On 2010-02-28 Ted Byrd, wrote: Though I personally enjoyed this film very much, I must admit I was through a good portion of it before I began to feel it´s magic. I think that it may be difficult for contemporary movie-watchers to appreciate it´s historical context, and that some of the attitudes and behavior depicted may seem unrealistic to modern minds. There have been such great changes in social conditions and cultural attitudes since the 1914 war, that for those of us who are not ardent film buffs or film students, we may find aspects of the film hard to relate to.
For instance, the camaraderie between the aristocratic officers of the opposing French and German forces may seem to ring a false and quixotic note, judged against the very ungentlemanly conduct of recent wars. But that is one of the points that Renoir was making in this film: that this war was a turning point in civilization, after which the old order of life would be rendered obsolete. The feeling of fellowship between the gentlemen officers illustrates that prior to 1914, wars between countries were waged from the ambitions of the aristocracy, rather than for ideological reasons. Therefore, even though they were fighting one another, the aristocratic warriors of opposing countries also understood one another, and considered the fact that they were at war with one another a regrettable occurrence which in no way diminished their mutual regard.
But the officers realized that they were in the twilight of their ascendancy, and even felt that the most honorable and gracious way out would be to die in battle, rather than become superfluous. The interchange between Pierre Fresnay as the French, and Erich von Stroheim as the German, officers, illustrated in an elegant and classy way this sense of brotherhood between two enemies of the battlefield whose cultural heritage and ideals made them share a common outlook on the proper conduct of themselves. Though certainly not an admirer of aristocracies, I did admire the gallant and somewhat romantic portrayal of these two officers as representative of a dying breed, who would honor the standards of their class to the end.
The prisoner officers who came from common origins also had their rapport with one another, but their interests ran mostly to the utilitarian as opposed to the traditionalism of the aristocrats. Frankly, many of these characters didn´t have much appeal to me, and seemed possibly to be stereotypical in a way which would have more specifically French, than universal, appeal. The musical show in drag which these prisoners improvised seemed to me to be more silly than amusing, but perhaps to the French, this was all hilarious, as it was evidently meant to be. The dramatic announcement which cut short these ´Follies´ telling of a French victory and inspiring an outbreak of patriotism and the singing of the ´Marsellaise´ seemed too pat and fortuitous to be authentic.
The most interesting of these officers from common backgrounds is, of course, Jean Gabin, who is evidently considered(and quite rightly) to be the major attraction of the film. He projects a very charismatic, though understated, impression of a good guy, an average Joe, very human and down-to-earth, though he shares the patriotism and sense of honor of his fellow Frenchmen. But unlike his aristocratic colleagues, he doesn´t stand on ceremony, says what he thinks, and is more dedicated to personal happiness than to upholding any theoretical ideals of class. Perhaps he is the symbol of the new order of the common man who is to come into his own as the power of the nobles wanes.
But one thing the film particularly stresses, with its inclusion of people of different classes and many different nationalities and cultural backgrounds in the story, is the common humanity of all these diverse groups, and the destructive diversion which war introduces into their lives. So, while I found some of the particular episodes of the movie to be less than profound, overall I think it tells a worthwhile and interesting story. After viewing the film, I watched about half of it again with the commentary track from critic Peter Cowie. I found this to be quite helpful in drawing my attention to various camera techniques,etc, which Renoir used to add to the effectiveness of certain scenes. But I really don´t want to see the film through the eyes of Peter Cowie, and, in general, was satisfied with what I had managed to pick up on my own first viewing.
Again, I think the film must be given high marks for being innovative for it´s time. But it may seem lacking in realism in light of events which followed it, such as World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and so on. While it explores important ways in which humanity is impacted by war and social change, it lacks ,to me, the truly remarkable effect generated by say ´The Human Condition´, Kobayashi´s great Japanese take on World War II. But it is full of great exterior scenes and shows a wonderful attention to detail, which would no doubt make this an enjoyable film to watch many times over, particularly for avid film buffs, in order to see what else can be discovered in it.
. And summed up by saying Great film with a great reputation.. Currently Grand Illusion - Criterion Collection has an overall rating of 8 over 10.
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Christian Matras claimed One of the very first prison escape movies, Grand Illusion is hailed as one of the greatest films ever made. Jean Renoir´s antiwar masterpiece stars Jean Gabin and Pierre Fresnay, as French soldiers held in a World War I German prison camp, and Erich von Stroheim as the unforgettable Captain von Rauffenstein. Following a smash theatrical re-release, Criterion is proud to present Grand Illusion in a new special edition, with a beautifully restored digital transfer.
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