"If you escape from society, we put you into
prison, if you escape from prison, we move
you into here - Alcatraz."

If anything like prison exists, there exists
escape, no matter how stalwart or isolated the
prison is, but except one prison, the only one.

There is a flower in the movie, or was in the
movie. The first time it appeared is in the
painting for Doug's self potrait. It was the
only flower in Alcatraz, just like the little
mouse accompanying Al Capone. The van Gogh-like
stroke doesn't give out any hint about Doug's
past, but it tells something at least, he is
a prisoner now. Every painter is a prisoner,
of the visual reality, just like Doug. The
warden doesn't like flowers, which might be the
reason he is proud of being the warden. He
canceled the privilege of painting from Doug
for no reason, or for the reason of flowers.
Then flowers disappeared, but the escape was
born. Clint Eastwood lead the whole action.
He is a master of everything in the movie,
from being a good prisoner to being a good
escaper. No doubt on his performance. They
made their way out of Alcatraz, maybe into
another bigger prison, maybe not. Only flower
knows.

The warden found the flower on the beach the
day after, and the Alcatraz found its own closure
one year after. If Alcatraz is prison in the
legal sense, then escape is a crime. But if
Alcatraz is a prototype prison, then we met
some heroes.

The movie makes <Shawshank Redemption> a copycat.
Clint Eastwood built another defeatless cowboy,
who freed the flower, or reversely.