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Le Trou
Four prison inmates have been hatching a plan to literally dig out of jail when another prisoner, Claude Gaspard, is moved into their cell. They take a risk and share their plan with the newcomer. Over the course of three days, the prisoners and friends break through the concrete floor using a bed post and begin to make their way through the sewer system -- yet their escape is anything but assured.
Release : | 1964 |
Rating : | 8.5 |
Studio : | Filmsonor, Play Art, |
Crew : | Assistant Decorator, Assistant Decorator, |
Cast : | Michel Constantin Jean Keraudy Philippe Leroy Raymond Meunier Marc Michel |
Genre : | Drama Thriller Crime |
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Reviews
Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
Simply A Masterpiece
Fantastic!
The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.
I was not familiar with any of Becker's other films when I decided to check out Le Trou at Film Forum theatre the other day, and of course now will be seeking out his other films. I found Le Trou to be both super interesting and entertaining. Le Trou contains very few, if any of the traditional characters and storylines that seem to be requisite for modern day prison films (the corrupt guards who abuse their power and the inmates, the inmates who have an 'in' with someone in the prison system and get away with murder - literally and figuratively - the prisoner who everyone else picks on mercilessly, the 'king' inmate who everyone fears and really runs the place etc.) No , this is a very different prison film, very straightforward with no prison film cliches. Apparently most of the actors were non-professionals, but they were all great, believable, and likable. Also, there are many inmates to one room/cell, which creates a very strong bond amongst those sharing the cell and it's this grouping together that for me gave the film a kind of unique intimacy. Some reviewers complained about the loud banging as the prisoners tried to tunnel their way out, but I didn't even notice it, everything seemed natural and right to me. Le Tour is suspenseful and engaging throughout.
My son was 14 years old when he saw that movie for the first time. That was 2 years ago, in 2010, so this film had 50 years when he saw it. I tell everybody I can, that this movie became one of my son's favorites, and I tell this because I consider important, so far, that people do not think that today's cinema is the best and the only one that young people can like, but that youth have lots of old movies to discover, lots of good moments to share with adults and with other young people, discovering many movies which were made without special effects, without high budgets, but with good "savoir-faire", great ideas, good actors and a big dose of love for the cinema. How many moments is losing today's youth with video-games and stupid teenager movies, when they have a great treasure to discover in such old movies.Since then, my son is ready to see the old movies which I propose to him, being sure he will have a good time that will remain etched in his memory.
How could anyone sit and watch a movie at the edge of their seats for the whole running time of the movie without the slightest clue as to what might happen next and flicking few beads of sweat after tense scenes? Well, i just did.This movie is by far the most thrilling movie i've ever seen. The plot is simple- four men plan to escape from a prison. How they execute their plan is what enthralled me. They are lead by Roland, an expert in forging keys, digging burrows, listen to the unheard, and is the chief planner of the escape route having through knowledge of the map of the prison. They safely conceal the burrow they dig under their room with stacks of cardboard and with every passing day they explore the unexplored routes through the uninhabited regions of the prison and all the men share the workload equally. The final frontier between emancipation and incarceration is a concrete wall that would lead them to the sewer which goes a couple of lanes past the prison. The dig an alternate route which is 10-foot long and after days of strenuous work they finally breach it. When they feel the next night is the opportune time to break-free, they are caught on time by a cordon of cops and are sent to solitary cells thanks to the information drawn from their new inmate Claude, who takes the bait laid by the Warden and blots out the clandestine plan of his new roommates.A movie that deserves the appreciation of all the movie critics and cinephiles in the world.
"Le Trou" begins with a new cell mate being moved to a new cell in the prison. Apparently they were doing some work in his cell and he and his cell mates were all split up and moved to new quarters. However, the guys already occupying the room have a secret--they've got a reasonably complicated escape plan. At first, they are apprehensive to let him in on the deal but soon realize that they are stuck with him and cannot proceed unless he, too, is part of their plan. The rest of the film consists of a meticulous and slow depiction of their tunnel. If you like heist films that show long and detailed plots, then this one is for you.Is this 'the greatest French film'? Probably not. But I could certainly see why Jean Pierre Melville would adore this movie, as its style is so close to his I might have believed he directed it--had I not known that it was actually directed by Jacques Becker. Like so many Melville films, this one excels in the realism department. And, like Melville, it's about crooks--and the film really focuses on them almost at the exclusion of all else. Now this sort of film does have one inherent problem--if you want to see a film where you can like the characters, then you'll have a hard time with this one. That's because the protagonists are all guys doing time in prison--so they are not exactly angels! As for me, I respected the film more than I liked the film. Simply put, I have seen several other prison films I have enjoyed more. Still, it's well worth seeing---particularly if you like French films, neo-realism (as the actors were real people--including some of the guys involved in the REAL escape about which this film is made) or prison flicks, then you'll most likely enjoy this film.