The Big Bird Cage (1972)

Pam, Sid, and Anitra - Now that's a threesome!, 29 December 2005

In the jungles of some unnamed banana republic sits a women's prison. The inmates are treated as slaves and forced to work in the sugar cane fields. A nearby band of revolutionaries comes up with an idea to recruit additional soldiers – they need women to attract more men. The prison offers them a ready made supply of women. But how to get the women out?

Most WIP films I've seen are, in truth, very downbeat and depressing. They present scene after scene of women being tortured and otherwise humiliated. The Big Bird Cage is something of a change from the standard formula. Sure, the movie features some of the same torture scenes, gratuitous nudity, and violence, but much of it is done with a sense of humor that worked for me. Watching Sid Haig do his over-the-top queen shtick may be un-PC, but sign me up for sensitivity training because I found it very funny. It's a novel idea for a WIP film to have gay male guards to keep them from falling for the temptations of their prisoners.

The plot makes little sense if you stop and think about it. The plan the revolutionaries come up with to get the women out of the prison makes about as much sense as skydiving without a parachute and has about as much chance for success. It only serves to get Pam Grier into the prison to work from the inside. The film works best if you ignore the implausibility of the situation and just enjoy.

I love watching Pam Grier, but to be honest, her delivery is often stilted. This is especially true in her early films. The Big Bird Cage may be the best of her early work. For the most part, she's more natural sounding. She and Sid Haig have a real chemistry that works in these movies. I would love to see someone reunite the pair in a new movie. The cast also features Anitra Ford, who may not be the best actress in the world, but she's definitely easy on the eyes.

7/10