Grand Illusion (1937) La grande illusion (original title)

Director:

Jean Renoir

Writers:

Charles Spaak (scenario and dialogue) &
Jean Renoir (scenario and dialogue)

Release Date:

12 September 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

During the First World War, two French soldiers are captured and imprisoned in a German POW camp. Several escape attempts follow until they are sent to a seemingly impenetrable fortress which seems impossible to escape from.

Plot Keywords:

Pow | Escape | Captain | Escape Attempt | Fortress

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jean Gabin	...	Le lieutenant Maréchal
Dita Parlo	...	Elsa - Farm Woman
Pierre Fresnay	...	Le captaine de Boeldieu
Erich von Stroheim	...	Le captaine von Rauffenstein (as Eric von Stroheim)
Julien Carette	...	Cartier - l'acteur (as Carette)
Georges Péclet	...	Le serrurier (as Peclet)
Werner Florian	...	Le sergent Arthur
Jean Dasté	...	L'instituteur (as Daste)
Sylvain Itkine	...	Le lieutenant Demolder (as Itkine)
Gaston Modot	...	L'ingénieur (as Modot)
Marcel Dalio	...	Le lieutenant Rosenthal (as Dalio)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jacques Becker	...	L'officier anglais (uncredited)
Habib Benglia	...	Le sénégalais (uncredited)
Pierre Blondy	...	Un soldat (uncredited)
Albert Brouett	...	Un prisonnier (uncredited)
George Forster	...	Maison-Neuve (uncredited)
Karl Heil	...	Un officier de la forteresse (uncredited)
Carl Koch	...	L'ordonnance de von Rauffenstein (uncredited)
Little Peters	...	La petite fille d'Elsa (uncredited)
Claude Sainval	...	Le capitaine Ringis (uncredited)
Michel Salina	...	(uncredited)
Claude Vernier	...	L'officer prussien (uncredited)

Directed by
Jean Renoir

Writing credits
Charles Spaak		(scenario and dialogue) &
Jean Renoir		(scenario and dialogue)

Produced by
Albert Pinkovitch	....	producer (uncredited)
Frank Rollmer	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Joseph Kosma		(music)

Cinematography by
Christian Matras		(photography)

Film Editing by
Marthe Huguet		(film editor) (as Huguet)
Renée Lichtig		(1958 version)
Marguerite Renoir		(film editor) (as Margueritte)

Production Design by
Eugène Lourié		(as Lourié)

Set Decoration by
Eugène Lourié		(as Lourié)

Costume Design by
René Decrais		(costumes) (as Decrais)

Makeup Department
Raffels	....	make-up

Production Management
Raymond Blondy	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jacques Becker	....	assistant director
Robert Rips	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Alexandre Laurié	....	props (as Lourié)
Raymond Pillon	....	props (as Pillon)

Sound Department
Joseph de Bretagne	....	sound engineer (as De Bretagne)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jean Bourgoin	....	assistant cameraman (as Bourgoin)
Ernest Bourreaud	....	assistant cameraman (as Bourreaud)
Claude Renoir	....	assistant cameraman
Sam Levin	....	set photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Suzy Berton	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Emile Vuillermoz	....	musical director (uncredited)

Other crew
Barnathan	....	location manager
Pierre Blondy	....	general manager
Françoise Giroud	....	script girl (as Gourdji)
Carl Koch	....	technical consultant
Robert Rips	....	set manager
Herman G. Weinberg	....	subtitler: English (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Réalisation d'art cinématographique (RAC) (as Réalisations d'Art Cinématographique)

Distributors

• Réalisation d'art cinématographique (RAC) (1937) (France) (theatrical)
• Eduard Weil & Company (1937) (Austria) (theatrical)
• World Pictures Corporation (1938) (USA) (theatrical) (English subtitles)
• Prisma (1948) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Coronis (1956) (France) (theatrical) (restored version)
• Continental Distributing (195?) (USA) (theatrical) (English subtitles)
• Studio Canal (2005) (France) (DVD) (digital new master)
• Studio Canal (2005) (France) (DVD)
• Cinédis (France) (theatrical)
• Filmsonor (France) (theatrical)
• Les Grands Films Classiques (GFC) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Barr Entertainment (199?) (USA) (video) (English subtitles)
• Continental Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Coronis (France) (16 mm)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Essential Art House edition)
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (laserdisc)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Janus Films (????) (USA) (all media)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1972) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Rialto Pictures (1999) (USA) (re-release)
• Süddeutsche Zeitung (2006) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Smyth  music publishing (uncredited)
• G.M. Film  titles (uncredited)
• Luxtone  lighting (uncredited)
• Paris Studios Cinéma  filmed at
• Western Electric Management  sound post-production (as Western Electric System Sonar)
• Traonouez (Paris)  costumes (uncredited)

Also Known As:

"La grande illusion" - France (original title)

Runtime:

114 min | 94 min (1937 release) | Germany:107 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | German | English | Russian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound 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 | Italy:T (re-rating) (1947) | Argentina:13 | Australia:G | Germany:(Banned) (1937-1945) | Italy:(Banned) (original rating) (1938-1947) | South Korea:12 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated | UK:U (video rating) | UK:A (original rating) (cut)

Filming Locations:

Caserne de Colmar, Colmar, Haut-Rhin, France

Company:

Réalisation d'art cinématographique (RAC)

Trivia:

President Roosevelt was shown a private screening at the White House during November 1937.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Lt. Maréchal is climbing down the rope from the watchtower the wooden window shutters can be seen closing above him even though he closed them himself minutes prior.

Quotes:

Capt. de Boeldieu:May I ask you a question?
Capt. von Rauffenstein:Of course.
Capt. de Boeldieu:Why did you make an exception of me by inviting me here?
Capt. von Rauffenstein:Because your name is Boeldieu, career officer in the French Army. And I am Rauffenstein, career officer in the Imperial German Army.
Capt. de Boeldieu:But my comrades are officers as well.
Capt. von Rauffenstein:A 'Maréchal' and 'Rosenthal,' officers?
Capt. de Boeldieu:They're fine soldiers.
Capt. von Rauffenstein:Charming legacy of the French Revolution.
Capt. de Boeldieu:Neither you nor I can stop the march of time.
Capt. von Rauffenstein:Boldieu, I don't know who will win this war, but whatever the outcome, it will mean the end of the Rauffensteins and the Boeldieus.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 100 Greatest War Films (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary

A Vision of Reality the Way it Shouldn't Be...

It is a wonder to see a film from the 1930's so definite in its view and opinions, yet so touching and revelatory. Jean Renoir's GRAND ILLUSION is a film of great importance, one that improves with each viewing. Having just finished the picture again for the first time in some 7 years, I was struck by its freshness. It is an Anti-War film set during World War I that is something to watch. It demands intense viewing.

This is a French work of art by the great Renoir, who would make his most acclaimed film, RULES OF THE GAME, two years later. If you ask me, GRAND ILLUSION is the superior pic and holds up immeasurably better. The small doses of humor and original characters in this film foresee the classic "shooting party" of RULES OF THE GAME. With this movie, Renoir uses prisoners-of-war and the ludicrous element of war so prevalent in early 20th Century Europe and merges them into a film not unlike a play (an extremely well-written play). The viewer has no illusions as to whether or not a war is happening. We happen not to see any battles or gunplay, rather, the human element between men and women who are not so different no matter their ethnicity.

Renoir's camera is an incredible tool used throughout. He probes the characters at the various prison camps with some smooth dolly shots and brilliant use of focus and pull-backs. It seems like an extension of his hand, much like his father's paintings. One striking scene has some weary soldiers singing the French "Las Marseilles" after getting third hand knowledge of a French victory over their German captors. Any scene with Erich von Stroheim is interesting because he is human and not some mindless German dictator so many people would come to know at the time of the film's release. He is a broken man, scarred by war and looking to gain a friend in the enemy. This is rare.

As far as prison camp films go, these guys seem to have it easy, however the fact that they are officers gives us some explanation. The story-line effectively moves from escape attempts to human realization of the situation they are in. Parts of it reminded me of STALAG 17, Billy Wilder's 1953 classic no doubt inspired by GRAND ILLUSION. This is Wilder's film without the Hollywood touch, realist and sometimes drab. Abel Gance's J'ACCUSE would follow a year later. If you want to see some anti-WWI films with two completely opposite methods of warning beneath the surface, see these two flicks back to back.

The illusion of reality is shattered by war, Renoir is telling us. If only it could be as simple as those amazing shots of the countryside from inside the German woman's house: a breathtaking, simple look at a peaceful scene the way it should be.

RATING: ***1/2