What It's About:

During the First World War, wealthy, aristocratic Capt. de Boeldieu (Fresnay) and working-class Lt. Maréchal (Gabin) are shot down over Germany. Brought to a POW camp housing French and British officers, De Boeldieu befriends gentlemanly German commandant Von Rauffenstein (Von Stroheim), a nobleman with whom he shares the bond of social class as well as wistful ideas about fading, old-world European ideals. Torn between loyalties to class and nation, he reluctantly participates in Maréchal's attempts to hatch an escape plan.

Why I Love It:

One of the great achievements in world cinema, Renoir's "The Grand Illusion" explores the seemingly arbitrary borders of class, language, and citizenship that divide us. Banned by the Nazis on the eve of WWII, "Illusion" remains a compelling hybrid of the prison-escape genre and Renoir's own brand of warm, humanistic drama, characterized by the easygoing interactions between soldiers and prisoners. Expertly directed and wonderfully acted by Gabin, Fresnay, Von Stroheim, and Marcel Dalio as French-Jewish compatriot Rosenthal, "Illusion" is ultimately a brilliant critique of war itself. It was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar in 1938.