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Information

A.k.a.
Le Trou
Year
1960
Runtime
131 min.
Director
Jacques Becker
Genres
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Rating *
8.5
Votes *
7,411
Checks
3,763
Favs
911
Dislikes
17
Favs/checks
24.2% (1:4)
Favs/dislikes
54:1
* View IMDb information

Top comments

  1. JStein's avatar

    JStein

    Very well done prison escape movie. I love the amount of time they spend showing them actually digging / filing away at things. It should be so monotonous but it ends up being very immersing. 10 years 7 months ago
  2. K.'s avatar

    K.

    Warning! Spoilers ahead.

    Jacques Becker - "The fascinating thing about this story is that it is completely true. About ten years ago, I read a newspaper account of an attempted escape from La Santé Prison and of how five prisoners spent four months digging their way into the Paris sewers. They were caught within minutes of freedom because one of them betrayed the plan to the prison authorities. The ingenuity of their scheme and the courage of the undertaking intrigued me both as a man and as a filmmaker. I prepared a rough draft of a scenario based on the incident; however, due to a previous work commitment, I had to set it aside. Several years later, I discovered that José Giovanni had used the same story as the basis for a best-selling novel. My interest in the project was immediately rekindled. I contracted the book's publisher (Gallimard) and expressed my interest in the screen rights to the novel. Giovanni, himself a former prisoner, was most particular about how his book should be filmed and we spent many long hours discussing the project. Finally, the author agreed that I should make the film and he became my principal collaborator in the preparation of the screenplay. So that the film could be as authentic as possible, we enlisted as technical consultants three members of the original escape who, having served their sentences, were now living in Paris. Among these three men was Jean Keraudy, who plays Roland in the film.

    In keeping with our aim to make Le trou totally realistic, I cast the five leading roles with nonprofessional actors. I avoided 'known' personalities because I wanted five men audiences could identify as real people and not as stars 'play-acting' in a new part.

    I desired the same sense of naturalism which Vittorio De Sica obtained so perfectly from his amateur players in The Bicycle Thief. Most of the film was shot in the sections of La Santé where the original escape attempt had taken place. Our studio sets, built under the supervision of our three experts, were authentic to the smallest detail.

    During the three months of filming, we worked and lived together very much like a family. I feel that this very close personal and professional relationship between cast and crew added much to the production and enabled me to obtain the maximum from both sides of the camera."
    6 years 3 months ago
  3. Forrester's avatar

    Forrester

    One of the best prison escape films I've ever seen. I never thought it would be so exciting to see a group of prisoners dig tunnels. The lack of music makes the film suspenseful and gives it a very realistic feel. I really had the feeling like I was there with the prisoners, and you really hope they succeed in digging the tunnel without the guards noticing. The ending was a shocker and I'm still in awe of it. 12 years 4 months ago
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In 15 official lists

  1. This movie ranks #2 in iCheckMovies's 1960s Top 100
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    iCheckMovies's 1960s Top…

    2
  2. This movie ranks #2 in iCheckMovies's Most Favorited
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    iCheckMovies's Most Favo…

    2
  3. This movie ranks #7 in IMDb's 1960s Top 50
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    IMDb's 1960s Top 50

    7
  4. This movie ranks #13 in IMDb's Thriller Top 50
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    IMDb's Thriller Top 50

    13
  5. This movie ranks #15 in IMDb's Crime Top 50
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    IMDb's Crime Top 50

    15
  6. This movie ranks #45 in IMDb's Drama Top 50
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    IMDb's Drama Top 50

    45
  7. This movie ranks #51 in The Times's 100 Best French Films
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    The Times's 100 Best Fre…

    51
  8. This movie ranks #64 in François Truffaut's The Films in My Life
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    François Truffaut's The …

    64
  9. This movie ranks #71 in Cahiers du Cinéma's Annual Top 10 Lists
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    Cahiers du Cinéma's Annu…

    71
  10. This movie ranks #96 in Time Out's The 100 Best French Films
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    Time Out's The 100 Best …

    96
  11. This movie ranks #100 in FOK!'s Film Top 250
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    FOK!'s Film Top 250

    100
  12. This movie ranks #149 in The Criterion Collection
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    The Criterion Collection

    149
  13. This movie ranks #352 in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
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    1001 Movies You Must See…

    352
  14. This movie ranks #759 in TSPDT's 1,000 Noir Films
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    TSPDT's 1,000 Noir Films

    759
  15. This movie ranks #983 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films
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    TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…

    983
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