Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Director Robert Bresson's 'A Man Escaped' is the real-life story of André Devigny, a member of the French Resistance sent to Montluc prison by the Nazis, and is true to history. The style is stark and minimalistic, and while that doesn't necessarily make it dated, I suspect it had much larger impact in 1956, just a decade after the war, than it does today (artistically and emotionally). There are moments of real tension, starting with when the protagonist gets another prisoner assigned to his cell and wonders how to proceed with his escape plans, one option being to kill him. There are unfortunately also moments of tedium. Bresson is honest to the experience of imprisonment, but that doesn't make for riveting viewing. The Nazi guards seem remarkably absent - we see them at times administering punishment briefly, or bringing food, but they are in the background, and if the film wasn't based on a true story, you might think it unrealistically so. That may be part of the point, that there is an interior battle here, to never surrender hoping, to not give in, and to be brave, but when it's combined with under-stated emotion from the actors, I think it takes away from the realism that Bresson was striving for. I wish the ending could have been expanded upon as well. A solid film, but not one I'd want to watch again, or recommend without reservations.

There is something about prison movies n movies about prisoners of war. Their heroes r the biggest underdogs. The risk of any escape is thrilling. Their villains, especially Nazis r the most despicable ones. As a fan of such films n having seen most of them, i was excited to see this film. This movie has been on my radar for a very long time. Finally got a DVD copy. The film tells the story of André Devigny, a French resistance fighter who was imprisoned n was to be executed by the Nazis. The character is played by a non professional actor, François Leterrier. The film is written and directed by Robert Bresson (known for his minimalist film n non professional actors), this movie is one of his finest work. The film is very simple n the plan is meticulously described right from the start. The prison doesn't hav cctv, automatic doors, back up plan, guards patrolling day n night but inspite of all this the tension is maintained. The escape sequences are tremendously intense. The violent events in the film are all off screen, the jump from the car, the beating of the prisoners, the executions n the killing of the guard. All this off screen is enough for us to feel the turmoil of the characters

A MAN ESCAPED is a great war drama about despair and unbearable circumstances from which a man tries to escape. The main protagonist is an activist of the resistance movement. He was arrested after one action. After the initial shock, the young man begins to plan an escape from prison, and he moves in a race against time because his enemies threaten him with liquidation.The story is honest and realistic in many segments. The plot is, if we ignore the mystical introduction, very simple. Scenery is confined to a very small space, which directly contributes to an increased sense of fear, despair and anxiety of the main character. Mr. Bresson made the film without specific decorations, classic turnaround and growing tensions. Simply, the focus is on the prisoner who tried to escape. The plot is realistic and spontaneous. One young man must choose between life and certain death. He was on his own in the inner monologue on the difficult road to knowledge. François Leterrier as Lieutenant Fontaine is calm and dedicated to the inner struggle. His performance is impressive. It's hard to believe that he is not a professional actor. His appearance is unreal and convincing. This is evident in his haggard and engrossed face, bloody shirt and torn stockings.This film is a reflection of a cruel experience. One man in a desperate, depressed and uncertain fight for his life, or perhaps some form of redemption.

Jean Luc-Godard once said "Robert Bresson is French cinema, as Dostoevsky is the Russian novel and Mozart is the German music". Why, then, are Bresson's films so relatively neglected outside his native France? Perhaps the answer can be found in Bresson's philosophy of employing mainly non-professional actors, or his conscious choice to use lots of naturalistic sound in his films rather than hiring composers to pour dramatic scoring over the action. Whatever the explanation, Bresson's films are well worth seeking out. Arguably the best of all – and the one most likely to hook newcomers to the director's work – is Un condamné à mort s'est échappé ou Le vent soufflé où il veut, known in English-speaking countries simply as A Man Escaped. It is an incredible film, viewable on one level as a taut escape story but equally viewable as a metaphorical story of hope and salvation.Fontaine (François Leterrier) is a member of the French Resistance during WWII. Captured by the Nazis, he is taken to the notorious prison of Fort Montluc near Lyon. After attempting to escape in transit, only to be recaptured, Fontaine is soon incarcerated at Montluc on the first floor of the jail. He is confined to his cell but also handcuffed for good measure. Later he is moved up to the top floor of the jail, considered so inescapable that there is no longer any need for his handcuffs, which are promptly removed. Fontaine gradually establishes that the cell doors are made of sub-standard wood and manages to steal an iron spoon one meal-time which he uses to painstakingly dismantle the door, putting it back together as he goes to prevent his escape plans from being detected. When Fontaine learns that he is soon to be executed, his need to escape becomes more urgent than ever. The plan is jeopardised when a new prisoner is moved into the same cell – a young German deserter named François Jost (Charles Le Clainche). Fontaine is unsure whether he can trust Jost and faces a terrible dilemma… should he tell the young man about his planned escape and risk failure, or kill him to ensure secrecy (and in so doing sacrifice his moral dignity)?Based on the true memoirs of P.O.W. Andre Devigny, A Man Escaped is brilliantly tense throughout. Much of the film passes wordlessly, capturing the methodical perseverance with which Fonatine works on his escape, emphasising the aching silence within the jail so as to make every scratch of Fontaine's spoon a potentially fatal giveaway sound. No film has ever used silence to generate such tension, but Bresson does it magnificently – there are moments where you almost feel the hero's heartbeat might be loud enough to scupper his plan. The excitement is almost unbearable and, better still, is sustained for long segments of the film. Léonce-Henri Burel's cinematography is excellent throughout, capturing a sparse and desolate atmosphere which seems to emanate from the prison wall itself. The performances are remarkable too – even more so considering that the leads are all non-professionals – with Leterrier in particular commanding attention as the grimly determined Fontaine. A Man Escaped is a masterpiece – one of the greatest French films of all- time, one of the greatest prison break films of all-time and one of the greatest hope-in-the-face-of-adversity films of all-time. The sooner it is rediscovered by modern audiences, the better.