A Man Escaped (1956) by Robert Bresson — Movie Discussion

A French Resistance fighter awaits a death sentence for espionage in a stark Nazi prison in Lyon, France. Facing malnourishment and paralyzing fear, he plots an extraordinary escape, complicated by questions of whom to trust, and what lies beyond the small portion of the prison he is housed in.

"A work of intense spirituality and humanity." (Criterion)

"A genuinely moving encounter with limits and the need to transcend them. It is a true action film." (Judy Bloch)

"This prison-break study is Bresson at his most starkly essential: a man, four walls, his ingenuity, and the mysterious inflections of fate... Perhaps most remarkably, Bresson (himself a former prisoner of war) conveys how the significance of everything is transformed by incarceration; sounds offer information, and objects become potential tools for escape." (Sight and Sound)

------------------------------------------------------------------

Let's discuss the movie A Man Escaped (1956) by Robert Bresson, based on a true story of an imprisoned French Resistance activist. The film was recently voted the 95th greatest movie of all time in Sight and Sound's international survey of film critics and experts, and the 41st greatest of all time in the related poll of film directors.

Please watch the movie in advance.

You can stream it here (check the settings in the video player for English subtitles and to adjust video quality) or rent it on various platforms online (for best quality.)

A trailer.

Check out other film discussions in the group on Fridays, Mondays, and occasionally other days. We are discussing Singin' in the Rain on Friday June 30.