Movie #35: Released in 1956, directed by Robert Bresson, 101 minutes. New to me!

LetterBoxd Score: 4 stars

It’s a great procedural; every detail of how one escapes prison rendered in careful minimalism. Not only the bits you expect: how to get through the door, how to make a rope, how to do reconnaissance; but also some of the psychological and moral quandaries an escape attempt comes up against. Who to trust? Is it wrong to escape if your cellmates get punished for it?

The minimalist, non-romanticized setting works very well in a prison, which is of course naturally very spare. And the problem to be solved is inherently interesting.

So I found the movie continuously interesting. I was never bored. At the same time, I never really found it gripping. I wasn’t particularly stressed about the success or failure of the escape attempt. I think maybe that’s a consequence of Bresson’s decision to cast non-actors and get them to deliver their lines in non-inflected tones. It’s all too detached for me.

Side note: this movie feels like a real throwback. Like something from 10 years earlier. Especially coming right on the heels of The Searchers.

Why would someone think it’s one of the ten greatest films ever made?

The spare style is an innovation, and of course it’s consistently interesting. But not one that would make my list.

Next: Vertigo