A Man Escaped (1956)

A Man Escaped (Un condamné à mort s’est échappé ou Le vent souffle où il veu)
Directed by Robert Bresson
Written by Robert Bresson from a memoir by André Devigny
1956/France
Gaumont/Nouvelles Editions de Films
First viewing/Netflix rental
#322 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

[box] Le lieutenant Fontaine: I laughed nervously which soothed me.[/box]

This prison escape movie transcends its genre.

We first meet Lt. Fontaine in a car on his way to prison with another prisoner and his Nazi guards.  Fontaine makes his first escape when the car stops for a trolley but is immediately captured.  When he gets to prison, he is beaten to within of his life.  He begins planning for his jailbreak immediately.

We follow Fontaine’s preparations in minute detail.  We also watch the prisoners help and encourage each other.  Fontaine proves to be an inspiration for those with less ambition.  But his plans depend on being in the same cell and circumstances.  A trip to the city for sentencing throws the whole enterprise into doubt.

This spare, unsentimental film is both a suspenseful rendering of the execution of an escape and an existential allegory for the struggle of the human spirit.  It emphasizes the need to keep moving forward with action and also deals with issues of trust and compassion.  Bresson’s images are always stark but stunning and we get a haunting Mozart score to round out the picture.  Recommended.

Trailer

Criterion Collection: Three Reasons