Cert: 15

TENSE prison dramas usually make for good viewing, and this gripping effort from director Rod Lurie is up there with the best of them.

The castle in question is a seemingly impregnable US military prison, which is run with an iron fist by its cruel warden (James Gandolfini) in a bid to keep the inmates down at heel.

But when the respected General Eugene Irwin (Robert Redford) arrives to begin a 10-year stint in the slammer after being court-martialled, the prisoners find him to be a man capable of taking on the warden in a bitter power struggle, which is destined to end in bloodshed.

The two lead actors are in sparkling form, and with a fine supporting cast to boot, this is a movie which deals intelligently with the subject of leadership.

Extras include a behind the scenes feature, with cast interviews, plus deleted scenes and the cinema trailer. Ian Kelly