a man escaped (1956)

my third bresson, and in the shape of his most lauded work; his masterpiece if you will. "a man escaped; or: the wind bloweth where it listeth" to give it its full title tells the story of fontaine, a fighter for the resistance in frnace during the second world war. arrested and sentenced to death, fontaine hatches a plan to escape. his plan is meticulously detailed, from using spoons as a carving tool, to converting shirts into rope.

the film is told completely from the point of view of the protagonist, even going as far to not translate what the german soldiers are saying to him (presumably to immerse us in his experience further, considering it is unlikely that he would have spoken the language himself). every piece of on screen action is seen from his perspective, lending great dramatic weight. as such the narration is incredibly detailed, with our protagonist pointing out ach and every detail. the narration is synched really well with the on screen action, with it at times seeming as though we are listening in on fontaine's trail of thought. francois leterrier, as the eponymous man of the title is incredible in the role,lending a subtlety to a very complex character.

as with bresson's previous work "a man escaped" carries a heavy religious subtext, although not as overtly positive as the one exued within "au hasard balthazar". through his uncertainties with religion we are shown a side of fontaine that is unique to this alone. the normally arogant or cocksure man seems silenced in a way.

the sound of the film is largely dependant on that of the sound of the environment. at times mozart's "mass in c minor" accompanies integral parts of the story, and is especially strong at the end of the film. the triumph of the music adds layers to the achievement of fontaine. having followed his plan in painstaking detail, we, as the viewer can relate to the music in a triumphant manner too, having followed the plan in intimate quarters.