La Grande Illusion

Renoir’s classic about WWI prisoners of war repeatedly trying to escape boasts an extraordinary cast.

  • Director

    Jean Renoir

  • With

    Jean Gabin, Pierre Fresnay, Erich Von Stroheim, Marcel Dalio

  • France 1937. 113min

  • Digital

  • Certificate

    U

  • English subtitles

Truffaut considered Renoir the world’s greatest filmmaker and wrote that this classic – about WWI prisoners of war – dealt with ‘waging war politely’; he understood that it was as much about class divisions and allegiances as it was about rival nations. Did it influence Jules et Jim or The Last Metro? Regardless, one member of this film’s extraordinary cast – Jean Dasté – became a Truffaut regular.