Le trou

1960

2h 25m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

94%

Tomatometer

18 Reviews

96%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

Four prison inmates (Michel Constantin, Raymond Meunier, Jean Keraudy, Philippe Leroy) have been hatching a plan to literally dig out of jail when another prisoner, Claude Gaspard (Marc Michel), is moved into their cell. They take a risk and share their plan with the newcomer. Over the course of three days, the prisoners and friends break through the concrete floor using a bed post and begin to make their way through the sewer system -- yet their escape is anything but assured.

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Kenneth Turan

Los Angeles Times

As long as men have been placed behind bars they've plotted to escape, and those plans have powered prison-break movies without end. But even in that large group, "Le Trou" stands apart.

Aug 31, 2017

Full Review

Bilge Ebiri

Village Voice

If you ever wind up in a French prison, don't smuggle in a file - just bring a DVD of this movie. It's practically a guide to breaking out.

Jun 27, 2017

Full Review

Richard Brody

New Yorker

Becker details the ambient violence of prison life, the hidden negotiations between captives and captors, and the solidarity of detainees, but his deeply empathetic, fanatically specific view of his protagonists leaves out some elements.

Jun 26, 2017

Full Review

David Bax

Battleship Pretension

The film now looks sharp and crisp, with a stark contrast to its spare but soulful black and white imagery. But that's not the main reason to run out and see it. Do so because it may very well be the greatest movie ever made about breaking out of prison.

Dec 11, 2020

Full Review

Dwight MacDonald

Esquire Magazine

A failure of imagination both ways: too much realism in the tunneling, too little at the end.

May 7, 2019

Full Review

Neely Swanson

Easy Reader (California)

This is, indeed, a thriller and a highly effective one...

Sep 15, 2017

Full Review

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A R

I loved this movie. Despite the complete lack of soundtrack and ultimately measured pace, I intensely invested and on the edge of my seat for most of the run time. Despite minimal dialogue, the characters all feel fully formed and deeply authentic. The visuals are gorgeous and so minimal and I absolutely love the sound work, especially on the digging scenes. It's really realism at it's finest, especially with the non-professional actors delivering incredible, subtle performances. The ending was a devastating gut punch that I didn't see coming, but also knew was inevitable, just like our characters. Really an excellent film, I'd recommend it to anyone.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/31/24

Full Review

Dani G

Very detailed process of the escape plan. It keeps the tension in a natural way, and all seems very conventional for a movie in this sub-genre, but...

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The way this jail break film plays out is pretty uncomplicated but still enjoyable in spite of very little actually happening. Can see why it's well regarded.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

William L

Sure, with 60 years of prison break narratives to compare to, parts of Le Trou may seem somewhat tired and dull in places (Becker really, really seems to have liked prolonged shots of digging, cutting, and any other dull action required for your average breakout), but compensates by exploring the dynamics of the group through a series of taut interactions and setbacks. It might not reach the high-water mark for tension or stakes in a movie of its kind as depicted in A Man Escaped (in my opinion), but it's still a great narrative about confinement, camraderie, and self-preservation that stays above a generic happy-ending or redemptive storyline. Some of the cinematography is pretty top-notch, with Cloquet and Becker taking advantage of the black and white color scheme to play with isolated lighting; this works particularly well in the tunnel scenes, where a single flickering light is brought from the foreground slowly and deliberately to vanishing point. (4.5/5)

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/30/20

Full Review

andrey k

One of those realistic crime/prison French movies from the 50-60's that are extremely well crafted and acting is very genuine. One of the best movies about the escape from prison, with believable characters, ultra-realistic prison environment and suspense.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A riveting film about the tension between friendship and individual welfare. We witness the bonding power that working toward a collective goal can have in the hearts of men, even over a short period of time. We also see the draw of worldly goods and the conflict they engender between loyalty to a common good and what we perceive as personally beneficial.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

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Jacques Becker

Director

Michel Constantin

Geo Cassine

Marc Michel

Claude Gaspard

Raymond Meunier

Vossellin

Jean Keraudy

Roland Darbant

Andre Bervil

Le directeur

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Synopsis

Four prison inmates (Michel Constantin, Raymond Meunier, Jean Keraudy, Philippe Leroy) have been hatching a plan to literally dig out of jail when another prisoner, Claude Gaspard (Marc Michel), is moved into their cell. They take a risk and share their plan with the newcomer. Over the course of three days, the prisoners and friends break through the concrete floor using a bed post and begin to make their way through the sewer system -- yet their escape is anything but assured.

Director: Jacques Becker
Screenwriter: José Giovanni, Jean Aurel
Production Co: Filmsonor, Titanus
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 15, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $29.8K
Runtime: 2h 25m