La Grande Cinema

Rating: Null/10 (28 December 2001)

For my money Jean Renoir was the finest director in all of French film and "La Grande Illusion" is one of the gems in his crown. This sober, anti-war film illustrates the travesty of war and what was considered honor in those days when honor was slaughtered in the trenches. It vividly points out the gulf that existed between the upper-class and the bourgeoisie through the microcosm of officers and the common "soldats". The actors, without exception, are outstanding but the four "main" characters deserve particular recognition. Pierre Fresnay is aristocratic and honor bound; Jean Gabin portrays the "soldat" as if he had lived the part in another life. (He soon was to become a tank commander for the Free French when France fell to Hitler.); Marcel Dalio, one of the great French actors who had some success in America, holds his own as the Jew, Rosenthal, and the significance of his role is obvious as it relates to what would happen in the real world two years from the date of this film's release. Erich von Stroheim is brilliant as the jaded and battle weary commandant whose sympathies lie with the officer class, regardless of whose side they are on. He must face up to duty in his confrontation with Fresnay on the fort's battlements. It is a poignant moment. The final rush to freedom will lift your heart as the Swiss border comes into view. This film is a strong statement made by a Frenchman at the time when France (or at least part of France) was dancing with the Devil and the word Vichy would come to be hated by the free world. "La Grande Illusion" well deserves it's inclusion on the list of great films and it is a treasure.