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A Man Escaped

Original title: Un condamné à mort s'est échappé ou Le vent souffle où il veut
  • 1956
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 41m
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
29K
YOUR RATING
A Man Escaped (1956)
Three Reasons Criterion Trailer for A Man Escaped
Play trailer1:56
1 Video
73 Photos
Period DramaPrison DramaDramaThrillerWar

A captured French Resistance fighter during World War II engineers a daunting escape from a German prison in France.A captured French Resistance fighter during World War II engineers a daunting escape from a German prison in France.A captured French Resistance fighter during World War II engineers a daunting escape from a German prison in France.

  • Director
    • Robert Bresson
  • Writers
    • André Devigny
    • Robert Bresson
  • Stars
    • François Leterrier
    • Charles Le Clainche
    • Maurice Beerblock
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.2/10
    29K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Robert Bresson
    • Writers
      • André Devigny
      • Robert Bresson
    • Stars
      • François Leterrier
      • Charles Le Clainche
      • Maurice Beerblock
    • 106User reviews
    • 104Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 4 wins & 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    A Man Escaped: The Criterion Collection
    Trailer 1:56
    A Man Escaped: The Criterion Collection

    Photos73

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    Top cast15

    Edit
    François Leterrier
    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
    Roger Planchon
    • Le garde cycliste
    André Collombet
      César Gattegno
      • Le prisonnier X
      • (uncredited)
      Max Schoendorff
      • Un soldat allemand
      • (uncredited)
      • Director
        • Robert Bresson
      • Writers
        • André Devigny
        • Robert Bresson
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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      Storyline

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      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        After seeing the film, Jean-Luc Godard said that Robert Bresson was "to French cinema what Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is to German music and Fyodor Dostoevsky is to Russian literature".
      • Quotes

        Le lieutenant Fontaine: I think my courage abandoned me for a moment and I cried.

      • 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.
      • Connections
        Featured in The Road to Bresson (1984)
      • Soundtracks
        Great Mass in C Minor, No.16 (K.427) - Kyrie
        Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

      User reviews106

      Featured review
      9/10

      "I think my courage abandoned me for a moment and I cried."

      A MAN ESCAPED is a great war drama about despair and unbearable circumstances from which a man tries to escape. The main protagonist is an activist of the resistance movement. He was arrested after one action. After the initial shock, the young man begins to plan an escape from prison, and he moves in a race against time because his enemies threaten him with liquidation.

      The story is honest and realistic in many segments. The plot is, if we ignore the mystical introduction, very simple. Scenery is confined to a very small space, which directly contributes to an increased sense of fear, despair and anxiety of the main character. Mr. Bresson made the film without specific decorations, classic turnaround and growing tensions. Simply, the focus is on the prisoner who tried to escape. The plot is realistic and spontaneous. One young man must choose between life and certain death. He was on his own in the inner monologue on the difficult road to knowledge.

      François Leterrier as Lieutenant Fontaine is calm and dedicated to the inner struggle. His performance is impressive. It's hard to believe that he is not a professional actor. His appearance is unreal and convincing. This is evident in his haggard and engrossed face, bloody shirt and torn stockings.

      This film is a reflection of a cruel experience. One man in a desperate, depressed and uncertain fight for his life, or perhaps some form of redemption.
      • elvircorhodzic
      • Jan 2, 2017
      • Permalink

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      FAQ16

      • How long is A Man Escaped?Powered by Alexa

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • August 26, 1957 (United States)
      • Country of origin
        • France
      • Languages
        • French
        • German
      • 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
      • Production companies
        • Gaumont
        • Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF)
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Tech specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        1 hour 41 minutes
      • Color
        • Black and White
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.37 : 1

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