A Man Escaped

"Robert Bresson's Prize Winning Film"

1956 1h 41m FR

🙌

8.0

BANGER

★8.0TMDB · 640

DramaThriller

Synopsis

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A captured French Resistance fighter during World War II engineers a daunting escape from prison.

“Robert Bresson's Prize Winning Film”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

François Leterrier
Fontaine
Charles Le Clainche
Jost
Maurice Beerblock
Blanchet
Roland Monod
Priest of Leiris
Jacques Ertaud
Orsini
Jean Paul Delhumeau
Hebrard
Roger Treherne
Terry
Jean Philippe Delamarre
Le Prisonnier 110

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Bresson
Writers: Robert Bresson, Robert Bresson
Languages: German, French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

70 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Bresson, shot by Léonce-Henri Burel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Raymond Lamy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

François Leterrier and Charles Le Clainche and Maurice Beerblock carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Robert Bresson's Prize Winning Film".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0049902 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Bresson directs. Léonce-Henri Burel behind the camera. Raymond Lamy cuts. Produced in France. Dialogue in German, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

170 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, French.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Robert Bresson, shot by Léonce-Henri Burel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Raymond Lamy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6François Leterrier and Charles Le Clainche and Maurice Beerblock carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Robert Bresson's Prize Winning Film".
8IMDB entry: tt0049902 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 16 themes, including "prison", "nazi", "escape", "world war ii".
10Released under 14 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Léonce-Henri Burel
Editing: Raymond Lamy
Production design: Pierre Charbonnier
Runtime: 101 min · 1h 41m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: FR
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: A Man Escaped (1956)

Also by

Robert Bresson

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Community reviews

What people are saying

tmdb476334912018-04-07
★ 8/10
You can see much of where Tarkovsky got his patience from. The ending is given away by the title but somehow the last half hour / escape sequence is still, to quote another reviewer, unbearably suspenseful. I much prefer this Ian Curtis performance to anything he did for Joy Division.
CinemaSerf2022-12-25
★ 7/10
Probably my favourite film from Robert Bresson, this tells the story of "Fontaine" (François Leterrier). He has been arrested by the Nazis on charges of spying and bombing, and is imprisoned without trial. His prognosis is not very good, but he is determined not to succumb to the fear and intimidation of his oppressors. One night in his cell, he observes that the door that holds him is made of oak and other, softer wood - can he find a way to escape before he faces the inevitable firing squad? It's the meticulous pace of this that is really effective. Leterrier is super as we, the audience, feel like we are sharing his daily risks. Day to day, never knowing whether he will survive. Surrounded by fellow inmates who may (or may not) be trustworthy. When he is unexpectedly saddled with a room-mate his choices and options become limited and imperative - and right to the very end, we are never quite certain as to what the denouement may bring. Mozart could never have imagined that his "Kyrie" and his "Agnus Dei" pieces could ever have been used to such chilling effects and the whole film just reeks of peril and authenticity right from the start. If you get a chance to see it on a big screen, then I'd heartily recommend you take it - it's only 100 minutes, but they are intense and compelling.
kenhall05@btinternet.com2026-03-30
★ 8/10
a story of incredible courage and resourcefulness.Inspired to do some research as to what happened to the main character Andre Devigny. He was recaptured in Spain and managed to escape again