Grand Illusion (1937)
La grande illusion
A Great Drama of Human Emotions
113 min
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.
- Release date
- June 4, 1937
- Country of origin
- France
- Box office
- $172,885
Where to watch
Subscription
Darkroom
Free
Kanopy
Streaming data: JustWatch, via TMDB. · See on JustWatch
Trailer
Cast
- Jean Gabin as Le lieutenant Maréchal
- Dita Parlo as Elsa
- Pierre Fresnay as Le captaine de Boeldieu
- Erich von Stroheim as Le captaine von Rauffenstein
- Julien Carette as Cartier - l'acteur
- Georges Péclet as Le serrurier
- Werner Florian as Le sergent Arthur
- Jean Dasté as L'instituteur
- Sylvain Itkine as Le lieutenant Demolder
- Gaston Modot as L'ingénieur
- Marcel Dalio as Lieutenant Rosenthal
- Jacques Becker as British Officer (uncredited)
- Habib Benglia as Senegalese (uncredited)
- Carl Koch as Von Rauffenstein's Orderly (uncredited)
- Claude Sainval as Captain Ringis (uncredited)
- Michel Salina as (uncredited)
- Claude Vernier as Prussian Officer (uncredited)
Crew
- Jean Renoir · Director
- Charles Spaak · Writer
- Jean Renoir · Writer
- Joseph Kosma · Composer
- Christian Matras · Cinematographer
- Marthe Huguet · Editor
- Renée Lichtig · Editor
- Marguerite Renoir · Editor
- Eugène Lourié · Production designer