A little bit of "extra-junction"

Laverne 2022-01-12 08:01:19

Bresson's sharp way of mirroring: the lens keeps sweeping close-ups of body parts, doorknobs, windows, and other small objects, especially the protagonist's hand movements: reaching out, scratching, holding, twirling...

The protagonist’s external and internal narrations are interspersed with the development of the plot from time to time. The indifferent and restrained tone has a strong sense of alienation like memories, which enhances the documentary and chronological sense of the film: reminds the audience and the creator himself (Bresson was The Nazis are locked up in concentration camps), this is the horrible truth that happened in the prisons under the control of Nazi Germany during World War II. So, it's like waking up from a nightmare, everything has passed.

The actors also fully completed the task assigned by the director: to play their functional role as tools and objects in the movie. Repeated mechanical body movements without expression. It fits the sluggish obedience in prison and emphasizes a sense of collective loneliness.

Therefore, escape from prison seems to be a subconscious behavior of the male protagonist to dispel the boring monotony of prison life. Instigating young inmates to cooperate is just not to undermine their own plans, and threats and orders are also out of a certain kind of disgust rather than empathy. The help of the faceless old man outside the iron window symbolizes a certain traction in the hero's fantasy world, and the old man's determination makes it more convincing. But when the pursuit of freedom becomes blind obedience, it naturally makes people think about the meaning of existence itself: that is, the cry of nihility and symbolization. Escape from prison is the only choice that can be made by people who are both impoverished in reality and spirit.

The protagonist tries to escape from prison time and time again, thinking about plans. Gagging with inmates, being escorted to work by prison guards, queuing for meals, washing faces, etc. mirrored each other. It seems that if he doesn't do this, he will not be able to maintain a balance on the two ropes of reality and imagination, and if he doesn't pay attention, he will fall into the abyss of unimaginable and endless unknown.

There is essentially no difference between the prison and the outside. What numbs people's hearts is a sense of connection with the world, which is manifested in the interaction, conflict and even killing between people. The most terrifying thing is the boundless darkness and the absolutely unknown reality. For example, if the dead person can no longer see the world that others are accustomed to, the horror of this speculation will accompany the living person until death. I am not afraid that I will not be able to live on, but I am afraid that my life will go on like this.

Therefore, those who are calm and disciplined in the prison are sober "normal people." Just like in reality, whether it is to indulge in fantasy or use literature and art to escape from reality, it seems unnecessary and why bother. It also confirms the famous sentence that has been taken as a cliche: There is only one kind of true heroism in the world, that is, after seeing the truth of life, you still love life.

"Can a person regain his freedom when he is old?"-The protagonist looks out the window and meditates in his heart. Only when he was young, he felt that taking a step was like taking ten thousand steps. When the door was finally opened for the first time, the protagonist realized that he was greeted by the void that had already been prepared for him. Just as Kafka wrote in the fable in "The Door of the Law": The litigant tried all kinds of ways to enter the door. Before he died, he learned that the door had not been entered or exited for many years because it was only for He opened it alone, but he was not allowed to enter, and now it was about to be closed.

Bresson himself said: The art of cinema is all about suggestion. It is the stories outside the plot that are not drawn, that trigger the rich reverie of the audience.

At the end, the director cleverly used the sound of the train passing intermittently to cover the actions of the protagonist and inmates. Especially the last few shots of the finale are the author’s skills that are unprecedented and no imitators: the protagonist is leaning against the wall, and it takes two hands to completely cover the heartbeat. At the same time, he listens contemplatively to the sound of the prison guard behind the wall and guesses him. the behavior of. At this moment of helplessness, suddenly another train passed by, and the male protagonist made a move to control the enemy.

The futile despair that the two of them showed after they succeeded in escape shows that the only way to escape fate is to give up struggling, and the only way to eliminate fear is to jump out of the abyss and face the darkness. Just as the film ends with two people disappearing into the street in the night.

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Extended Reading
  • Octavia 2022-03-26 09:01:10

    If there is no intermission between the two films, it will definitely affect the viewing quality of the following film. Not the best résistance movie I've ever seen, but certainly the most concise

  • Cary 2022-03-21 09:02:46

    It's like listening to Francis talk about his own escape process. Although the process is really believable, it is also a little dull due to the lack of turbulent ups and downs. In comparison, it is the 1960 film "The Hole" with a gripping plot and ups and downs. "I am more impressed. As for the well-known "The Shawshank Redemption", a lot of space is spent on the living conditions of various people in prison, unlike "Death Row Escape" and "The Hole" are more pure escape movies.

A Man Escaped quotes

  • Le lieutenant Fontaine: I laughed nervously which soothed me.

  • Le lieutenant Fontaine: Do you believe in luck?

    François Jost: I used to. It didn't work out.

    Le lieutenant Fontaine: Maybe you're the one who blew it.