TRIBUTES AND RETROSPECTIVES
Escapes |
La Grande Illusion
Jean Renoir
1937 - France - 1h53
World War I. Two French soldiers are taken prisoner by Major von Rauffenstein, a refined and respectful German officer. They are taken to a prison camp, where they help their roommates dig a secret tunnel. But the night before the planned escape, they are transferred to a high security fortress run by von Rauffenstein. He treats the prisoners with courtesy, even starting a friendship with Boëldieu. But the French officers are planning a new escape.
Often cited as one of the most important films of the 20th century, La Grande Illusion is the symbol of a universal and pacifist cinema. Through the adventures of Lt Maréchal, the working-class soldier immortalised by Jean Gabin, it is the natural friendship between very different characters and against the prevailing system which is told. Neither a historical film, nor really a war film, Renoir's work shows people in their individual complexity, beyond any national allegiance, whether or not they are at war. The film was banned in France from 1940 onwards due to its lack of patriotic ideology. It was also banned in Germany by Goebbels who made “cinematographic enemy number 1”. Nevertheless, La Grande Illusion has survived the years and become an essential reference revealing new possible interpretations at each period.
CAST AND CREW
Cast : Jean Gabin, Dita Parlo, Pierre Fresnay, Erich von Stroheim, Julien Carette, Marcel Dalio
Screenplay : Charles Spaak, Jean Renoir
Cinematography : Christian Matras
Sound : Joseph de Bretagne
Editing : Marthe Huguet, Marguerite Renoir
Music : Joseph Kosma
Production : Réalisation d'art cinématographique (RAC)
French distributor : Carlotta