One of the great war films about World War I and one that doesn’t involve diving into the trenches or buzzing the skies but rather contemplating the war’s effects on class and social strata, Jean Renoir’s La Grande Illusion remains one of the greatest films ever made. Its more intellectualized view of warfare (as opposed to a visceral display of gunplay and carnage) earns it a unique place among the great war films, and its fascinating, gentlemanly discussion of war’s inevitable place in human affairs continues to enthrall now more than seventy years after its premiere.
La Grande Illusion (Blu-ray)
Directed by Jean Renoir
Studio: Lionsgate
Year: 1937
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 1080p AVC codec
Running Time: 113 minutes
Rating: NR
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono French, German
Subtitles: English, German
Region: A
MSRP: $ 29.99
Release Date: July 31, 2012
Review Date: August 2, 2012
The Film
4.5/5
Taken prisoners by the Germans early during World War I, pilots Captain de Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay) and Lieutenant Maréchal (Jean Gabin) are housed in Officers' Prison Camp #17 where other residents there including the jovial Cartier (Julien Carette) and Lieutenant Rosenthal (Marcel Dalio) are busily digging an escape tunnel. On the day of their planned escape, Boeldieu, Maréchal, and Rosenthal are unwittingly transferred, eventually landing in Camp #14, a heavily guarded fortress run by the aristocratic Captain von Rauffenstein (Erich von Stroheim). Rauffenstein feels he has met a kindred spirit in the wealthy, educated Boeldieu, and the two often talk about their many similarities despite their being on opposite sides of the war. But the three Frenchman have a daring plan of escape that plays on Boeldieu’s friendship with the Captain, a plan that isn’t made to assure that all three will emerge alive.
The script by Jean Renoir and Charles Spaak is as much about class and ethnic warfare as it is about conflicts between nations. The anti-Semitic slurs are notable throughout (Rosenthal is from a wealthy Jewish family, and the movie makes much of the prejudiced men feasting on the food enclosed weekly in goodie baskets for him from his family), and the conversations between the aristocratic German and Frenchman about the lessening of importance of their social class puts a completely novel spin on the traditional antagonisms of World War I movies. Renoir doesn’t perhaps milk the inevitable escape for as much tension as he might have, but the film’s last quarter hour given over to a touching relationship between a German widow (Dita Parlo) who can’t speak French and Maréchal who can’t speak German extends the détente not commonly seen in war movies between opposing nations. Those pastoral scenes also allow Renoir to use his cinematic painter’s eye to shoot some of the most breathtaking landscapes of the German countryside ever seen in a movie. Earlier, he indulges in a fine bit of ribaldry when some English soldiers put on a burlesque for the other officers dressing in drag and singing “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” before news of a French victory brings the show to a stop while all rousingly sing “La Marseillaise,” a moment and sentiment borrowed by the writers and director Michael Curtiz for his World War II-set Casablanca.
Jean Gabin was France’s biggest star when the film was made, and its popularity kept him at the top in a performance that’s alternately calm, good-natured, loving, and fierce at appropriate moments, likely the greatest performance of his career. Erich von Stroheim also commands the frame as the courteous but authoritative head of Germany’s most impenetrable fortress. Pierre Fresnay matches him as his French equivalent Captain Boeldieu. Favorites of Renoir, both Julien Carette and Marcel Dalio make vivid impressions as lower ranked officers game for anything. Dita Parlo is a fetching and moving Elsa, finding love during the war with an enemy of her country and not caring.
Video Quality
4/5
The film’s original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1 is faithfully rendered in this 1080p transfer using the AVC codec. Digitally restored from the original camera negative, the picture is almost immaculate with only the most fleeting of scratches still visible. Sharpness is excellent for a film of this vintage, and the grayscale boasts very crisp and clean white levels even if the black levels are a bit less impressive. The white subtitles (maybe a bit smaller than those on Criterion discs) are still easy to read. The film has been divided into 12 chapters.
Audio Quality
3.5/5
The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono soundtrack (offered in either French or German; French was used for the basis of this review) is unmistakably of its era with tinny sound lacking much low end and some distortion in the upper reaches of the sound spectrum. Dialogue was well recorded and is easy to hear (there is occasional English as the French and German aristocrats sometimes use English to converse). Engineers have done an excellent job clearing away any age-related artifacts like crackling, flutter, or pops.
Special Features
4/5
The 1937 original theatrical trailer runs for 4 minutes in 480i. The 1958 re-release trailer which includes an introduction to the movie by director Jean Renoir runs 5 ½ minutes. It’s also in 480i.
An introduction to La Grande Illusion is presented by film professor and critic Ginette Vincendeau. She recounts the history of the film’s popular release and later censure during World War II and its subsequent rediscovery and restoration by the director in 1958. She also touches on its antiwar and class warfare themes in this 12 ¼-minute, 480i presentation.
“The Original Negative of La Grande Illusion” is a 12-minute overview of the journey of the film’s original negative from French hands to Russian ones and its ultimate return to the Cinémathèque de Toulouse. The story is told by Toulouse’s archivist Natacha Laurent in this 480i featurette.
“La Grande Illusion: Success and Controversy” once again tells the fascinating story of the film’s great original success around the world and its suppression during World War II. Renoir expert Olivier Curchod also discusses themes of the film in this 1080p documentary that runs 23 ¼ minutes.
John Truby exhorts the greatness of the movie in a rather pointless piece than runs 4 ½ minutes in 1080p.
A restoration comparison montage shows before and after scenes and stills in a 3 ½-minute, 1080p presentation.
In Conclusion
4/5 (not an average)
La Grande Illusion certainly lives up to its reputation, but it’s unlike most war films one is accustomed to viewing lacking the sweeping battlefield scenes, aerial assaults, and trench warfare generally indicative of World War I movies. The Blu-ray transfer is an excellent one, and the bonus features add extra value to the package. Highly recommended!
Matt Hough
Charlotte, NC
