A Man Escaped

A Man Escaped Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Yes, this is an old black and white film and it is subtitled. But do you really think that these two things are only equal slow moving romances? If you do, you’re mistaken because A Man Apart will hold your attention until the very end. With no boring or unnecessary scenes, A Man Apart is everything an escape film should be about: the escape! Escape or die!

Why Watch A Man Escaped?

• You liked The Great Escape or Escape from Alcatraz and want to see the original escape film!
• Learn what it is like to be trapped in a prison cell
• Learn how to escape from a prison cell
• If you don’t believe me, check Rotten Tomatoes, Imdb, or wherever you get your film reviews!

The Breakdown

The Montluc Nazi prison camp in France is where 7,000 out of 10,000 prisoners died during the last few years of the Second World War. We are introduced to Fontaine’s hands and knees stuffed into the back of a small car. His hand reaches for the door handle, then quickly retracts his hand to the side of his body. He is calculating an escape from the Nazi car. His hand reaches out, and returns to his side as a car passes in the opposite direction. Does he make a break for it or die at the hands of the Nazis?

Usually there’s a lot to write about each of the foreign films I watch. However, the beauty of this film is it’s simplicity. Bresson (the director) only includes that which is necessary to the film. There are no special effects, there is no fancy camera shots, the editing is simple, and dialogue is kept to short bursts. Nothing else needs to be there. I’d recommend aspiring directors to watch A Man Escaped to understand the importance of every scene.

The decisive film-making matches the character of Fontaine. He always figuring a way to escape in a escape or die scenario. We never see him sitting on his bed getting over emotional or hopeless. Unlike other films, this one is all about the action, and Bresson doesn’t allow any emotions to disrupt the flow of the film or the moments of tension. It is for this reason that Bresson made a point of hiring non-actors. He did not want any ‘acting’ or style, just someone playing his part.

Conclusion

A Man Escaped is both a thrilling escape film as well as a lesson in film-making. Every scene is vital to the film, therefore there are no irrelevant scenes that distract or bore the viewer. You will be glued to the screen until the very end. Also, because of the detail Bresson pays to the prison cell and daily routine, it will feel like you’ve been imprisoned with Fontaine the whole time.

 

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