Grand Illusion
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
Jean Gabin
as Lieutenant Maréchal
Dita Parlo
as Elsa
Pierre Fresnay
as Captain de Boëldieu
Erich von Stroheim
as Captain von Rauffenstein
Julien Carette
as Cartier, the Vaudeville Performer
Georges Péclet
as Officer
Werner Florian
as Sergeant Arthur
Jean Dasté
as Teacher
Sylvain Itkine
as Lieutenant Demolder
Gaston Modot
as Engineer
Reviews
CinemaSerf
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 mo...
