For a film thats main spoiler is the title itself, Bresson still manages to maintain a high level of suspense from the opening credits until the closing scene. This is due to the minimalistic nature of the film, the cinematography and dialogue are barebones so that every detail we are shown is purposeful and undeniably part of Fontaine's plan, and although an inexperienced actor at the time, the pathos demonstrated through François Leterrier and the persistence of his character make every little victory a meaningful landmark towards the inevitable escape.

Those who have been brought up on Hollywood prison escape films may find their patience tried by "A Man Escaped." This isn't an especially dramatic prison break movie, and we don't learn much about the main character, certainly not enough to have a huge rooting interest in him. We want him to escape because he's been imprisoned by Germans during WWII and we know the Germans were the bad guys in that conflict, but we don't think much about it beyond that. The bulk of the film details the meticulous and even rather mundane preparations that accompany this particular escape -- breaking apart a wooden door with nothing more than a spoon, making a rope out of whatever found objects one can re-purpose. I honestly wasn't that in to this movie. I appreciated its minimalist approach and its depiction of an escape as the way it would much more likely be in real life rather than the histrionic scenarios we've seen play out in other movies. But those very same qualities also by definition make it a bit less exciting. I realized that maybe what I want out of my prison break movies are unrealistic Hollywood trappings after all.Grade: B

From director Robert Bresson (Pickpocket, Au Hasard Balthazar, L'Argent), I read about this film as an entry in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, and it definitely, from the critic ratings and descriptions, sounded like a great film. Basically, set during the time of the Second World War, French Resistance member Lieutenant Fontaine (François Leterrier) is captured by the Nazis and is being taken to Montluc prison in Lyon, he attempts an escape when the car travelling is forced to stop, but he is apprehended and beaten, and handcuffed while incarcerated. He is at first in a cell on the first floor of the prison, and out of his window he is able to communicate with three French men who exercise in the courtyard, they obtain a safety pin for him and he is able to unlock his handcuffs, but this is pointless as he is soon moved to a cell on the top floor and no longer wears the handcuffs. Fontaine, now on the top floor in cell 107, notices that the boards in his jail door are joined together with low quality wood, so using an iron spoon he took after a meal he starts to chip away at the wood, after working for weeks he is able to remove three boards, walk around the hallway, and then return to his cell with the door restored. Another prisoner trying to escape is Orsini (Jacques Ertaud), but his attempt is unsuccessful as at the second wall his rope broke, he is beaten by the guards and tossed back in his cell, he is sentenced to be executed in a few days, but Fontaine is not dissuaded to continue his escape plan, using the light fitting in his cell he has made a hook and with old blankets made a rope, he fastens these together with wire from his bed. Following fellow prisoners concerned that Fontaine is taking too long to plan an escape, he is informed in headquarters that he will be executed, and returning to his cell he is soon joined by sixteen year old German army recruit cell mate François Jost (Charles Le Clainche), Fontaine is unsure whether to trust him, he has to decide whether to kill him or take him with him during his escape, the young man wants to escape also, so he is trusted. With the plan ready to go, Fontaine and Jost access the roof of the jail building, and slowly they use the hooks and ropes to climb down to the courtyard, killing the Nazi guard in their way, and then they climb over the wall and make it through an adjacent building, the film ends with the two men successfully walking out of the prison undetected. Also starring Roland Monod as Priest and Maurice Beerblock as Blanchet. Leterrier is a good choice as the leading character imprisoned and condemned, the story of this film is based on the memoirs of real life Montluc prison escapee André Devigny, the scenes were all filmed in the actual prison, and the film is full of mostly unprofessional actors, I agree films like Birdman of Alcatraz, Escape from Alcatraz and The Shawshank Redemption are indebted to this classic and fantastic prison drama. It was nominated the BAFTA for Best Film from any Source. Very good!

Robert Bresson's "A Man Escaped" is perfect. He's one of my most favorite filmmakers. His style is very austere; he eschews flamboyant camera work in favor of the rudimentary. I really enjoy Bresson's catalog.The film begins with the protagonist, Fontaine (Francois Leterrier), in the back seat of a police car and on the verge of attempting to escape by opening the door. Just as in the later prison break, Fontaine hesitates to the point where you wonder if he will do it. He does and is immediately arrested. Instead of following Fontaine on the street, Bresson remains with the police officer who is expressionless throughout Fontaine's capture. Reducing everything potentially of visual interest is Bresson's unique style, and it works.Fontaine has been beaten when he arrives at the prison, and he will wear his bloody shirt for the rest of the film. The initial scenes of Fontaine in his cell are hellish. Leterrier's narration informs us that Fontaine expects to be executed. Bresson's austere style makes this seem plausible.Fortunately for him, the French Resistance knows where he is and a stranger who paces the courtyard (with two other men) befriends Fontaine. The narration reminds us that Fontaine has to trust this stranger with secrets that are potentially fatal to others if intercepted by the Gestapo.The Germans in "Man Escaped" are ruthless. There is never the possibility that they will behave as stupidly as the Germans do in "The Great Escape" or "Hogan's Heroes." Bresson makes them real. Here the Germans are shooting spies and three of Fontaine's prison allies will face a firing squad.When Fontaine is moved to another cell he discovers a flaw in the cell's door. He begins slowly carving out the panels, trying not to make too much noise. Early on his actions are opposed by the rest of his cell block. As Fontaine gets closer to making his prison break, the other block members begin telling him he's moving too slow! Fontaine is taken to the Hotel Terminus where his death sentence is read by an unseen official. Fontaine is terrified that he will be either killed on the spot or taken to another cell. He isn't.As Fontaine gets closer to the break out the minimalist dialogue between him and the other cell block members is really strong. A final complication emerges when another man, Jost (Charles Le Clainche), joins Fontaine's cell. Fontaine fears that he is a spy. He has to make his break and can't figure out where Jost stands.The prison break is wildly suspenseful and fairly realistic. Fontaine and Jost have to wait long stretches before taking their next steps. There is a lot of suspense, and Bresson's camera is making it seem real.Bresson really understands Devigny's memoir and renders it perfectly. This is the best prison break movie ever made by a large margin.