A captured French Resistance fighter during World War II engineers a daunting escape from prison.
You can see much of where Tarkovsky got his patience from. The ending is given away by the title but somehow the last half hour / escape sequence is still, to quote another reviewer, unbearably suspenseful. I much prefer this Ian Curtis performance to anything he did for Joy Division.
Probably my favourite film from Robert Bresson, this tells the story of "Fontaine" (François Leterrier). He has been arrested by the Nazis on charges of spying and bombing, and is imprisoned without trial. His prognosis is not very good, but he is determined not to succumb to the fear and intimidation of his oppressors. One night in his cell, he observes that the door that holds him is made of oak and other, softer wood - can he find a way to escape before he faces the inevitable firing squad? It's the meticulous pace of this that is really effective. Leterrier is super as we, the audience, feel like we are sharing his daily risks. Day to day, never knowing whether he will survive. Surrounded by fellow inmates who may (or may not) be trustw...