Grand Illusion (La grande illusion) (1937)

Movie Reviews (part 1) (50 movies items)

" The Ups: Satisfying after a slowly built beginning. Excellent acting especially from Jean Gabin and Erich von Stroheim and engaging direction that highly influenced occupation dramas around the world. The Downs: It took some time for me to warm up to it as the first thirty minutes are painful for me to watch with a terrible show number that stops the entire movie but it works better the second time. The movie ends a little too abrupt for me."

The All Time Greats (99 movies items)

"~ Not watched"

Top 100 French films (100 movies items)

""La grande illusion" "

Directors' Favorite Films (327 movies items)

" 4 Directors: Welles, Wilder, Allen, Visconti"

100 Greatest Foreign Movies by Digitaldreamdoor (125 movies items)

"Country of Origin: France"

Dear Cinema Diary - Vol 4 E1 - Jan 2013 (35 movies items)

" The fact that this film was ever considered controversial (and still considered somewhat controversial) is something I find silly. Still, it is nice to know that the USA isn't the only country that would like to sweep some aspects of history under the rug of revisionist history. Yes, there was a time when war was fa bit more dignified and it wasn't until later that guerrilla warfare changed the landscape of modern warfare forever. It is only nationalistic propaganda that builds a war between"

Seen in 2012 - Best of (24 movies items)

" dir. Jean Renoir"

New-to-Me Films of 2012 (366 movies items)

"A wonderfully exquisite piece of work. Renoir's direction is tops; exceptionally poetic and masterful in its narrative progression. This is a war-themed film that looks past barriers of class and rank, and instead focuses on each character sympathetically and with special interest to their humanistic traits. It avoids hard-hitting, clichéd stories, and relies on the universal similarities and inevitable friendships that occur in harsh conditions. A subtle film that is, undoubtedly, profound and"