What happens after Billy’s capture?
After Billy is captured, he is taken to the police station where he is thoroughly questioned. Billy offers to help police locate the cab driver he bought the hashish from – in exchange for his release. Knowing, the option of his release is out of the question, Billy attempts to escape, but is soon recaptured. ..
Billy is incarcerated in Sultanahmet Jail. Late at night, he sneaks out of his cell to steal a blanket. When his little daring act comes to light, he is brutally punished and raped by chief guard Hamidou. A couple of days later, Billy finds himself in Sağmalcılar Prison – where he is surrounded by western prisoners – Erich, Jimmy, and Max. ..
What happens during the hearing?
Billy meets with his lawyer and father before the first hearing to discuss his case. His father assures Billy that it won’t be long before he is released. However, during the hearing, the prosecutors present Billy’s case as one of drug smuggling instead of possession.
Billy, the lead judge’s favorite, is sentenced to four years for drug possession. Devastated, Billy has no other option but to serve his time behind bars. ..
What happens next?
Billy is released from prison only fifty three days shy of his original four-year sentence. He is resentenced to thirty years in prison for drug smuggling. Billy is now sure that he will have to resort to crooked methods to find freedom.
Billy, Max, and Jimmy make an escape attempt – which fails when their escape route leads to a dead end. When prison guards are tipped off about the escape attempt, they close down the escape route and make the life of prisoners even more horrible. Billy, in a fit of rage, kills the fellow inmate and secret police informant, Rifki. Following the incident, he is put into a unit for mentally unstable patients – where he experiences a complete mental breakdown.
How does Billy escape?
Billy’s girlfriend who comes to see him illegally smuggles some cash to him. Billy uses the money to try to grease Hamidou’s palm seeking his assistance to help him escape. Contrary to Billy’s expectations, Hamidou takes Billy to the sanatorium, beats him, and tries to rape him. Billy pushes Hamidou forcefully – leading to his head being impaled on a sharp cloth hook – killing him instantly.
In the next scene, Billy is seen walking through the prison’s main gate to his freedom in the guards’ presence. ..
What does the ending mean?
Midnight Express is a film about the mistreatment, injustice, and discrimination that prisoners suffer at the hands of the penal system. Thanks to the prison officials and judicial system, Billy, who was captured for a petty crime, was turned into a big-time violent man – a murderer.
Billy’s story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of using violence or deception to gain freedom. He was forced to use force and subterfuge to escape justice, and he may have done more damage than good by doing so.
In the last scene, we see how easily a man can cover his crimes with the support of the law. If the law were fair, he would’ve never reached such a level of violence.
The film is based on the autobiography of the same name. Billy Hayes tells his story in his own words, and every scene in the movie comes from the real-life story of Billy Hayes.
