Ultimateserge’s Block

Grand Illusion-1937 June 17, 2010

Rating:*****

Directed By: Jean Renoir

Starring:

Grand Illusion contains a scene were the German commander sticks out his hand to welcome his respected fellow French commander who is a prisoner of war. The frenchman, Captain de Boëldieu, welcomes this nice gesture and shakes Captain von Rauffenstein hand. With such beautiful sentimentality, Jean Renoir-a WWI veteran-creates a colorful world where the place of the captive and his guard seems awfully perplexing. Where are they they? Or, who are they? Who is the Nazi? Who is the victim?

Grand Illusion presents a group of Frenchmen, most notably Lieutenant Maréchal, Lieutenant Rosenthal, & Captain de Boëldieu, who are prisoners of the war-during World War I-on the German front. They soon cooperate with their fellow prisoners in an attempt to escape prison and flee Germany. Their plan goes as smoothly as most escapes due until they are moved from their camp, and all their tasks seem futile. However, they are given a second chance to escape in their new camp; unfortunately, this requires a third person to distract the guards while the other men escape with utmost ease.

The first thing the audience may be surprised by is the sheer politeness, courteous manners of the German toward their prisoners. The etiquette of the Germans seems to cross decorum and comes across-initially-as a superficial, conservative, fearful portrayal of the prison guards. When Marechal is placed in solitary confinement, being mentally tortured in the process, the German guard lends him a Harmonica and a couple of cigars. For a large portion of the film, Renoir’s intent by displaying these guards overly humane treatment seems misguided considering the many tragedies of WWI, such as the Armenian genocide. As the film progresses, the sheer audacity of this aspect of the film becomes quite clear. Renoir intents to create an anti-war film where the German, French, etc. are all innocent as their country and the times of war has required them to be in such regards toward each other. As they cite their reasons for escaping becomes clear, it is clear that these are no vicious, blood thirsty French soldiers who cannot wait to return to their soil and give the German side a piece of their mind. They fight neither because they enjoy nor because they deem it a necessarily righteous war. The majority of the soldiers have joined the army because they genuinely believe it is they must serve their country in a productive manner, and unfortunately this war is the major way in which they can serve their countries needs at this time. In one scene, Maréchal reveals that if his escape is successful, he would not relegate himself to a private citizen; but he would regain his post, and as a pilot resume his duty.  The question between the Germans, Russians, and French is not of It the war is appropriate or not, but if the war is thriving it is our duty to serve our country and put a stop to it as soon as possible. In a sense, most of the soldiers in the film-disregarding nationality-would rather serve their country in any other way, than the one proposed; however, it seems no alternatives have been proposed by their country.

Renoir employs clever tactics in fogging the nationalities of the characters, and even the prison guards. Besides the Hakenkreuz-the infamous Nazi symbol-and familiarity with the characters, there really are no other features that distinguish the prisoners from the German guards. As Captain von Rauffenstein reveals to de Boëldieu, their conditions are equally distasteful.  De Boëldieu is surprised as how the Captain can be compared to him, a prisoner, but when the German Captain speaks of the permanent “gifts” the battlefield has bestowed upon, we believe him to also be a prisoner of war. People like de Boëldieu are prisoners because they cannot flee their captors grasp, but others are prisoners because they are perished day after day, even though they are highly regarded men. Rauffenstein may be free to roam the land as he wishes, but he is the prisoner of the prison, as he is unable to function as he wishes, as he is confined to this prison’s mansion-like structure. An important scene concerns Boëldieu’s questioning of his German counterparts disregard for his fellow soldiers. It is a well known fact that Rauffenstein respects Boëldieu for their mutual acquitance, but also because he respects him as an officer. Boëldieu informs him that his fellow friends are also very good soldiers and that they also deserve his respect and trust.  Von Rauffenstein chuffs as this statement, responding: “…A Rosenthal and Maréchal?” If these German’s are to be guilty of anything, it is their superiority complex. Unlike the WWII Nazi’s who attempted to conquer this superiority by lambasting the “inferiors.” These German’s only mildly harbor such feelings, feelings that have yet to be instilled with hate.

A pivotal character of Grand Illusion is the Jewish Lieutenant Rosenthal. Coming from a wealthy, banking family he shares his parcels that he receives from home with all his fellow prisoners. Rosenthal is the vision of humanity, and his nice deeds are continuously praised by his fellow prison mates as a righteous person, and in one occasion Maréchal discount all prejudices toward the Jews, and says: “You’ve been a good pal.” Though released before the onset of WWII, Grand Illusion wants to firmly announce the equality of all races, and courageously-especially for its time-does not lambast the Germans nor pities them. It presents soldiers as humans, and implies that the blame is not upon the soldier but the ruler, dictator, President, or/and government of each respectable country. These are soldiers who fight to hopefully end the war sooner, and criticizing them for the travesties is to avoid the masterminds behind the global genocide that was WWI.

Jean Renoir has often been cited as among the greatest directors in the history of film, and Grand Illusion and other works like the masterful Rules of the Game, make this honor seem valid. Renoir’s sensitivity is unusual for an antiwar film as he doesn’t force any morality down the viewer’s throat, but asks questions. Grand Illusion is a film with a series of questions that are remained unanswered, not because Renoir is unable to answer them, rather due to the fact that humanity-the part of humanity responsible for the wars-has yet to realize the cruelty and insignificance of the benefits of war in consideration to its pains and anguish.  Released two years before the onset of WWI, Renoir could not have possibly believed that the torments of his first global war would be rekindled, and this time the costs of this war were much worse than the First World War It is notable that even without its condemnation of either side, Grand Illusion was labeled as “Cinematic Public enemy number one” by the Nazi’s not much after its release.

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