‘Against the Wall’

Intensely involving and socially trenchant, this 1994 HBO production is the rare cable movie that contains the force and complexity of a quality theatrical film. An unflinching look at the 1971 Attica prison rebellion directed by John Frankenheimer, it offers a disturbing and unforgettable examination of the injustices and turmoil that brewed inside this unforgiving New York prison. Written by Ron Hutchinson, the film also smartly connects the uprising with the volatile political climate of Woodstock-era America. Uniformly well-acted, it features Frederic Forrest as the prison’s autocratic commander, Kyle MacLachlan (left) as a guard taken hostage and Samuel L. Jackson (background) as a rebel leader (HBO Monday at 1:35 a.m.).