Stroud is convicted in Alcatraz for the rest of his life. Out of the blue, stroud rescues a sparrow and raises him until he can fly, which he can find the motivation for his life raising & caring for birds.
This preachy bio pic is a hokey take on the birdman with Lancaster being misused on every occasion.
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
October 05, 2002
Lancaster is wonderful; a tribute to the human spirit.
EmanuelLevy.Com
January 08, 2011
Frankenheimer's compelling, if slightly fictionalized biopic of Robert Stroud is extremely wel acted by Burt Lancaster and the rest of the cast, including Thelma Ritter and Telly Savalas.
Even with its limping screenplay and general drift toward competence rather than excellence, Birdman does pull us well enough into its fistful of compelling characters.
