A Man Escaped (1956)

A captured French Resistance fighter during WWII engineers a daunting escape from a Nazi prison in France.

Director:

Robert Bresson

Writers:

André Devigny (memoir), Robert Bresson (scenario)

Stars:

François Leterrier, Charles Le Clainche, Maurice Beerblock

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
François Leterrier	...	Le lieutenant Fontaine
Charles Le Clainche	...	François Jost
Maurice Beerblock	...	Blanchet
Roland Monod	...	Le pasteur Deleyris
Jacques Ertaud	...	Orsini
Jean Paul Delhumeau	...	Hebrard
Roger Treherne	...	Terry
Jean Philippe Delamarre	...	Le prisonnier 10
Jacques Oerlemans	...	Le gardien-chef
Klaus Detlef Grevenhorst	...	L'officier de L'Abwehr
Leonhard Schmidt	...	Le garde de l'escorte
Roger Planchon	...	Le garde cycliste

Storyline

Captured French Resistance fighter Lieutenant Fontaine awaits a certain death sentence for espionage in a stark Nazi prison in Lyon, France. Facing malnourishment and paralyzing fear, he must plot an extraordinary escape, complicated by the questions of whom to trust, and what lies beyond the small portion of the prison they are housed in.

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Plot Keywords:

escape from prison | attempted escape | prison | french resistance | prison cell | 

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Taglines:

Robert Bresson's Prize Winning Film

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

When the film was shot, the Montluc prison was still an operating prison. The prisoners had to be evacuated to other facilities for two weeks during the shooting of the film on location. The prison was definitively closed in 2009. It is now a memorial.

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Quotes

Le lieutenant Fontaine: I laughed nervously which soothed me.

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Alternate Versions

After the "Fin" title card, there is a version that plays music to a black screen, while another version displays "Exit Music" in white letters against the black screen.

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Connections

Referenced in The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

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Soundtracks

Great Mass in C Minor, No.16 (K.427) - Agnus Dei
Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

User Reviews

The sound, the sound!

This movie, perhaps above all others, exemplifies just how important sound is in cinema. In fact, sounds (excluding dialogue) help carry the plot as much as the visuals and dialogue.

The crunching of the gravel under their feet really creates a sense of realism to the story. If you or I were escaping from prison, all the sounds Fontaine must pay attention to we must as well.

I doubt you'll find this film at your local video store, but I encourage everyone to check it out. It's like the Shawshank of the 1950s.

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French German

Release Date:

26 August 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Man Escaped or: The Wind Bloweth Where It Listeth

Filming Locations:

Studios de Saint-Maurice, Saint-Maurice, Val-de-Marne, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gaumont, Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min 90 min (censored)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1