This is just absurdly tense at times, an absolutely riveting prison escape film. There are a couple bits which push believability a tad, but for the most part I loved it.

The definition of uncompromising. Some will find the slow, lengthy takes uninteresting but Becker's stylistic approach is brilliant. Confined with the prisoners always, following the execution of their plan in painstakingly minute detail, we take part in the group's troubles, completely invested. The casting of non-actors adds to an already tremendously high level of realism and the intensity of some scenes is almost unbearable. Many great shots and a beautifully pulled off ending seal the deal.

hapishane, kacis, ispiyon (ayni hücrede kalan dört arkadas kacis plani yaparken besinci mahkumda ayni hücreye gelir incelikli bir planla cikis bulunur.)

Might be the greatest non-American prison film there is. The characters interact beautifully and we understand their exact feelings, motivations, and tensions without the superfluous exposition you'd find in a lesser film. Le Trou pulls you in early and only ratchets up the suspense around the one-hour mark. The final mirror shot is incredible.

A film about escaping from prison. Its claim to fame is the lack of any sort of score to add atmosphere to the digging scenes. This is fine, it definitely dials up the tension with some of the cinematic trickery that was used. You always strain your ear for some distant footsteps, hoping in vain to spot the patrols first. It's quite effective.

Jacques Becker's fascinating portrait of life in prison.The film amazes the viewer with it's starkness and simplicity.It is a moral tale,told without preconceptions or illusions of grandeur.The escape sequence is unique in movie history because of it's simplicity and length,keeping you griped to the image for long gruesome minutes,almost feeling the sweet of the characters dripping from your brow.A must see!!!

One of the best prison escape films I've ever seen. I never thought it would be so exciting to see a group of prisoners digging tunnels. The lack of music makes the film suspenseful and gives it a very realistic feel. I really had the feeling like I was there with the prisoners, and you really hope they succeed in digging the tunnel without the guards noticing. The ending was a shocker and I'm still in awe of it.

Not an fan of old and black/white movies, but this one is a must see. Great watch.

Physically exhausting. The command of small details - from the dirt around the hole to the way Geo fixes Claude's collar when he goes to see the warden - is extraordinary.

So God damn awesome I don't know what to do with myself. Becker strips away everything that isn't necessary (confining long stretches of the film to a tiny, little cell) but he needles incessantly at the minutiae of the escape so that we grasp how crucial every little detail is. The result is, quite simply, the best prison break movie ever.

Sometimes a bit too dedicated to realism - while I recognize that tedious digging was a pretty key component to the escape attempt, it doesn't exactly make for an engaging film experience - but overall it manages the tension, camaraderie and precision of a prison escape well. Also a great use of negative space.

#769

good job! Real prison break!

721

A very gripping prison escape flick, a genre I usually enjoy a lot, with a bit of social commentary thrown in. Really good, maintains the tension throughout. And what an ending!

It may not be the best escape flick ever, but it may well be the cleverest. It also has its very tense moments and some that are truly thoughtful. Indeed, it can be trying watching some of the more repetitive tasks that the convicts must do en route to freedom, but if truth be told, it's more realistic that way.

# 745

This is the way that prison movies should be made. Ingenuity over recalcitrant self-pity.

Excellent prison escape film that uses its pace to build up tension to a fantastic climax. The performances, like the direction, are not flashy but they're very effective and appropriate. I could come with a few small complaints but the whole completely overshadows them.

Haven't seen a lot of prison escape films, but Le Trou seemed pretty grounded and was interesting throughout and at times tense as hell. I liked the long takes of the repetitive actions needed to attempt the escape, leading to great moments like the scouting of the pitch-black tunnels. Great and painful to watch ending as well.

Relentless and riveting. That long long take hammering at the floor, all in and damn the consequences, coming up for the hand-offs like surfacing for air and then submerging again: phenomenal. Fearless and terrifying sound design complements the paranoia of the breakout perfectly. This, like Rififi, is all about the WORK of the steal, but the camaraderie here is far more effective and the characters more interesting, all setting up the ending to be so shattering. Poor Gaspard, truly.

the ending was disappointing, and the actors are all hideously ugly

736

I'm a fan of prison films anyway, but this is still gripping and potent. Unlike the obvious comparison - A Man Escaped - Le Trou hinges on whether the inmates will all band together and carry off their mission successfully. This was concluded excellently. The only thing I thought was silly (and that made me laugh a lot) was the slight egotism of the director, first with the introduction, and secondly with the ending credit, "YOU HAVE BEEN WATCHING: A JACQUES BECKER FILM."

Fantastic! Becker's astute observation, impressive use of space, expertly framed shots, and dynamic use of sound make for a tense and dramatic prison break film that will draw inevitable comparisons to Bresson's magnificent A Man Escaped. Both Becker and Bresson interest themselves in the tangible details of the work, but while Bresson's film remains largely interior, Becker's works on a communal level, adding a layer of concern around the issue of trust that works well for a film like this.

You know the heist sequence in Rififi, with its dreadful suspense and impeccable craft, in terms of both the work the characters put into it and the way it's filmed? This entire movie is like that, filmed with Jacques Becker's soft-spoken style, in which the meat is in the details. Every man's character is revealed, each unique and distinguished from the others but all working as one. A superbly crafted film.

Trying and tedious at times, but usually fantastically tense and very enjoyable and creative in how it depicts the tricks of the trade. I've always liked movies with men skilled in unique trades, and I dig escape flicks too. This combines the two extremely well. And damn, that ending.