Le Trou

1960, Jacques Becker prison breakout plan work
high key lighting, pretty traditional opening
some wider shots, but pretty fast cutting, close-ups of faces. Repition and continuity establish space of room
pretty sharp stuff, with the close-ups and some very swift movement to convey excitement
use of wideangled lenses also, for depth and for extra power on the close-ups; these stay throughout the film
high-key lighting, pretty jolly stuff. Strangely cheery film, don't get much analysis of the prison system, discussion of evil depth here
the film isn't interested in this kind of excavation, really
theme is the friendships (war/ resistance related? None of the 'criminals' are negative)
the film really takes off with the shots of the individual objects
and the long, long shots of the smashing
this, and the food-parcel scene, show firstly a great monotomy to the process
creating dead time really is a well-executed bit of creating screen duration; living it with them
further, the switch to longer takes, even for non-action, really heightens the suspense
becomes incredibly powerful, long takes of 'objectively' dead time that are really overlaid with a wider knoweldge
becomes more intense as the takes get longer; audience considers what is to happen next
long takes always make the audience expectant of something to happen (the diggers' discovery), as the duration is counterpointed with the earlier short scenes
really effective use here
also the switch into shorter takes, back to the old close-ups, classical shot-reverse, lulls us in before the gatecrashing ending
so, really effective use of duration in paritular here
a fine piece of mainstream filmmaking