Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (4 April 2013)

Renoir paints a picture of a different world - this is way before Nazis and Hitler changed our perception of German soldiers, in WW1 there were actually old-school army gentlemen who would honor the enemy, shake hands and apologize for inconvenience. So we have characters of obvious aristocratic background behaving like gentlemen towards each other even as enemies and working class common soldiers going trough the horrors of war together. Interestingly, Renoir shows both french war prisoners and German soldiers with deep understanding of humanity, I dare to say he shows them all as human and not enemies. Jean Gabin is suffering in a solitary imprisonment and old German soldier feels sorry for him. His friends war prisoners are all lovable rascals, just like some of German "enemies" are simply people mobilized (kids in uniforms marching). Friendships that grow out of sharing the same circumstances (wealthy Jew who shares his food with everybody), young German widow who lives in a house with a big empty table because all of her family had died in a war. I understand this all too well,because I was in a war myself and people around me (and probably on the other side) were ex-civilians who happened to be pulled out of their usual circumstances, postman, the butcher and such.
There is a very interesting story - divided into several parts - that I won't go into right now,it really has to be seen. It definitely deserves its reputation as masterpiece and one of greatest films ever made. I dare anybody to watch it and not be moved. Its really up there with "The Best Years Of Our Lives" except that its done with European sensibilities and a lot of compassion for both sides. Because it was so famous, Germans banned and seized the copies as soon as they occupied Paris (this turned out to be a blessing in disguise when decades later this copy was found in excellent condition). If in the beginning I was simply following the story, eventually I got so involved that towards the end I found myself crying several times because I loved and understood the characters so well. When Gabin tries to explain (in his bad German) to a German widow "After war.. if me no die.. I come back" I bawled like a baby. Definitely one to watch again.