A Man Escaped Movie Review

A Man Escaped [Un condamné à mort s'est échappé ou Le vent souffle où il veut] (1956)

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Written by: André Devigny (memoir), Robert Bresson (scenario), Robert Bresson (dialogue)
Directed by: Robert Bresson
Starring: François Leterrier, Charles Le Clainche, Maurice Beerblock, Roland Monod
Rated: NR [PG]
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Plot
A captured French Resistance fighter during World War II engineers a daunting escape from a German prison in France.

Verdict
The historical context of the movie almost outshadows the film itself, but this shows the monotony of prison. The small moments are the victories. Most of the movie is a man trapped in a cell, unwilling to admit defeat. Fontaine remains sane through small goals, progressing on his escape plan one day at a time. Even when the other prisoners have given up, Fontaine refuses. Despite the title, I wondered would he actually escape. Counter to contemporary movies, this revels in simplicity and it's all the better for it, though it still felt like adding images to text.
It depends.

Review
Set during World War II, French Resistance fighter Fontaine is detained by Germans. He's riding in the back of the car, eyeing an escape. We see he's not handcuffed like the other two. Fontaine waits for the car to slow down just enough so he can make a break for it. He's quickly captured and admonished harshly.

He's relegated to a ground floor cell where he communicates with other prisoners by tapping on the wall. You might can guess this is based on a book as there's a lot of narration. Fontaine is able to get letters out through the window, but it's disheartening to be trapped in that cell where his only distraction is looking out the window into the courtyard. Even then, he can still hear the gunfire within the prison.

François Leterrier plays Fontaine

The only thing that occupies Fontaine's time is trying to escape. He's moved to a different cell and slowly works on digging out the wood joints in his door, collecting the wood shavings and disposing of them during his daily yard visit. He fills the joints with paper. While this seems tame, that's only by today's standards. It's difficult to imagine this came out just a decade after WWII. While Fontaine's plight isn't enviable, thinking about how many had it worse makes this more solemn. His focus is on escaping; these incremental steps to a freedom that may never come. It's easier to imagine freedom than to live in reality. This goal is likely the only thing that keeps him sane, though other prisoners doubt he will attempt an escape. They've already relegated themselves to their fate.

I kept thinking Fontaine would get caught somehow. His plight seems hopeless as everyone else has given up. He keeps getting one step closer despite setbacks and obstacles. Even when he's on the brink of escape, the inmates doubt him.

I appreciate the significance of the film and its goals, but it's a movie that often feels like it's putting images to the words of the book without adapting the source material to the medium. That does serve to provide insight into Fontaine and his thoughts. While this focuses on a prisoner, you can't help but think about geo-politics during this time and what was happening worldwide.