LE TROU (Becker, 1960) - It’s always nice, after being disappointed by a classic, to find another one that you absolutely love. Or maybe love isn’t the right word: I was mesmerized by this movie, with all its emphasis on practical details and all its repetition: the four screen shots above are from one continuous sequence, but three different corridors - there’s no elision or montage here, just careful observation. It sounds boring, perhaps, but instead it illustrates just how much time, determination and hard work is involved for these five prisoners looking for a way out.
The French are good at prison escape movies (UN CONDAMNE A MORT S’EST ECHAPPE, GRAND ILLUSION), just as good as they are at the genre’s twin, heist movies. One involves people who want to get out, the other people who want to get in, but what many of the French instances share is a focus on the sheer work involved, the dozens of steps to go through, the required skills. Many, of course, also have the possibility of betrayal hanging over them: the protagonists have to work together and even trust each other, but trust is a dangerous thing.
