An excellent exploration of class and war

Rating: 8/10 (2 June 1999)

This film is more about the changing relationships between the classes than it is about World War I, during which the film takes place. From the first scene to the last, Renoir explores the relationships between the various French prisoners of war and their German captors, always showing the great similarities between them. The dialogue in this film is truly inspired, and the acting of all the main characters is excellent. Each character is vividly drawn in a few brief moments, and then expanded on in the rest of the film. I could see how some might be disappointed in this film, if they expected an early version of "The Great Escape". But I was very impressed.