The Next Reel Film Podcast

How does a docu-style approach work in telling this prison break story? What do the sound, editing and camerawork do to amplify the tension? How well do our new actors do in creating these characters? Tune in to this week’s show to get these answers and more!

Show Notes

With a passion for American films noir, French filmmakers in the 50s started making their own takes on crime stories and created an entire new subgenre of crime films, the policiers, which in turn inspired many American filmmakers. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we kick off our new series on French crime films with Jacques Becker’s 1960 prison breakout movie, Le Trou.

We look at the nature of prison break movies and what filmmakers do to get us to side with these criminals as our protagonists. We chat about the documentary style employed a bit by Becker in this film and debate the approaches he uses to tell this true story. We look at the actors who play the roles and how well they work. We touch on the sound design, editing, and cinematography and why they’re all such integral elements to making this story succeed. And we talk about unreliable protagonists and ways to interpret our lead’s actions at the end of the film.

It’s a stellar film and a great way to kick off this new series. We have a great time talking about it on this week’s show, so check it out then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins.

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Film Sundries

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What is The Next Reel Film Podcast?

The Next Reel team has been dedicated to reviews, news, and commentary on world film for a decade. This podcast is The Next Reel master feed including all the episodes of The Next Reel, Trailer Rewind, The Film Board, The Speakeasy, and the other shorts, interviews, and specials we've produced over the years.