DramaHistoryWar

Grand Illusion

- A Great Drama of Human Emotions

A group of French soldiers, including the patrician Captain de Boeldieu and the working-class Lieutenant Maréchal, grapple with their own class differences after being captured and held in a World War I German prison camp. When the men are transferred to a high-security fortress, they must concoct a plan to escape beneath the watchful eye of aristocratic German officer von Rauffenstein, who has formed an unexpected bond with de Boeldieu.

Release Date : 1937-06-04

Language :RussianGermanFrenchEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Réalisation d'Art Cinématographique

Production Country : France

Alternative Titles : Grand IllusionLa grande illusionThe Grand Illusion

Cast

Character Name : Le lieutenant Maréchal

Original Name : Jean Gabin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Le capitaine de Boëldieu

Original Name : Pierre Fresnay

Gender : Male

Character Name : Le capitaine von Rauffenstein

Original Name : Erich von Stroheim

Gender : Male

Character Name : Le lieutenant Rosenthal

Original Name : Marcel Dalio

Gender : Male

Character Name : Elsa

Original Name : Dita Parlo

Gender : Female

Character Name : Cartier, l'acteur

Original Name : Julien Carette

Gender : Male

Character Name : L'ingénieur

Original Name : Gaston Modot

Gender : Male

Character Name : Le serrurier

Original Name : Georges Péclet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Le sergent Arthur

Original Name : Werner Florian

Gender : Male

Character Name : L'instituteur

Original Name : Jean Dasté

Gender : Male

Character Name : Le lieutenant Demolder

Original Name : Sylvain Itkine

Gender : Male

Character Name : L'officier anglais

Original Name : Jacques Becker

Gender : Male

Character Name : Le sénégalais

Original Name : Habib Benglia

Gender : Male

Character Name : Un soldat

Original Name : Pierre Blondy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Un prisonnier

Original Name : Albert Brouett

Gender : Male

Character Name : Le soldat allemand qui vise le capitaine de Boëldieu

Original Name : Georges Fronval

Gender : Male

Character Name : Un officier de la forteresse

Original Name : Karl Heil

Gender : Male

Character Name : Un gendarme de campagne

Original Name : Carl Koch

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lotte, la petite fille d'Elsa

Original Name : Little Peters

Gender : Male

Character Name : Le capitaine Ringis

Original Name : Claude Sainval

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Michel Salina

Gender : Male

Character Name : L'officer prussien

Original Name : Claude Vernier

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maison-Neuve

Original Name : Géo Forster

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-06-20

Very much more of a character-driven look at the experiences of French prisoners during the first world war. The inmates represent - much as did their army - soldiers from all aspects of life. The aristocratic Pierre Fresnay as "Boeldieu", Jean Gabin "Maréchal" and Marcel Dalio "Rosenthal" as the more down to earth captives - but all proud Frenchmen with their own determination to escape their imprisonment. The film features many of their valiant escape attempts; along with providing us with quite an interesting illustration of the toughness of their existence and the diversions they sought from the terminal ennui. "Boeldieu" forms an unlikely, respectful relationship with the Commandant - Erich von Stroheim; a fellow aristocrat who feels himself a failure for ending up as a glorified jailor rather than fighting gallantly on the battlefield. On a basic level, it is really quite routine; and the ending almost incidental: what makes this distinctive is the way the story interweaves the decline of a centuries old class system; the chivalric honour between opponents being a thing of the past. This is very much about "Egalité" and "Fraternité" in order to secure "Liberté" and is told in as sympathetic a fashion as it is possible given the gritty peril of their circumstances. Gabin and von Stroheim are particularly effective as is Joseph Kosma's score and the tightly focussed direction on just a few central characters really does give this a sense of purpose.