A Man Escaped by Robert Bresson: A Shot Analysis

Bresson uses the windows of the car as his only method of giving the audience a glimpse of the action on the outside, such as the gu

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ard getting out of the other car and running and the guards returning with Fontaine. Here, sound is very important to the scene. Bresson alludes to the fact that all the other prisoners have lost faith and feel their doom is imminent, while Fontaine continually tries to escape and is constantly hoping and searching for freedom. The prisoner next to Fontaine has an aura of disillusionment, as if he knows what will happen.

Additionally, the camera remains fixed in the same position when Fontaine runs, leaving space in the frame for Fontaine’s return. Bresson doesn’t include Fontaine’s original arrest in the movie and he won’t let the viewers see his second arrest. He does not look up when Fontaine jumps out of the car; his stare is empty and at nothing in particular.

An important tool that Bresson uses throughout the film is off-screen space. In A Man Escaped, he wanted to take away that freedom from the camera and from the audience. The camera does not follow Fontaine escaping because it is a prisoner in the car as well. Like the man next to Fontaine, the camera stays still and ignores everything else, not wanting to draw attention. The sounds in the scene dictate the feeling, similar to the scene later in the film when Fontaine overpowers a guard. Therefore, he makes the audience listen to the action and imagine what is happening as if they were listening through a prison wall. In most of the scenes throughout the movie, sound is important.

Common topics in this essay:
Robert Bresson, throughout film, , bresson action, tries escape, off-screen space,

Approximate Word count = 575
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

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