Cinema
Le Trou
Jacques Becker · 1960
Synopsis
At the Santé prison in Paris, Claude Gaspard, a polite and discreet inmate, is transferred to a cell where four men are awaiting heavy sentences. His companions soon reveal their plan to him: to break through the floor of the cell to reach the prison's underground passages and escape. The work goes on with the five of them, with improvised tools, and the film follows step by step their slow progress through the obstacles of the prison.
Context
The film is taken from José Giovanni's novel published in 1957, inspired by a real escape attempt at La Santé in 1947, in which Jean Keraudy had taken part. He plays a part in the film and appears before the camera at the start. Most of the other performers were not professional actors, such as Michel Constantin and Philippe Leroy. No music accompanies the story. Becker died while he was finishing the editing.
Who it is for
More than two hours, in black and white; the digging scenes are filmed in their full duration.
Prizes and reception
Its author's last film, restored in 4K in 2017 and shown again in cinemas, notably by the Harvard Film Archive in 2024.
Sources for this page 7
The pages consulted to check this page.