A Man Escaped

Directed by ROBERT BRESSON

Starring FRANÇOIS LETERRIER CHARLES LE CLAINCHE MAURICE BEERBLOCK

1956

Released 20 AUGUST

Blu-ray

If the function of a horror movie is to strike fear into the heart most definitely fits into that category. There are no monsters, no jump scares, no puddles of blood or thunderous musical cues. It is instead the meticulously refined tale of a French resistance fighter named Fontaine (François Leterrier) who is jailed by Nazi occupying forces and who then plays a long, slow game in a bid for freedom. The sense of fear derives from the respect we develop for the ever-industrious Fontaine and knowing that – even though the title forewarns us of his eventual success – his life constantly hangs by a thread. We hear but seldom see the guards who stomp up and down the gangways, occasionally grabbing an inmate and sending them off for execution. It’s the simple fear of the unknown, of the presence behind the walls and even the world beyond the prison.