Powerful and Unforgettable

Rating: 10/10 (16 February 1999)

WWI changed everything, and Renoir's masterpiece carefully reveals the eroding social structure of the early 20th Century. The classes are melting into each other, and the new world emerging is seen with both hope and reservation. Banned by by both Hitler and Mussolini, the film nevertheless was brought to the Venice film festival where it won top honours. La Grande Illusion has managed to stay with me every day since I first saw it over a year ago. One of (if not THE) best anti-war film(s)ever made, the futility of battle has never been so well expressed on screen.