"If I had only one film in the world to save, it would be GRAND ILLUSION." -- Orson Welles
by JOHN MILLER
You cannot help but wonder, when watching Jean Renoir’s Grand Illusion, that if certain people had had their way, the film would have been destroyed years ago. The story of French soldiers held in a World War I German prison camp, Grand Illusion is often cited as the greatest anti-war film ever made. It was banned both in Italy and in Germany, and the original negative was confiscated by German forces during the occupation of Paris, only to be rediscovered years later in Munich and re-released in the late 1950s.
Filmed three years before the outbreak of World War II, Grand Illusion conceives of war as little more than a game played among gentlemen. This is a film in which the viewer is more likely to see a handshake than a shot fired – a film where the supposed villain keeps a geranium on his windowsill. When Captain von Rauffenstien, played by Erich von Stroheim, downs a plane piloted by the two French heroes of the film (Jean Gabin and Pierre Fresnay), he treats them kindly, even going so far as to invite them to lunch. The POW camps are places of luxury compared to the battle trenches we usually associate with the First World War (but never see in Grand Illusion). Prisoners are permitted to receive parcels, which allows them to eat meals that are far better than those of their captors. Still, it is a desire to escape that propels the characters, and it is this desire that clearly defines allies from enemies, regardless of rank, class, or religion.
In light of its history, it is a privilege to be able to view Grand Illusion at all. The film is available on VHS, but if you have the opportunity, get your hands on the new DVD released as part of The Criterion Collection*. A new restored digital transfer makes it hard to believe that you’re watching a film that is more than 60 years old. Included on the DVD is an improved English subtitle translation, as well as a wealth of supplemental material, including press book excerpts, radio broadcast footage of Renoir and von Stroheim accepting Best Foreign Film honors at the 1938 New York Film Critics awards, and a theatrical trailer in which Renoir discusses both Grand Illusion and his own war experiences. Finally, there is an audio commentary by film historian Peter Cowie, which provides further insight into the film and it’s history.
Bottom line, see this film.
GRAND ILLUSION
1938
114 mins.
B/W
In French with English Subtitles
With: Jean Gabin, Pierre Fresnay, Dita Parlo,
Marcel Dalio and Erich von Stroheim
* A Word on The Criterion Collection: The Criterion Collection is a series of films – some classic favorites, some overlooked for whatever reason – that transform the act of watching a film into an entirely educational experience. Any film buff owes it to themselves to check this company out if they haven’t already (www.criterionco.com).