Overview
A gripping tale of survival and cunning unfolds behind prison walls as one man fights for freedom.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- austere
- tense
- contemplative
- focused film night
- arthouse viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Bresson's austere, meticulously observed prison drama as a masterful and extraordinarily suspenseful account of resistance, resourcefulness, and spiritual endurance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Fontaine studies the oak door, fashions tools from scarce objects, and constructs a rope while the escape depends on precise physical processes.
The restrained performances, quiet prison routines, and prolonged preparation make the impending execution intensely suspenseful.
Fontaine’s ordeal includes prayer, the presence of a priest, and uncertainty over whether Jost can be trusted.
Bresson’s controlled black-and-white compositions, sparse staging, and understated acting give the prison experience a factual austerity.
Films like A Man Escaped, and why
Le Trou
shared austere prison setting, meticulous escape mechanics, spiritual seriousness, and sustained suspense
The Night of the Generals
shared World War II imprisonment, resistance drama, moral gravity, and humanist focus
The Great Escape
shared black-and-white wartime imprisonment, resourcefulness under oppression, and documentary-like realism
Pickpocket
shared contemplative pacing, existential confinement, and rigorously controlled visual style
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Bresson
- Release Date
- 1956-11-11
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 8.0 / 10 (640)
Cast
- François Leterrier
- Charles Le Clainche
- Maurice Beerblock
- Roland Monod
- Jacques Ertaud
- Jean Paul Delhumeau
- Roger Treherne
- Jean Philippe Delamarre
- Jacques Oerlemans
- Klaus Detlef Grevenhorst
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Man Escaped about?
- A condemned Resistance fighter turns patience, ingenuity, and fragile trust into a meticulously suspenseful bid for freedom from a Nazi prison.
- What is A Man Escaped like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Man Escaped as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is A Man Escaped violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in A Man Escaped as moderate.
- What did critics think of A Man Escaped?
- Critics broadly regard Bresson's austere, meticulously observed prison drama as a masterful and extraordinarily suspenseful account of resistance, resourcefulness, and spiritual endurance.
- Which films are like A Man Escaped?
- Films with a similar feel include Le Trou, The Night of the Generals, The Great Escape, and Pickpocket.
- How long is A Man Escaped?
- A Man Escaped runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Man Escaped?
- In United States, A Man Escaped streams on Criterion Channel.
