A Man Escaped
(Un condamné à mort s’est échappé, ou Le vent souffle où il veut)
With François Leterrier, Charles Le Clainche, Maurice Beerblock.
France, 1956, 35mm, black & white, 99 min.
French with English subtitles.
Print source: HFA
A Man Escaped tells the true story of a Frenchman’s escape from a German prison camp during World War II. Although the title reveals the film’s denouement, the taut filmmaking keeps viewers on the edge of their seats throughout, suspense deriving from process and ritual rather than narrative surprise. Bresson restricts himself to the point of view of the imprisoned Fontaine, whose limited visual environment and precise focus on minute details introduces the subtractive practice that Bresson will bring to all his subsequent work, wherein any character, incident, location or object not considered essential is banished. As such, the film serves as a brilliant introduction to Bresson’s style and central themes. The films subtitle, Le vent souffle où il veut, could be translated as “Whatever Will Be, Will Be.” Taken together, the two parts of the title sum up a central tension in Bresson’s work: that between free will and predetermination. —David Pendleton
Part of film series
Screenings from this program
The Silence of the Sea
Le deuxième souffle
