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La grande illusion (1937)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
12 September 1938 (USA) morePlot:
During 1st WW, two French officers are captured. Captain De Boeldieu is an aristocrat while Lieutenant Marechal was a mechanic in civilian life... more | add synopsisAwards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination moreNewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Woody Allen Calls Himself "A Failed Artist" (From Studio Briefing - Film News. 28 October 2002)
Woody To Talk About Favorite Films (None Are American)
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 7 September 2001)
User Comments:
Its Historical Significance Is No Illusion moreCast
(Complete credited cast)| Jean Gabin | ... | Lt. Maréchal | |
| Dita Parlo | ... | Elsa (farm woman) | |
| Pierre Fresnay | ... | Capt. de Boeldieu | |
| Erich von Stroheim | ... | Capt. von Rauffenstein (as Eric von Stroheim) | |
| Julien Carette | ... | Cartier, l'acteur (as Carette) | |
| Georges Péclet | ... | Le serrurier (as Peclet) | |
| Werner Florian | ... | Sgt. Arthur | |
| Jean Dasté | ... | The teacher (as Daste) | |
| Sylvain Itkine | ... | Lt. Demolder (as Itkine) | |
| Gaston Modot | ... | The engineer (as Modot) | |
| Marcel Dalio | ... | Lt. Rosenthal (as Dalio) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
114 min | 94 min (1937 release) | Germany:107 minCountry:
FranceColour:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)Certification:
Finland:(Banned) (1942) | Finland:K-16 (1937) | Finland:K-8 (1959) | Malaysia:U | Norway:12 (1959) | Norway:16 (1937) | Germany:12 (f) (1948) | Portugal:M/6 | Australia:G | Germany:(Banned) (1937-1945) | Italy:(Banned) (1938-1945) | South Korea:12 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated | UK:U (video rating) | UK:A (original rating) (cut)Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The art director, 'Eugene Lourie', was the one who carved the nativity figures out of potatoes for the Christmas scene towards the film's end. moreGoofs:
Anachronisms: Elsa's rural farmhouse in the mountains has electric lighting in the 1910s. moreMovie Connections:
Featured in Jean Renoir: Part One - From La Belle Époque to World War II (1993) (TV) moreSoundtrack:
Il était un petit navire moreFAQ
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Franklin Roosevelt said of it: "Everyone who believes in democracy should see this film". Mussolini banned it in Italy, and Hitler's Ministry of Propaganda banned it in Nazi Germany. The film vanished during WWII, and was thought to have been destroyed. Then it was recovered in 1946, but in an altered state. Decades would then pass before the original negative could be confirmed.
The Nazis hated the film because of its pacifist, anti-war, theme. The setting for the film is Germany in 1914, during WWI. Germans capture several French officers and take them to a POW camp, specifically for officers. After several escape attempts, the French officers get shuffled off to a presumably escape proof castle, run by Rauffenstein (Erich von Stroheim), a flamboyant German officer with a forbidding persona.
Unlike other war movies, "La Grande Illusion" shows no actual combat, and the number of deaths is minimal. The film's tone is surprisingly lighthearted. Writer/Director Renoir conveys a sense of community among the French prisoners, despite their differences in social class. We see them several times sitting around a table eating, and chatting amiably. The cordiality between prisoners and their jailers is also surprising. It's not exactly a hug fest, but the predominant feeling among the men is respect for fellow officers, even if those officers are your enemy. None of the French or German officers want war; it's just their "duty", when called on.
In most of the film, scenes take place in small rooms or in that castle. Toward the film's end, outdoor vistas provide a visual contrast. Except at the film's end, I was amazed at how drab the surroundings are. Room furnishings are unadorned and contain the barest of essentials. Tables and floors are made of simple wood. The clothes are dreary and depressing. The stone castle is dank and forbidding. Music is made with simple instruments, like a harmonica or a flute. Of course, given the time period and considering the setting, such drabness and simplicity are not surprising. But the contrast with today's complex world of modern luxuries, that we take for granted, is striking. The film's B&W cinematography accentuates the drab environment.
The story can be a bit confusing in the first half, because the relationship between the jailers and the prisoners is so unusual. Viewers need to give the film wide latitude on this. Watching the film a second time helps clarify who is doing what to whom. The plot is easier to follow in the second half.
The film's acting is credible. I especially liked the performance of von Stroheim, all decked out in that imposing uniform, that monocle, and with that stiff bearing.
"La Grande Illusion" is an unusual "war" film, one that had real significance during WWII. For this reason alone, it deserves to be seen.