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trolley freak
27Oct11
This superlative and utterly gripping fact-based prison escape movie was influential director Jacques Becker's final film before his early death. Showing a remarkable attention to every intricate detail, the director's decision to use a cast of mainly non-professional actors and to not use any music pays off handsomely as a documentary-like effect is created. Truffaut hailed this film as a masterpiece. He was right..
Sudipto Basu
28Apr11
Grisbi interested me, this seals it. Jacques Becker is as firmly in my canon as more well-known French directors of his time like Melville. This really is an exercise in slow burn, like Neal says below. And that shot towards the end where all the guards huddle together is one of the greatest shot compositions ever committed to film!
Colin Landon
31Mar11
A fantastic film with really great pace and well thought out story telling. There are other great notable prison escape films like Great Escape and A Man Escaped, but this one is very underrated. Great suspense and you feel like the guards are gonna bust your escape at any moment. Classic.
NealEdelstein
24Nov10
Becker you are a madman and a genius. Le Trou is a study of the slooooow burn.
Güvenç Atsüren
20Aug10
The plot isn't shocking or very thrilling, you may not say that the acting is really fantastic, but directing is. After watching this, you should ask yourself "how many movies i watched which is better than Le Trou?"
Daniel S.
2Mar10
Excellent movie for sure. For the curious ones, let's note the performance of Catherine Spaak, who was 15 years old then, in the only feminine role of the film. Dear Catherine will later star in a substantial number of Italian and French productions such as Dario Argento's Cat o' Nine Tails or Pasquale Festa Campanile's the Libertine. Highly recommended.
Acerk21
30Dec09
This film often gets compared with Bresson's 'A Man Escaped' and the comparison is warranted. Both films are extremely focused, minimalistic, and free of any prison melodrama. However, I prefer 'Le Trou' simply because I found the story more engaging and was absolutely floored by the ending. It's certainly an unforgettable film that has somehow been forgotten.
Pierluigi Puccini
25Mar09
Five men propose themselves to start one of the most demanding and yearning tasks for any person in their condition: a flawless prison break. Jacques Becker's premature swansong is a riveting story of amazing simplicity and precision. The suspense displayed is unbearably tense and involving. An overlooked gem embedded by hope and camaraderie, with topnotch direction and performances.
Christopher
14Jan09
This film is absolutely fantastic and deserves its critical praise. Involving, tense, fascinating. The best prison break-out film ever, along with Bresson's 'A Man Escaped'.