... and definitely a change from the more affable fellows he had been playing.
Marsh Willliams (James Stewart) is a guy with a chip on his shoulder, running a still during Prohibition. He is doing this for economic reasons, and also, like most people, thought that the 18th amendment was ridiculous. When his still is surrounded by federal agents. Marsh, along with the others working the still, run but first return fire with the agents, and one agent is killed. Convinced by his wife (Jean Hagen) to surrender, his murder trial ends in a mistrial - it could not be determined who fired the fatal shot - and Williams decides to plead guilty to second degree murder rather than have his father sell some of his land to pay for a second trial. He is sentenced to thirty years hard labor and unsuccessfully tries to convince his wife to divorce him so she can remarry somebody who can be with her.
On one level the film is a pseudo biography of Williams in prison and how he develops a semi-automatic rifle using just the tools he has in the prison blacksmith shop, and how focusing on that task literally changes his personality for the better. On another level it is a scathing indictment of the prison system and its brutality as it existed in the US until the middle of the twentieth century.
Jean Hagen plays Marsh's devoted and loyal wife, and Wendell Corey is good as H. T. Peoples, the warden of the prison farm Williams lands at after spending time in some horrendous places such as the chain gain and the rock pile. Peoples wants to know what makes Williams tick, but Williams keeps testing his authority in front of the other prisoners, creating a dangerous situation for himself should he just let these incidents go. When Williams ends up lasting 30 days in "the hole" when no other prisoner could endure a week he wants to know why, and the answer is intriguing.
At its core, Carbine Williams is a story of resilience, innovation, and redemption. Carbine's determination to develop a safer and more efficient firearm mechanism while serving time in prison is both inspirational and a testament to the human spirit's capacity for growth and change. The film does an excellent job of highlighting the importance of second chances and the potential for individuals to make positive contributions to society, even after making grave mistakes.
