Search - Grand Illusion [Special Edition] [Criterion Collection] on DVD

Movie Release: 1937 DVD Release: 11/16/1999 Format: DVD - Black and White Edition: Restored/Remastered,Special Collection Audio Tracks: French Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 54 mins Studio: Criterion Members Wishing: 33 Genres: Drama, Escape Film, War Drama, POW Drama, Message Movie, Anti-War Film See Also: Grand Illusion [Criterion Collection]

Frequently cited as both one of the greatest films about war and one of the greatest films ever made, Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion is an often witty, sometimes poignant, frequently moving examination of the futility of war. During World War I, twoFrench airmen are shot down while taking surveillance photographs in German territory: Capt. de Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay), a wealthy and aristocratic officer; Lt. Maréchal (Jean Gabin), a burly but intelligent working-class mechanic. The three are brought to a P.O.W. camp, where they encounter and befriend Rosenthal (Marcel Dalio), a prosperous Jewish banker, and the commander, Von Rauffenstein (Erich von Stroheim), takes an immediate liking to de Boeldieu.They are members of the same social class and believe that the political and intellectual ideals of the Europe they once knew will soon be a thing of the past with the rise to power of the proletariat. The three Frenchmen discover that their fellow prisoners have been digging an escape tunnel, and all of them agree to help -- Maréchal and Rosenthal with enthusiasm, de Boeldieu out of a sense of duty. As he puts it, when on a golf course, one plays golf, and while in a prison camp, one tries to escape -- it's the accepted thing to do. As Von Rauffenstein and de Boeldieu become friends, and the rank-and-file soldiers banter as much with the German guards as with each other, the characters seem involved less in a war than in some vast, petty game, albeit one with deadly consequences; they often talk about women and food, while never mentioning political ideology. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Jean Gabin - Lieutenant Maréchal
Pierre Fresnay - Capt. de Boeldieu
Erich Von Stroheim - Von Rauffenstein
Marcel Dalio - Rosenthal
Dita Parlo - Elsa, Farm Woman
Julien Carette - The Actor

Few movies have spoken of the folly and futility of war with the eloquence of Jean Renoir's Grand Illusion, and after releasing a special edition DVD of the film that's loaded with extras, the Criterion Collection have made the picture available in a simpler and more affordable edition. This version of Grand Illusion has been transferred to disc in its original full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and the image quality is excellent, boasting a sharp image with a wide range of grey tones taken from a fine quality print. The audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Mono, and though the fidelity isn't as impressive as the visuals, the track is quite good given the vintage of the film. The dialogue is in French, with optional English subtitles but no multiple language options. The only bonus feature is a short essay included in the accompanying booklet. This is the same disc that Criterion has made available in the =Essential Art House Vol. 1 and =Essential Art House: Fifty Years of Janus Films box sets, and while it's short on bells and whistles, the quality of the film itself should satisfy anyone interested in Renoir's masterpiece. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide