The origin of Escape from Colditz and the Great Escape.. with a far better message about common humanity and social prejudice.. without painting any side in the conflict as either heroes or villains. At the height of World War I, the German ace aviator, Captain von Rauffenstein, shoots down the plane of the aristocratic French pilot, Captain de Boeldieu, and his co-pilot, the working-class civilian mechanic, Lieutenant Maréchal, during an air-reconnaissance mission. Fearing a decline in fighting morale, French authorities banned the film in 1940 pour la durée des hostilités (for the duration of hostilities). 1" and ordered the prints to be confiscated and destroyed. Showtimes & Tickets Showtimes & Tickets Top Rated Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office In Theaters Coming Soon Coming Soon DVD & Blu-ray Releases Release Calendar Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Erich von Stroheim (left) and Pierre Fresnay in La Grande Illusion (1937), directed by Jean Renoir. The stone castle is dank and forbidding. Actors : Jean Gabin, Erich von Stroheim, Gaston Modot, Marcel Dalio, Dita Parlo; Subtitles: : English; Producers : Grand Illusion ( La Grande Illusion ), Grand Illusion, La Grande Illusion; Language : French (Dolby Digital 2.0) Studio : Studiocanal; ASIN : B007BL638Y; Number of discs : 1 Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 24, 2017. Perhaps the ultimate film about war. Grand Illusion, French La Grande Illusion, French war film, released in 1937, that was directed by Jean Renoir. Please try again. Von Rauffenstein, upon returning to base, sends a subordinate to find out if the aviators are officers and, if so, to invite them to lunch. Mussolini banned it in Italy, and Hitler's Ministry of Propaganda banned it in Nazi Germany. Was this review helpful to you? In the midst of the Russian Revolution of 1905, the crew of the battleship Potemkin mutiny against the brutal, tyrannical regime of the vessel's officers. To fully understand and appreciate this seminal work by the second son of that icon of French Impressionist art, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, one needs more than a nodding … Music is made with simple instruments, like a harmonica or a flute. Viewers need to give the film wide latitude on this. Perhaps the ultimate film about war. The answers could be multiple. Both were periods of great economic, cultural, social and political upheaval in Europe. Watching the film a second time helps clarify who is doing what to whom. Performance wise, I'll give special mention to Jean Gabin, Erich von Stroheim and Pierre Fresnay. Menu. I have not noticed any problems with the subtitles, but the superior Blu-ray video and audio make this magnificent movie all the better, even over the very good Criterion version. During the Nazi occupation of Rome in 1944, the Resistance leader, Giorgio Manfredi, is chased by the Nazis as he seeks refuge and a way to escape. With Jean Gabin, Dita Parlo, Pierre Fresnay, Erich von Stroheim. Grand Illusion (La Grande Illusion) ... Marcel Dalio, Erich von Stroheim. 1937 and 1916. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. The film is, in short, an appeal to our “Better Angels”. Directed by Jean Renoir. After committing a murder, a man locks himself in his apartment and recollects the events that led him to the killing. 38 of 46 people found this review helpful. The latter representing the midst of World War I, that some called “The Great War” or “The War to End All Wars”, and the former being just two years before the outbreak of a Second World War. Some talk of grain and other damage they expect, saying the film looked "too perfect". Title: I have watched the Criterion 'La Grande Illusion' several times, and enjoyed it immensely. (1937). They are shot down by a German aviator and aristocrat, Rittmeister (Cavalry Captain) von Rauffenstein (Erich von Stroheim). The illusory nature of war and violence as a solution to conflict resolution. Boy am I glad I did - I have seen some amazing films in my day, including watching the entirety of AFI's 100 Years, 100 Movies list so it's not as though I have no frame of reference to compare this to. Several escape attempts follow until they are eventually sent to a seemingly inescapable fortress. Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2016. camp. Jean Renoir's pacifist masterpiece stars Jean Gabin as a French World War I POW held by Erich Von Stroheim's German captain. While in the movie we see men in military uniforms representing several countries, the film contains only two scenes with brief, sporadic gunfire, and only one fatal, but deliberate pistol shot is made, but the context of the film that Renoir chooses is that of life in a German prisoner-of-war camp, the interactions of the prisoners, and their interaction with those German officers and enlisted men charged with guarding them. His family was Jewish. France. Movies. Check out the full list of winners. I will attest from my own personal experience, viewing an original nitrate print of "Alexander's Ragtime Band" AND "Tin Pan Alley", with Alice Faye herself in the audience, grain was invisible. Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2018. The DVD was sent to me promptly and in good condition. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. So, amidst a time in the 1930’s when a civil war raged in Spain, Benito Mussolini and Joseph Stalin were consolidating their political grip on Italy and the new Soviet Federation, respectively, and Adolph Hitler and National Socialism were on the rise in Germany, the world was still able to maintain some semblance of order by holding the “International Exposition dedicated to Art and Technology” in Paris in 1937, attracting some thirty-one million visitors to the “City of Lights”, and providing a showcase for the release of La Grande Illusion, a film about humanism, love, charity, and the universal brotherhood of mankind. Pierre Fresnay (left) and Erich Von Stroheim in “Grand Illusion.” Photo: Rialto Pictures, 1937. Elegant, humane, and affecting, it has been recognized as a profound statement against war and is often ranked among the greatest films ever made. The setting for the film is Germany in 1914, during WWI. However, fate has other plans in store for them, and shortly before the implementation of the plan, they are transferred by train to the impregnable Wintersborn fortress-prison in Alsace, France, overseen by Rauffenstein himself. Grand Illusion One of the very first prison escape movies, Grand Illusion is hailed as one of the greatest films ever made. To bolster an initially more limited role in which the actor appeared only in the first half of Grand Illusion, Von Stroheim was allowed to add Rauffenstein to the second half of the drama at the Wintersborn prison camp, which in turn added a poetic dimension to the film, particularly in the relationship between Boieldieu and Rauffenstein. The plot is easier to follow in the second half.The film's acting is credible. Decades would then pass before the original negative could be confirmed.The Nazis hated the film because of its pacifist, anti-war, theme. Born in Vienna in 1885, by 1914 he was working with D.W. Griffith in Hollywood, but when did he immigrate to America (and add the "von” to his name)? Outstanding Video and Audio, Notably Superior Even to the Criterion DVD, Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2021. Erich von Stroheim and Pierre Fresnay in La grande illusion (1937) I have yet to see any Blu-ray or other video capture that amazing film viewing experience! The resulting street demonstration in Odessa brings on a police massacre. From the archive, 1939: Jean Renoir talks about films, Bertrand Tavernier Reflects on French Filmmakers and Staging a Festival in a Pandemic, Rotten Tomatoes: Top Art House & International Movies, Best Foreign Movie to Be Nominated for Best Picture. Jean Renoir's antiwar masterpiece stars Jean Gabin and Pierre Fresnay, as French soldiers held in a World War I German prison camp, and Erich von Stroheim as the unforgettable Captain von … Use the HTML below. However, fate has other plans in store for them, and shortly before the implementation of the plan, they are transferred by train to the impregnable Wintersborn fortress-prison in Alsace, France, overseen by Rauffenstein himself. They are indeed shockingly awful. In this classic adaptation of Emile Zola's novel, a tortured train engineer falls in love with a troubled married woman who has helped her husband commit a murder. The clothes are dreary and depressing. Praised by Orson Welles as 'the only film worth saving if there is to save one film', Grand Illusion is a tour de force of the proper and civilized treatment of enemy soldiers during the worst of times - a war. Then it was recovered in 1946, but in an altered state. La Grande Illusion I consider myself very fortunate to have seen these films at the Stanford Theater in Palo Alto, in the late 1990's. Nick Riganas. Even as late as 1970, almost every credible list of the top ten best films in cinematic history included the film. An added bonus is the very good extra features. I returned the DVD to Amazon. During WWI, two French soldiers are captured and imprisoned in a German P.O.W. None of the French or German officers want war; it's just their "duty", when called on.In most of the film, scenes take place in small rooms or in that castle. Even though Grand Illusion is missing Jean Renoir's signature sequence shots, I think this is his best film. During WWI, two French soldiers are captured and imprisoned in a German P.O.W. Writer/Director Renoir conveys a sense of community among the French prisoners, despite their differences in social class. Europe did not listen. Review. Except at the film's end, I was amazed at how drab the surroundings are. Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim (born Erich Oswald Stroheim; September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian-American director, actor and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of the silent era.His masterpiece adaptation of Frank Norris's McTeague titled Greed is considered one of the finest and most important films ever made. To understand some of the dialogue in the film, before viewing it, one might Google the following terms: “Fort Douaumont” and “Pindar”, things that mostly students of WWI and Greek poetry would recognize. Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2015. One of the very first prison escape movies, Grand Illusion is hailed as one of the greatest films ever made. A bookseller saves a tramp from drowning and shelters him, but the tramp's odd behavior starts to wear everyone down. La Grande Illusion is an essay, written and drawn on celluloid film by the great French film director Jean Renoir, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Charles Spaak. Jean Renoir’s antiwar masterpiece stars Jean Gabin and Pierre Fresnay as French soldiers held in a World War I German prison camp, and Erich von Stroheim as the unforgettable Captain von Rauffenstein. Newly married couple Juliette and a ship captain Jean struggle through marriage as they travel on the L'atalante along with the captain's first mate Le père Jules and a cabin boy. 'La Grande Illusion' is a film that I can watch over and over again and get something new out of it on each viewing. View production, box office, & company info. Add the first question. Several escape attempts follow until they are eventually sent to a seemingly inescapable fortress. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2015. ... Erich von Stroheim: New York Film Critics Circle Awards 1939 Winner NYFCC Award: Best Foreign Language Film. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? A captured French Resistance fighter during WWII engineers a daunting escape from a Nazi prison in France. After several escape attempts, the French officers get shuffled off to a presumably escape proof castle, run by Rauffenstein (Erich von Stroheim), a flamboyant German officer with a forbidding persona.Unlike other war movies, "La Grande Illusion" shows no actual combat, and the number of deaths is minimal. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. I gave up after 15 minutes. My review is not for the movie itself, which is 5 STAR, but the so called "extras". Jean Renoir's antiwar masterpiece stars Jean Gabin and Pierre Fresnay as French soldiers held in a World War I German prison camp, and Erich von Stroheim as the unforgettable Captain von Rauffenstein. I especially liked the performance of von Stroheim, all decked out in that imposing uniform, that monocle, and with that stiff bearing. The life of the poor Tucker family, that worked as cotton pluggers and decided to get their own ground, but nature is against them. Jean Renoir's anti-war masterpiece stars Jean Gabin and Pierre Fresnay as French soldiers held in a World War I German prison camp, and Erich von Stroheim as the unforgettable Captain von … Any film by Jean Renoir is worth owning and making a part of one's collection, but this is a standout, and perhaps one of the greatest films ever made. It's not exactly a hug fest, but the predominant feeling among the men is respect for fellow officers, even if those officers are your enemy. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. French, German, English … Released in 1938, with the world once again at war's edge, The Grand Illusion was a quiet plea to a self-destructive Europe not to commit suicide again. The growing pains of three young women contrast with the immutability of the holy Bengal River, around which their daily lives unfold. After spending some time working in his father's hat factory, he emigrated to America around 1909. Pierre Fresnay & Erich von Stroheim in La Grande Illusion A few weeks ago, I had the chance to see Preston Sturges’s The Lady Eve in a movie theater in … Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2015. Jean Renoir's pacifist masterpiece stars Jean Gabin as a French World War I POW held by Erich Von Stroheim's German captain. France, 1937, 35mm, black & white, 114 min. For this reason alone, it deserves to be seen. ... Captain von Rauffenstein (Erich von Stroheim). One of the very first prison escape movies, Grand Illusion is hailed as one of the greatest films ever made. We see them several times sitting around a table eating, and chatting amiably. The cordiality between prisoners and their jailers is also surprising. In its implicit message, Renoir makes much the same appeal as his contemporary and fellow countryman, the Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, the idealist philosopher and paleontologist, in his book "The Phenomenon of Man". Director: Jean Renoir | Stars: Jean Gabin, Dita Parlo, Pierre Fresnay, Erich von Stroheim Votes: 33,998 | Gross: $0.17M BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: La Grande Illusion A Day at the Races It's Love I'm After A Star is Born You Only Live Once The resoration for the print used for this Blu-ray from Studiocanal is excellent. This movie easily belongs in the category of an all-time classic. But, will this delicate relationship, and the grand illusion, stand in the way of breaking out? Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Tables and floors are made of simple wood. Be warned: "Terrible subtitles, way too tiny and they become invisible as they blend into the background" wrote a two star reviewer of this 75th Anniversary edition DVD. Erich von Stroheim in "Grand Illusion." Réalisation d'art cinématographique (RAC). Germans capture several French officers and take them to a POW camp, specifically for officers. Why, oh WHY isn't that included on this Blu-ray release?? See the fabulous presenters and gracious winners at this year's Oscars. Franklin Roosevelt said of it: "Everyone who believes in democracy should see this film". One of the very first prison escape movies, GRAND ILLUSION is hailed as one of the greatest films ever made. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 18, 2019. La Grande Illusion is an essay, written and drawn on celluloid film by the great French film director Jean Renoir, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Charles Spaak. Two French flyers, de Boeldieu and Maréchal have been downed. Actors : Jean Gabin, Erich von Stroheim, Gaston Modot, Marcel Dalio, Dita Parlo; Subtitles: : English; Producers : Grand Illusion ( La Grande Illusion ), Grand Illusion, La Grande Illusion; Language : French (Dolby Digital 2.0) ASIN : B000HEZ7K2; Number of discs : 1 One of the greatest antiwar films ever made, as well as a rousing prison-escape adventure, Grand Illusion is an exemplar of the 1930s poetic realist movement. Audiences assume Erich von Stroheim was a German, but mystery clouds his origins. "La Grande Illusion" is an unusual "war" film, one that had real significance during WWII. As a lifelong First World War history buff, I have known of this film by reputation for a long time, but never really bothered to sit down and watch it. More and more, respect and appreciation bond von Rauffenstein and de Boeldieu. camp. SDG Original source: Catholic Digest. Perhaps this is why the Criterion version is out of print. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. the basis of every prisoner of war film you ever saw, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 21, 2015. like watching all your favourite prisoner of war films wrapped into one. Rather different cultural and humane point of view on the relationship between combatants and purpose of it all. Grand Illusion (1937) A+ One of the 15 films listed in the category “Art” on the Vatican film list. The film vanished during WWII, and was thought to have been destroyed. A bourgeois life in France at the onset of World War II, as the rich and their poor servants meet up at a French chateau. One of the greatest antiwar films ever made, as well as a rousing prison-escape adventure, Grand Illusion is an exemplar of the 1930s poetic realist movement. Take a look ahead at some of our most anticipated superhero movies coming in 2021 and beyond. 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