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Grand Illusion
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Grand Illusion

1937
Drama
War
1h 53m
During WW1, two French officers are captured. Captain De Boeldieu is an aristocrat while Lieutenant Marechal was a mechanic in civilian life (imdb)
Directed by:
Jean Renoir Jean Renoir
Written by:
Jean Renoir Jean Renoir Charles Spaak
+1 more
Starring:
Gaston Modot Gaston Modot Jean Gabin Jean Gabin Erich von Stroheim Erich von Stroheim Marcel Dalio Marcel Dalio Dita Parlo Dita Parlo Pierre Fresnay Julien Carette Georges Péclet Jean Dasté Jean Dasté Sylvain Itkine Jacques Becker Jacques Becker Werner Florian
More
Genres:
Drama, War
AKA:
La grande illusion
Country:
France
Languages:
English, French, German, Russian
imdb More information at IMDb
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Grand Illusion

1937
Drama
War
1h 53m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 75.94% from 1582 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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spunkieSpunkie
Rated 30 Mar 2007
96
99th
An ode to dying of aristocracy. Humanism on a level rarely captured in a movie. It's distant and lacks dramatization, cause none is needed. Several years ago after first time I watched G.I. I was left with a feeling of ease, time and spacelesness.
Rated 30 Mar 2007
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 22 Sep 2008
4
70th
Elegant and, for lack of a better word, classy; I felt like I should've been wearing a monocle and drinking cognac with a cigar in my hand while watching this. It's very endearing and there's a bittersweet quality to it, but it's never depressing because it's so joyfully made and the characters are such great people. The photography is graceful if less showy than in The Rules of the Game, but it suits the material well either way.
Rated 22 Sep 2008
farzanFarzan
Rated 01 Oct 2008
93
94th
Jean Renoir created some fantastic characters in Grand Illusion. The characters, in my opinion, are the best part of this film. You have some extremely memorable scenes, most of which are due to the characters decisions as well as attitudes. Grand Illusion is a great asset to Cinema.
Rated 01 Oct 2008
mikulMikul
Rated 20 Mar 2007
90
88th
A great anti-war movie without a single battle scene. After all, to be anti-war is to be pro=peace and that is the message of this great great film.
Rated 20 Mar 2007
vesupriavesupria
Rated 29 Apr 2010
6
62nd
Good film, with some good ideas about war and how it affects individuals, and how "opposing sides" can still get along if they find a common ground. In a nutshell it's basically about the irrationality of war, but obviously by telling it from an individualist perspective it does leave some major details out. There was some wit, and even hints of joy and laughter for subject matter so depressing, but I thought that the acting was a bit theatrical, which made this slightly unbelievable.
Rated 29 Apr 2010
bmuniseBmunise
Rated 17 Jan 2009
100
97th
Renoir is possibly one of the best directors and photographers of everyday life. It shows here.
Rated 17 Jan 2009
icarusIcarus
Rated 16 Jun 2012
97
98th
A profound humanist statement of the highest order, Grand Illusion dares to portray prisoners that imagine a life free from borders, absent of conflict, and driven by mutual affection and brotherhood. But Renoir is wise enough to recognize the hard realities of this life, and with freedom comes responsibility and temptation. Renoir's camera intuitively creates a connection between officers of different ranks and nationalities, and he fills the film with beautifully expressive moments.
Rated 16 Jun 2012
actionbergActionberg
Rated 26 Apr 2011
95
97th
This has the same fascinatingly organic flow to it that I've found in what I've seen of Renoir's work, but I thought this was far more emotionally moving and less (for lack of a better and less durogatory term) robotic. It's kind of harrowing to watch such a powerful anti-war film and realize that it was right on the precipice of something that would really tear the world apart in just a few years. This might just be my all-time favorite French movie.
Rated 26 Apr 2011
jpfergusonJPFerguson
Rated 12 Nov 2022
91
97th
A prescient satire of WWII based on WWI and the rise of Nazi Germany. But more than this, it’s a cinematic reminder that when it comes to matters of warfare that fiction is often less strange than fact. The real genius of Renoir is to subtly push war to the background in order to focus on a set of intimate human relationships that attest to our need for hope that the human spirit will ultimately triumph over evil to save us all. von Stroheim as Rauffenstein puts on a totally mesmerising act.
Rated 12 Nov 2022
suture_selfSuture Self
Rated 31 Mar 2013
10
96th
This is good but my hatred for humanity clashes with Renoir's sentimentality.
Rated 31 Mar 2013
anomalyAnomaly
Rated 23 Nov 2011
81
77th
The old-fashioned editing is jarring and takes about half an hour to get used to it, but once that happens it's pretty good. The humanism is wonderful, each character developed to satisfaction and well acted, especially von Stroheim's. A nice time.
Rated 23 Nov 2011
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 13 Jul 2009
7
57th
Nicely photographed and often witty (compared to Wilder's constantly amusing but flawed "Stalag 17"). Still, I felt strangely detached, I couldn't connect to its characters and found the story far from satisfying. It has moments of greatness, though it's not a great film. Not my favorite POW film, maybe I'll like it more after a 2nd viewing...
Rated 13 Jul 2009
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 12 Dec 2006
85
81st
A superb commentary on war with excellent performances and solid direction. It has a few pacing problems but makes up for it on the strength of everything else.
Rated 12 Dec 2006
cosmicmonkeyCosmicMonkey
Rated 11 Feb 2016
85
86th
Elegant, Intelligent, and well-crafted, this makes an great companion piece to All Along the Western Front, examining war less through it's physical and emotional effects but through it's social and societal ones. Told as a series of 3 vignettes revolving around the central characters, the format has its strengths: a focus only on the events relevant to its themes; but also its weaknesses: me feeling less attached to the (very interesting) characters than I feel I should have been.
Rated 11 Feb 2016
luna6ixLuna6ix
Rated 14 May 2011
82
81st
an impressive war flick that is neither tragic nor violent. in fact, this movie is uplifting, consisting of great writing and most importantly populated with some tremendous characters. the only thing holding this movie back is a minor pacing issue and a couple horribly edited cuts, other than that this is a must watch.
Rated 14 May 2011
billkerwinbillkerwin
Rated 28 Oct 2010
98
97th
Gabin, Fresnay, and Stroheim are wonderful in this. What a surprise . . . a film about war without heroes or villains! No director treats human beings with more dignity than Renoir.
Rated 28 Oct 2010
bownBown
Rated 05 Dec 2010
88
88th
Very good study on class and war and such. The last half an hour especially moved me
Rated 05 Dec 2010
zayankZayanK
Rated 21 Aug 2011
96
95th
The only essential POW film.
Rated 21 Aug 2011
djrossdjross
Rated 14 Aug 2007
86
96th
“In 1935 the Communist Party asked me to make a propaganda film, which I was delighted to do. I believed that every honest man owed it to himself to resist Nazism. I am a film-maker, and this was the only way in which I could play a part in the battle. But I over-estimated the power of the cinema. La Grande Illusion, for all its success, did not prevent the Second World War.” Jean Renoir, My Life and My Films, trans. Norman Denny (New York: Atheneum, 1974), pp. 124–25.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
stainStain
Rated 07 Apr 2007
60
47th
OK noble intent but stiff as a board. Another example of one of "The Great Motion Pictures" that hasn't aged well at all
Rated 07 Apr 2007
torontodogtorontodog
Rated 29 Mar 2008
90
94th
Quite a brilliant film overall. The subtle details reveal themes about the nature of class structures, freedom, war and just people themselves. It's also remarkable to compare this to post WWII movies, and how much war itself was changed after this came out in 1937.
Rated 29 Mar 2008
mentaculusMentaculus
Rated 09 Sep 2012
98
98th
A film I'm embarrassed to say I hadn't seen until now, but in a way I'm grateful. This is a mature film, with a tone and trajectory that completely undermines any expectation you may have had. Often, Dark Humor is directed towards characters; but here, it's pointed squarely at the ideal of War, and its characters are loved by the film itself in a strange, ethereal, magnetic fashion. Essential.
Rated 09 Sep 2012
barthalenBarthalen
Rated 05 Jul 2011
83
88th
Holding on to ones humanity and dignity in times of war, finding hope when all seems lost. Powerful themes in an expertly put-together film that are even more impressive considering the time it was made. The moments between de Boieldieu and Rauffenstein were particularly engrossing.
Rated 05 Jul 2011
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 14 Aug 2007
72
41st
I found it too stagey and distant to be moving. It's got a nice message, but nothing mind-blowing. It also seems rather breezily optimistic. Good, but not a masterpiece.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
boyd_crowderBoyd Crowder
Rated 18 Dec 2006
94
99th
Truly great, might be the best war-film I've seen so far.
Rated 18 Dec 2006
jebJeb
Rated 03 Dec 2008
95
87th
Endearing and elegantly crafted, Jean Renoir has made probably his best film overall. The photography is foudroyant, and deeply luxuriant, and it's set off by an overly good plotline. An astounding anti-war delight overall.
Rated 03 Dec 2008
slrsoapboxSlrSoapbox
Rated 10 Feb 2009
70
41st
Excellent characters, and it's nice to see a pacifist war film. However, I felt the pacing was way too slow (I realize this was intentional) and the story could stand to have lost 20 minutes or so.
Rated 10 Feb 2009
caimancaiman
Rated 23 Jan 2013
88
87th
So many fantastic characters brought to life by some top tier performances. Gabin and von Stroheim stand out, but everyone is great. I even like Carette's "comedic" character - these often don't work for me in war movies like this, but here the character hits the right notes (see Stalag 17 for an example of poor comic relief in a POW film). But what I really love about this film is its message. "Humans create borders. Nature couldn't care less." Great stuff.
Rated 23 Jan 2013
davidthomsonDavidThomson
Rated 02 Sep 2012
98
90th
How does one film of only reasonable length, often so casual and easygoing, have so many nuances and so many large statements (includings its title) without ever seeming portentous? La Grande Illusion is simply there, candid, cheerful, sad, alert. It is a portrait of companionship, the company made by war, and one of the illusions is that that bond may solve war. War is full of stupid human hope. It keeps coming, like the urge for sex.
Rated 02 Sep 2012
landstanderLandstander
Rated 03 May 2009
8
85th
Renoir was kind of an optimistic guy I guess; despite the different nationalities, languages, and classes, he seems to believe we all share a certain human dignity. Or if not that, that we should. Either way it's a good story and a good message that never becomes sappy. Biggest flaw is that when the story reaches it's emotional climax, there's still a ways to go.
Rated 03 May 2009
tonytheponyTonythePony
Rated 23 Feb 2009
91
94th
Renoir's smoothly executed anti-war film, it's message delivered through the well defined, likeable characters rather than bullets. The comrades are distanced by class divides, enemies humanised and drawn together by commonalities, nationalism quietened away from the din of gunfire. The well constructed plot shifts gears and focus slickly, providing humour and energy alongside quietly touching scenes. A highly accessible and supremely enjoyable film, it's wit and verve shining throughout.
Rated 23 Feb 2009
graveyardtangraveyardtan
Rated 01 Jun 2013
100
98th
Cinema, and humanity, at its finest.
Rated 01 Jun 2013
dorkovskyDorkovsky
Rated 21 Jul 2008
4
38th
I suspect this is so highly lauded because of its innovative and influential camera movements like Rules of the Game. However unlike RotG, this isn't very entertaining.
Rated 21 Jul 2008
owen1218owen1218
Rated 04 Feb 2020
70
51st
An anti-war fantasy about... war not being so bad? With everyone basically polite and respecting one another's humanity and every section of the Geneva Conventions. A film that could only have been made before World War II.
Rated 04 Feb 2020
theyshootpicTheyshootpic
Rated 17 Apr 2007
98
98th
# 26
Rated 17 Apr 2007
damildamil
Rated 24 Jan 2012
75
81st
Despite somewhat dark subject matter and themes, it's a largely light-hearted movie. I liked what it had to say about war as well as race and class. I enjoyed it, although I can't seem to pinpoint exactly why.
Rated 24 Jan 2012
peyrinpeyrin
Rated 09 Dec 2018
60
32nd
Pretty ambitious approach to frame the entire war within vignettes of everyday life and civility with the enemy. The large cast of characters comes at the cost of weaker thematic coherence, though.
Rated 09 Dec 2018
walkearthwalkearth
Rated 20 Nov 2023
85
98th
This was the most humane, peace-loving and heartfelt anti-war film I've seen. There's none of the dehumanisation that we see en masse from the media and Hollywood these days: the Russians/Palestinians/Arabs/Serbs/Nazis etc. are portrayed as devils and orcs who deserve to be bombed to hell (as the popular Times magazine cover suggested for Serbia a while ago). Whereas here people are presented as people - with souls, hearts and emotions. The French and the Germans alike, enemies yet human beings.
Rated 20 Nov 2023
yesistastyyesistasty
Rated 12 Oct 2010
94
84th
Grows on you as you watch.
Rated 12 Oct 2010
joojooJooJoo
Rated 08 Jun 2008
6
95th
Humanity.
Rated 08 Jun 2008
sopachuco13sopachuco13
Rated 27 Feb 2019
90
84th
I can only view this movie through a modern lens having just watched it for the first time. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The acting was amazing. von Stroheim and Julien Carette steal the show in this movie but the rest of the cast is fantastic as well. Gabin and Fresnay are opposite ends of a coin which helps exemplify one of the main themes of the movie that people from different strata can be cordial to each other while also not really understanding each other. This war is kinder than now.
Rated 27 Feb 2019
pigletPiglet
Rated 20 Dec 2009
85
96th
It has a great sense of humour. Can see why the nazis detested it.
Rated 20 Dec 2009
lethiaslethias
Rated 16 Jan 2014
90
89th
It's rather mind-boggling it was shot in 1937 but that could explain the soft nature of the picture because it is very easy on both eyes and mind. The characters are really well played and idea of chivalry, respect and honour between the axis and allies, social classes, is well presented. Personally I think Renoir made it a bit too light, enjoyable - I suppose that's what prewar times were. Picture does touch some themes that became fully blown later when war began.
Rated 16 Jan 2014
salomaordsalomaord
Rated 02 Jan 2015
50
0th
Jean Renoir #1
Rated 02 Jan 2015
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 29 Aug 2012
95
93rd
The blueprint for so many other prisoner of war films. Great characters, great performances, a great script and a great director at the helm. A classic for a reason and better than Rules of the Game, I think.
Rated 29 Aug 2012
worstcasesceworstcasesce
Rated 06 Mar 2011
1
0th
A true humanist film, since there's no clear-cut villains or heroes, just people and duty. I admit, I did get bored sometimes but for the most part this is a touching and intelligent anti-war film, but suffers from some overly-dramatic acting (yes, I know, a product of the times, but I don't like it). Score is not a grade.
Rated 06 Mar 2011
countyhellcounty_hell
Rated 16 Sep 2009
85
89th
i remember liking this a lot, and i have it on videotape, though i no longer have a vcr. need to see this again to give it the credit im sure it deserves.
Rated 16 Sep 2009
theyshoot07theyshoot07
Rated 01 Mar 2008
99
98th
# 26
Rated 01 Mar 2008
kavuKavu
Rated 30 Mar 2016
92
97th
Despite the slightly dragging end, this is a damn fine movie. Excellent acting and writing.
Rated 30 Mar 2016
nepetaNepeta
Rated 17 Jan 2013
90
90th
I was taken aback by how light a touch there is behind this film. Considering the subject matter I was worried the film would be didactic, but it's as far from didacticism as I could possibly hope for instead being a film which lets things progress gently, which throws in plenty of light humour, and which seems to be made by a filmmaker that loves every single one of his characters. Its humanism is overwhelming.
Rated 17 Jan 2013
yiannosYiannos
Rated 07 May 2018
85
97th
Welles once claimed that there was Renoir and then everyone else, and it's easy to sympathise with his position. His mastery of mise-en-scene and narrative was arguably without compare among his contemporaries, and there is a subtle brilliance to his staging that is not immediately apparent but completely dazzles on closer inspection. Grand Illusion is a marvel of film making economy: there isn't a single wasted shot. It's a superbly crafted film that is simultaneously virtuosic and heartfelt.
Rated 07 May 2018
closedmouthclosedmouth
Rated 01 Feb 2021
100
98th
Not gonna list all the things that make this great (why does it keep making me cry?!?) but just want to say how intensely satisfying it is to see language and its barriers depicted realistically. Love hearing French spoken with a German accent, love the aristocrats randomly dropping in and out of English, just generally love thought clearly being put in to how people of different cultures communicate with one another.
Rated 01 Feb 2021
teddedonTedDedon
Rated 25 Jan 2008
88
81st
In most every respect Grand Illusion is a well executed film. It's entertaining while being endearing and also is great commentary on the struggles of war and captivity. It never seems to quite reach its full potential by being the ultimately impacting movie Renoir clearly wanted it to be, but it's still quite good in its own right. To say the least, it's an exciting, well done movie that any film buff owes themselves the pleasure of watching.
Rated 25 Jan 2008
michaelm2391michaelm2391
Rated 03 Apr 2020
56
43rd
war romp. read again: war. romp. a spielbergian fraternity of frenchmen dilly-dally in a crypto-humanitarian tale taken straight outta the new testament or something similarly overplayed/boring. has an epilogue that serves no purpose (in the wrong way) which drops it ten points. its optimism can be blamed on it being pre-WWII, which wins it those ten points back. still, just cos there aren't no bad guys don't mean it's complex. just a movie.
Rated 03 Apr 2020
ceekay19Ceekay19
Rated 17 Feb 2018
60
26th
Capt. de Boeldieu: "Out there, children play soldier... In here, soldiers play like children."
Rated 17 Feb 2018
theyshoot08theyshoot08
Rated 19 Dec 2008
99
98th
25
Rated 19 Dec 2008
nobletNoblet
Rated 19 Aug 2011
84
81st
It's so different from other war movies, which I appreciated a lot. All of the characters are sympathetic, although I didn't think that the class interaction was as seamless as it was in The Rules of the Game. Actually, overall I didn't think it was a masterpiece like The Rules of the Game, but it's still a very interesting and important film.
Rated 19 Aug 2011
darrenDarren
Rated 13 Jan 2024
84
83rd
Like all Renoir’s forcefully nails the concept of the polite society. Of the brutality the higher classes inflict on those below them while unaware of the contradictions they employ. The cost of war means little to them when revolution of the working class is the other option. One of the better pacifist movies ever made. "Agreed, but even so, let's remember our manners”
Rated 13 Jan 2024
wrexsolwrexsol
Rated 21 Mar 2011
81
25th
A movie about escaping from a POW camp. It features officers and politeness. I find the premise to be pretty unbelievable, but I guess there was still a sense of honor among enemies back then. It's a glimpse at a different time when even the most hated factions could still have friends. I don't consider this the best of its kind, though.
Rated 21 Mar 2011
francogonzoFrancoGonzo
Rated 24 Feb 2016
16
88th
Star Rating: ★★★★1/2
Rated 24 Feb 2016
thegoodboyThegoodboy
Rated 06 Oct 2020
77
88th
"Boldieu, I don't know who will win this war, but whatever the outcome, it will mean the end of the Rauffensteins and the Boeldieus." also Illusion? National beliefs, cults and prime identities, take over from religious one. But the rulers still the same? The film is like fondateur for french NATION patrioto-humanism (la camaraderie française) etc and yet that post WW nation-ality is just the our times illusion - the dominant ideology... Everything is an illusion anyway
Rated 06 Oct 2020
napolenbradynapolenbrady
Rated 22 Feb 2019
92
88th
91.50
Rated 22 Feb 2019
sirstuckeySirStuckey
Rated 09 May 2017
80
78th
Prison escape movies are great. Prisoners of war escape movies can be even greater. It's not my favorite but The Grand Illusion can't be left off a list of the best.
Rated 09 May 2017
detoxDetox
Rated 08 Feb 2020
91
96th
A warm-hearted war movie that doesn't come across as stupid and naive. How is this possible? You'll find some answers in other reviews on this site but I want to add that there is of course the illusion of a happy end in war times and knowing that two years later Germany did even worse makes this movie really heavy.
Rated 08 Feb 2020
moraesfelipemoraesfelipe
Rated 03 May 2010
88
94th
What it's great about Grand Illusion is Renoir's preoccupation with his characters' humanity. It's a film about WW1 that isn't concerned about european rivalries (and this is a french film, you know) but human ties. Since the first scenes, we see deep relationships or people willing to connect with each other, despite their differences, duties and nationalities. And maybe, unfortunately, there is nothing more efficient than war to make these things happen among people.
Rated 03 May 2010
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 03 Jan 2009
5
93rd
An important and uncharacteristic war film: elegant, humorous, and tremendously enjoyable. All of these characters are treated with dignity and compassion. The sheer good will and humanitarianism is infectious, and though a part of me wants to begrudge the film its evasion of atrocity, its charm is just undeniable.
Rated 03 Jan 2009
tc_mercadoTC Mercado
Rated 09 Jan 2014
90
84th
Timeless and genuinely moving.
Rated 09 Jan 2014
nathanbatesNathanBates
Rated 08 Sep 2019
80
78th
At times dark, and at other times almost whimsical, it's a unique take on war as it spends much of its running time in a German prisoner-of-war camp (which seems like a summer camp for officers). The aristocrats are obsessed with duty; as they often point out, it is a slice of life that was fading away. There's a lot to like in this film, with the different strata of characters, the antiwar themes, and the general cinematography.
Rated 08 Sep 2019
tartanllamaTartanLlama
Rated 17 Jun 2012
70
54th
A light, funny, tragic and humanistic tale of war and the relationships which it strains. Although I don't rate this as highly as many, there are numerous memorable scenes and plenty of food for thought. The characters are all well developed by the excellent screenplay and acting (especially by Stroheim). The main issue is that the film can't quite decide if it wants to be a straight comedy or a profound examination of humanism in war and ultimately feels unfilled on both fronts.
Rated 17 Jun 2012
dardandardan
Rated 12 Nov 2015
90
94th
Pragmatism and realism in substance doesn't work well with it at times theatricity in style. There were some opportunities to press absurdism and existentialism stemming from rules and conventions grating with personal feelings much more strongly as a theme, something he would later do in The Rules of the Game, but its presence in this film is nonetheless appreciated.
Rated 12 Nov 2015
joseywalesjoseywales
Rated 04 Dec 2008
84
92nd
Great anti-war movie but a little too whimsical.
Rated 04 Dec 2008
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 25 Jun 2008
65
73rd
Good film.
Rated 25 Jun 2008
oskarhuoskarhu
Rated 16 Sep 2010
83
87th
Plays really well with the thematics of war, national identity and human character. However, the legacy and status of this film has been greatly amplified by its timing in the brink of WWII.
Rated 16 Sep 2010
saucyjacksaucyjack
Rated 01 Jan 2008
94
97th
Excellent war film that predated The Great Escape by many a year directed by one of the all time greats, Renoir.
Rated 01 Jan 2008
gnalkhereGnalkhere
Rated 28 Nov 2011
70
46th
Jean Gabin is he, the frenchiest free.
Rated 28 Nov 2011
hadleyreisHadleyreis
Rated 06 Aug 2020
85
87th
Gran delusion
Rated 06 Aug 2020
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 06 May 2022
49
50th
okay movie
Rated 06 May 2022
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 28 Dec 2008
78
88th
Excellent.
Rated 28 Dec 2008
theyshoot10theyshoot10
Rated 13 Jan 2010
99
98th
24
Rated 13 Jan 2010
le_mamile mami
Rated 08 Jul 2017
70
66th
Dealing with the idea of having a compatriot in a imprisonment is nice. More impressive is that seeing two classy 'war man' clogged in the midst of war against everyone who are not supposed soldier. There is great touch in their communication, they are very classy. Apart from these two main characters, acting is not top notch and the last few minutes where melodrama takes place are quite disappointment and is far from the spirit of this movie even though the lonely women is also part of the war.
Rated 08 Jul 2017
purgatospurgatos
Rated 22 Dec 2008
95
96th
In a film about prisoners of war, I'd expected something pretty desperate, but this isn't. There are some pretty sad parts, but there's an overwhelming undercurrent of hope. It wants to show us that even enemies in war are basically just people and while you have to follow the rules, that doesn't mean everyone's terrible. Every character is fantastic. I feel great after watching it.
Rated 22 Dec 2008
hehejajahehejaja
Rated 13 May 2008
80
76th
"Frontiers are an invention of men. Nature doesn't give a hoot", says a guy in the film. Renoir doesn't give a hoot, either, through this film, it's humanistic gunpowder, unadorned, modest lyricism.
Rated 13 May 2008
punqPUNQ
Rated 21 Dec 2013
80
99th
For a movie where the entire theme is escaping prison, there was very little escaping happening. This is really a social war drama. People being people, regardless of borders or race. Clowning around, handing their conflicts their way. Jean Renoir could have used more action for this 2 hour movie. It's a acquired taste. Demands patience. But the excellent acting, playfulness and understanding of the mentality between soldiers of different nations make for many expressive moments.
Rated 21 Dec 2013
lilarcorLilarcor
Rated 14 May 2011
78
62nd
While the chemistry between Fresnay and Stroheim did not work for me, the rest of the movie is thoughtful, well executed and fairly different from war movies from that time.
Rated 14 May 2011
mechatiggerMechatigger
Rated 18 Jul 2010
100
91st
A classic. Renoir's study of men in war explores the bonds that bind them: be they national, fraternal, or social-class. The conflicts of these bonds are complex and troubling, and Renoir in all his implacable optimism scants none of these ponderables, though his faith was easier held before the second war than after.
Rated 18 Jul 2010
paradigmaParadigma
Rated 08 Jun 2009
90
97th
The delusion of hostility, being enemy. And this film is inspiration of maybe tens of films -well known ones-
Rated 08 Jun 2009
theyshoot11theyshoot11
Rated 30 Nov 2011
99
98th
#22
Rated 30 Nov 2011
cynmamCYNMAM
Rated 11 Jul 2011
25
55th
What a great movie. Set in an Nazi concentration camp for officers. French with English subtitles.
Rated 11 Jul 2011
larmorlarmor
Rated 20 Jan 2019
86
91st
Wonderfully showing how the divisions of humanity are constructs that benefit a few. Renoir was a communist and this movie shows it blatantly.
Rated 20 Jan 2019

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