Grand Illusion

1937 • 113 minutes

About this movie

During the First World War, two French soldiers are captured and imprisoned in a German POW camp. Several escape attempts follow until they are sent to a seemingly impenetrable fortress which seems impossible to escape from.

Ratings and reviews

This Jean Renoir film is in my opinion the greatest war film ever made. It was produced very closely to WWII but the fact that it is about WWI allows it to resonate in all the years since. This was my first foreign film and I thought it'd be boring and I probably wouldn't have watched another had it been; but it is immensely enjoyable. To boot Woody Allen has a known appreciation of this film(Manhattan). Do yourself a favor and watch this artistry commited to celluloid.

Although it does help to know a bit of the history of the time period to discover the hidden meaning behind certain aspects of the film, out is a wonderful film and a true classic.

Very thought provoking! Eric Von Stroheim is great.