Claude Gaspard (Marc Michel) is sent to a prison where he’s introduced to his four cellmates; they soon feel compelled to invite him into their plan to break out. The director’s last film became one of his best liked, a drama inspired by real events in the 1940s where a group of prisoners in Paris tried to dig themselves out. The filmmakers take a documentary approach, chronicling the hard work in long scenes, perhaps to an excessively nerdy degree. There’s no music score, but still plenty of tension. An unusual film because of the amiable way the guards and prisoners are depicted, but eventually reality catches up with everyone.
1960-France. 132 min. B/W. Produced by Serge Silberman. Directed by Jacques Becker. Screenplay: Jacques Becker, José Giovanni, Jean Aurel. Novel: José Giovanni (”The Break”). Cast: Michel Constantin (Geo Cassine), Marc Michel (Claude Gaspard), Jean Keraudy (Roland Darbant), Philippe Leroy, Raymond Meunier, Jean-Paul Coquelin.
Trivia: Alternative title: The Hole. First released in the U.S. as The Night Watch. Leroy’s character was based upon Giovanni. Keraudy actually took part in the escape attempt; he also plays himself in the opening scene.
