Against the Wall

Neil Armstrong: Earth, the Eagle has landed.

All (chanting): Krishna! Krishna!

My thanks to all of you,

and now it's on to Chicago, and let's win this.

Thanks very much.

Martin Luther King Jr.: ...we will be able to speed up that day

when all of God's children, black men and white men,

will be able to join hands

and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual...

..."Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty we are free at last."

Malcolm X: ...that the Negro will be serving notice

that no longer does he believe in turning the other cheek

and being the constant victim of someone else's brutality.

We believe that peace is at hand.

We believe

that an agreement

is within sight.

Now! Bring them home!

Bring our brothers home!

Now! Bring them home...

Man: I heard you were back, Michael.

Michael: Yes, sir, Mr. McKearney, I am.

About the same length?

Take a little more off.

A buzz? A brush?

A number one?

How close is the number one?

Oh, about there.

Tell you what, how about just above the collar,

and let me see my ears?

What are you doing with yourself now?

Well, in about an hour, I'm starting work at the factory.

Going into the family business.

Yes, sir, I guess I am.

Guard: Name, please.

Yeah, Smith. I'm starting work today.

First door to your left. Thank you.

Hup! Hup!

Hup, two, three, four!

Detail, halt!

Right, face!

About...

face!

Jackson. Come on, let's go!

Get off the bus! Off, come on! Come on.

Go right. Follow him.

Come on, come on.

(officer shouting drill commands)

Well, well.

Guard: Step forward.

Raise your arms.

Hands toward me.

Raise your palms.

Back at your sides.

Open your mouth.

Lift up your tongue.

Bring your head forward.

Turn your heads to the left.

My left!

Other side.

Tip your head forward.

Shake out your hair.

Wise guy.

Lift up your balls.

Turn around. Face the wall.

Lift up your right leg.

Wiggle your toes.

Lift up your left leg.

Wiggle your toes.

Bend over.

Bend over further.

Spread your cheeks.

Command attitude.

Command attitude.

Ooh, go get 'em, tiger.

I've used mine twice in five years.

About the same number of times I've used this.

Hey.

Ken Fergus. Mike Smith.

Nice to meet you.

Heard you just signed your life away, Mikey.

Hey, Uncle Ed.

I volunteered this shift to show you around.

Well, thanks.

Who the hell did that to you?

That ain't a haircut, that's assault with a deadly weapon.

Come on, let's go.

Remember, we're all doing time here, Tiger.

The only difference is,

we're doing ours on the installment plan.

Guard: Come on, come on, come on. Pick it up. Let's go.

Hold it up.

On the gate.

I hear you're gonna be a father.

Been talking to my pop, huh?

Responsibility, Mikey.

That's what it's all about, responsibility.

Yeah.

Yes, sir, Lieutenant.

Ten minutes, sir.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Got some film for me?

Play your cards right, I can get a picture of you in that little blue number, right?

Here you go.

Bishop.

Toes on the line.

(camera shutter clicks)

So, is this some kind of a vacation thing for you

until something you really want to do comes along?

No, Uncle Ed, this is it.

I really want this to work.

I've been waiting to hear you say that for a long time.

One thing, though.

In here, not so much of that Uncle Ed stuff, okay?

Yeah, okay.

This is Times Square, where everything comes together.

A Block, B Block, C Block, D Block.

Administration, exercise yard,

armory, hospital,

morgue.

Guard: For all of yous who just arrived,

here's a few rules of conduct

that might make your stay here

a little more pleasant,

and ours as well.

For instance,

this...

is not state-issued,

nor this,

nor this.

The laundry

will only launder

state-issued underwear.

Copy that?

We wash one shirt

and one pair of pants

per man, per week.

Plus, one set

of regulation underwear.

I repeat,

we do not launder

personal underwear

or socks.

Why?

Who said that?

Well, well...

Look who's here.

Some people like us so much

they just keep coming back.

What is your question?

What if the socks are state-issued?

No socks

in any circumstances!

You wanna wash your socks,

buy yourself a plastic bucket

from the commissary!

Why we got to do that?

Why?

Because that's how it is.

That's how we do it here.

Why is that how you do it?

Because that's how we've always done it!

Because

those are the regulations.

And we aren't about to change them

for you!

Is that clear?

Is that crystal clear?

All right, back in line.

Back in line!

There is a door

at the end of that corridor

and it leads to an elevator

and the elevator leads to the isolator units,

where we put people

who keep asking, "Why?"

And you don't wanna go through that door,

I promise you,

because the isolator unit

is about the most unpleasant place to be

in the United States

of America.