A Man Escaped (1956)
French Resistance activist Andre Devigny is imprisoned by the Nazis, and devotes his waking hours to planning an elaborate escape... (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Robert Bresson
Written By: Robert Bresson, André Devigny
Starring: François Leterrier, Roger Planchon, César Gattegno, Jacques Ertaud, Charles Le Clainche, Jean Philippe Delamarre, Maurice Beerblock, Roland Monod, Jean Paul Delhumeau
Genres: Drama, Suspense/Thriller, Adventure, War
AKA: Un condamné à mort s'est échappé
Country: France
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A Man Escaped belongs to 101 collections
1. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (collaborative: moderated by kozan26 - 239 stars)
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Browse the full list of collections
| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 5 |  |
Magb | 90 85th |
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A Man Escaped is well-done, tense, exciting, engrossing, and so on. I particularly like how it's just a simple yet compelling story, and nothing more. There's almost no sense of context (the war is mentioned only once or twice). There are no unnecessary "bookends" at the beginning or the end of the film; the entire movie except 30 seconds at the end plays out within the prison. All of this gives the movie great focus, and it's definitely one of the reasons why it works so well.
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| 4 |  |
Alex Watkins | 4 70th |
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Unfettered even by Bresson standards, though not as lean as my favorite of his, Pickpocket. He has such a gift for creating dramatic tension from the mundanity of routine and the anticipation of what's to come, and can get your heart racing with the simplest actions.
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| 3 |  |
eveelun | 86 94th |
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Bresson's cool and methodical approach to storytelling and film-making is well-suited here, as the film's singular drive and purpose makes for a fascinating watch.
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| 3 |  |
PeaceAnarchy | 88 90th |
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A bit on the slow side, but the payoff is worth it and the slowness fits well with the subject of the film. Bresson is a master at taking a simple story and exploring humanity through that, and this is no difference. The main character's hope, patience and resourcefulness are central to the film.
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| 2 |  |
Moribunny | 88 96th |
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"Much remains to be discovered about film art, and some of it can be found in Un Condamn%uFFFD" wrote Francois Truffaut of this incomparable and timeless prison-break film, based on the true memoires of Andre Devigny and told with utmost straightforwardness.
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| 2 |  |
Okkervil | 94 99th |
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A wonder to behold, "A Man Escaped" is Bresson at his minimalist & simplistic best. It's hard to praise the writing & storyline of a film so simple, but that's not what this film is about. The last half of the film in particular is completely captivating, heart pounding & euphoric, as the tension just overflows. The performances feel real, not bursting with emotion, but they suit Bresson's style just perfectly. Finally a mention has to go to Bresson's use of light, which is just ingenious.
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| 2 |  |
Paxton | 91 98th |
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Referred to as "The Greatest Prison Escape Movie Ever!!!" Evidently someone didn't bother watching Let's Go to Prison, or Ernest Goes to Prison for that matter. You know what? This isn't the time for jokes. This movie was awesome. I'm still wondering over it.
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| 2 |  |
lisa- | 8 97th |
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baroque, symphonic, mechanical, precise. a riveting tale of escape is told with utmost simplicity and presented with a rare degree of elucidation and clarity. essentially faultless.
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| 1 |  |
Nathan S | 4 74th |
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Unembellished, methodical, shot with the right-angled and reverberating texture of cold, empty spaces built of steel and stone. Only Bresson could make such minimalism so expressionist. The sound design is par excellence.
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| 1 |  |
martryn | 90 93rd |
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For an old film, it's pretty fucking good. Very suspenseful there at the end. Beautifully done.
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| 1 |  |
frederic_g54 | 9 90th |
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If you loved 'Escape from Alcatraz' or 'The Shawshank Redemption', I highly recommend this film. Features a simple but gripping story, and a memorable lead character. A great piece of cinema.
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| 1 |  |
Icarus | 100 99th |
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An austere and complex film that deals primarily in oppositions: isolation/community, bondage/freedom, grace/judgment. Bresson masterfully builds the tension to a satisfying and subtly cathartic conclusion. He also uses multiple elements--such as brief bursts of Mozart, the interplay of light/shadow, and especially ellipses--to bring a sense of transcendence, of a world beyond this one, even as he consistently focuses the camera on the concrete and often minuscule details of the escape.
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| 1 |  |
Hadleyreis | 75 64th |
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The title is not misleading
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| 1 |  |
Tweedale | 8 79th |
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He certainly did
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| 1 |  |
DavidBlast | 80 80th |
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Slow, low key prison drama that entertains throughout. Look out for an involuntarily funny 'Nosferatu' moment; you'll know it when you see it.
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| 1 |  |
billkerwin | 100 99th |
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This most gripping of prison escape movies is also a subtle affirmation of human solidarity and spirituality. Sparse, laconic direction, with a magnificent use of light and shadow that makes the most expert film noir seem garish and empty by comparison.
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| 1 | ToddBolondz | 62 40th |
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Looks like they fucked with the wrong guy.
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| 1 |  |
hotsake | 66 65th |
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A very thoughtful and thorough movie about a man determined to escape and how he goes about it. It was just too bad I didn't find any of the characters engaging, so while I was interested I was never really invested.
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| 1 | Nepeta | 100 99th |
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It's amazing, but it's just so pared down to the bare essentials that it is hard to say much about it. I will say though that I found it heartstoppingly tense throughout, utterly gripping, and as I say it is really stripped back to what needs to be there and nothing more.
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| Average Percentile 78.53% from 1375 Ratings |  |