegorical reference. The choice of the play is not accidental. As the prisoners delve deeper into the complexities of the play's protagonist, Prospero, a character trapped by his past and seeking redemption, it casts a thought-provoking parallel to their lives, like the inmates, Prospero is also incarcerated, albeit on an island, plotting his return to society.

Shakespeare Behind Bars is not just a film about performing Shakespeare in prison. It's a film about hope, second chances, and the power of art to communicate, heal, and transform. It's a journey through the troubled waters of guilt, repentance, and redemption, steering us to the undeniable fact that complex narratives of human nature aren't confined to the freedom of the outside world. They can unfold just as vividly behind bars.

In the final analysis, this film is an eye-opening exploration of the human potential for redemption. By bringing the intricacies of Shakespeare's characters to life through equally complex and real human beings, it succeeds in asking us to question our notions on crime, punishment, and rehabilitation. After all, as the Bard himself said, "All the world's a stage...". Even a stage set behind prison walls.