A MAN ESCAPED
France, 1957, 99 minutes, Black and white.
Francois Letterier, Charles Le Clainche.
Directed by Robert Bresson.
'A Man Condemned to Death has Escaped' or 'The Spirit Blows Where it Wills' is a fifties film by noted French director, Robert Bresson. Director of such films as 'The Women of the Woods of Boulogne' 'The Trial of Joan of Are', 'Pickpocket', 'The Diary of a Country Priest', Bresson is an austere director who is also committed to a Catholic view of life.
Taking a true story from the war, Bresson focuses on the achievement of one man in an isolated prison with the goal of freedom and the exertion that he makes for escape. With minute attention to detail and the process within the mind of Fontaine, the hero, and his dexterity in achieving what he set out to do, Bresson takes us into the world of victimization and imprisonment. By a planned blend of objective viewing and subjective feeling, he makes us share in the experience of the escape.
1. The reputation of this film? The work of Robert Bresson? His reputation for austerity, objectivity and subjectivity? His style, content, humanity, religious outlook?
2. The importance of techniques and audience involvement, distancing from the film? The technique of black and white photography with the emphasis on light and shadow? So much at night? The constant use of close-ups, the confined spaces, the subjective view from Fontaine's cell? The limits of his view of life in the prison? Fade-outs and fade-ins etc.?
3. The use of Fontaine's narrative, his commentary, the observations he made, the communication of feeling and tension, his tone of voice? Audience response to Fontaine's speaking?
4. The facts on which the story was based? The particularly French aspects of the story? The French experience of the war and German occupation? The film and morale boosting for the enterprise of the human spirit? Bresson's comment that he made the film without embellishment of the original story?
5. The full title? The alternate title of "The Spirit Blows Where It Wills"? The reference to John, chapter 3, the quotation of this in the washroom, of Fontaine to his pessimistic neighbour? God spirit, the human spirit?
6. The atmosphere of the opening, the introduction to the prisoners in the car, Fontaine's thinking and expressions indicating his will to escape, the possibilities, his attempt and its lack of success? Our waiting in the car with the other passenger for Fontaine's return?
7. His being imprisoned, the picturing of the cell, our getting to know the cell very well, Fontaine's description, his use of all the implements in the cell for his means to escape? The door opening, the view from the door, from the peep hole? The pessimistic man in the cell next door? Fontaine and the effect of living so long within the cell?
8. The contrast with the scenes outside, the regimented marching down the stairs, the files of men, the washroom, the directives to stop talking, the brief contacts and communication? The discreet picturing of the German guards yet their constant presence?
9. The portrait of the other prisoners, the people who Fontaine could speak to, the story of Orsini and his wife? The padre? The pessimistic neighbour and the frequent scenes of discussion from the two windows? The importance of the windows for Fontaine? The introduction of Jost, suspicion of him, communication with him, his inevitable collaboration with Fontaine?
10. Themes of time, the great attention and detail of Fontaine's making all his implements, the reason for making them, testing them out, his ingenuity and his dexterity?
11. The importance of the visit to the Tribunal, his being condemned to death, the ride home?
12. The impact of Jost coming in the cell, communicating with him, testing him out, his story, the basis of trust in him?
13. The long sequences of the escape itself, tension, Fontaine's commentary, the time passing, the sentries, the noises? hiding, the decision to kill the guard? Jost and his mistakes, his help? Fontaine not being able to achieve escaping by himself, man's reliance on others? Jost's comment about his mother seeing him at the end? The sense of liberation and freedom?
14. Audience interest in and identification with themes of imprisonment, oppression, man as victim, suffering, torture, execution and death, the need for freedom, freedom as a goal for exertion, choices? The attention to detail in communicating an atmosphere of imprisonment and the need for escaping?
