Il buco
Directed by:
Jacques BeckerCinematography:
Ghislain CloquetComposer:
Philippe ArthuysCast:
Michel Constantin, Jean Keraudy, Philippe Leroy, Marc Michel, Raymond Meunier, Paul Pavel, Catherine Spaak, Philippe Dumat, Dominique Zardi, Gérard Hernandez (more)Plots(1)
1947. A young man, Gaspard Claude (Marc Michel), is convicted for the attempted murder of his wife, although he is innocent of the crime. He is sent to the notorious Santé Prison in Paris and is placed in a cell with four hardened criminals. The latter have decided to escape from the prison by digging their way out of their cell. Reluctantly, they take Gaspard into their confidence and labour digging their way out of their cell. Then, just when escape appears certain, Gaspard is called away to see the prison governor. (StudioCanal UK)
(more)Reviews (2)
Even though it's dragging, even though it's minimally action-packed, this is a film that will entertain you. The characters will captivate you because they are extremely well written, directed, and performed. You might not even realize that they are non-actors. The director manages to portray almost every scene brilliantly, and all of them are appropriately intense in his pace.
()
If you compare the globally known pop culture phenomenon Prison Break and this classic black and white film from the 1950s, the film version is clearly better. It manages to deliver a realistic and immensely emotive story of the escape of five prisoners from a French prison on a significantly smaller scale. These are not cheap and convoluted script twists, but a functional and clever screenplay with strong characters and a strikingly cynical ending. The film may not be flawless, but it's just a matter of minor details. The French simply know how to make films. Overall impression: 90%.
()
Ads