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79% Critic Match
Grand Illusion
“A Great Drama of Human Emotions”
7.9 / 10• 1937• 1h 54m•NR• French
DramaHistoryWar
Storyline
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.
Cast & Crew
Jean Gabin
Lieutenant Maréchal
Lead
Dita Parlo
Elsa
Pierre Fresnay
Captain de Boëldieu
Erich von Stroheim
Captain von Rauffenstein
Julien Carette
Cartier, the Vaudeville Performer
Georges Péclet
Officer
WF
Werner Florian
Sergeant Arthur
Jean Dasté
Teacher
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Jean Renoir's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. Grand Illusion is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
