Grand Illusion

Most enjoyable if taken in the spirit of being the “grand-daddy” of war prisoner escape epics – is at its best during the plotting and planning of the initial escape itself, contrasting with von Stroheim and Fresnay’s double-act of keeping up “respectable” appearances; that it never devolves into knowing farce is really a credit to von Stroheim’s subtle and multi-faceted performance as someone unknowingly out of his depth in war-time. Starts to falter towards the finale, with an epilogue that feels long-winded and redundant, but especially given its timing as war clouds were beginning to form again over Europe, it’s an interesting little time capsule, if nothing else.