2001 Talk About Movies
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Contents © 2001
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

A MAN ESCAPED

Matthew: The prison he's living in represents the world. Everyone is living under a sentence of death, and everyone responds to it differently. The old man despairs, he wants something with which to kill himself. Another guy says, "You get used to it." But for Fontaine, who keeps his hope up, there are constant invasions of grace, signs that there is a way out. Ernie: I liked that you saw the arduousness of the process -- slowly cutting the door, braiding the rope. A great representation of the daily struggle toward salvation.
* * *
Ernie: I was surprised that Fontaine jeopardized his escape by refusing to give up the pencil to the guards. But if escape represents salvation from the evil of the world, then giving in would be a concession to that evil.
* * *
Matthew: Jost was a rich character -- half in the world, half given over, but not entirely evil. He's tempted by the world's promise of false freedom, but Fontaine tells him, "They're going to lose the war, and then there will be no mercy for you." Ernie: He was also there to represent the idea that we've got to save our souls and help somebody else out along the way as well.