Grand Illusion
Jean Renoir’s humanism is on full display in this 1937 film about a World War and a class war. French POWs and the Germans that imprison them are treated with equal compassion, an approach that would be unthinkable just a few years later. Jean Gabin, Pierre Fresnay, and Marcel Dalio are memorable brothers-in-arms, and Erich von Stroheim gives a heartbreaking performance as a conflicted fighter pilot. Orson Welles named this as one of the two films he’d save for posterity on his own personal ark.
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About Allan Arkush
A record collector and film buff from birth, Allan Arkush brought his two loves together in directing the cult classic Rock ‘n’ Roll High School. Back in the day Allan was directing and executive producing television series like Heroes, and Crossing Jordan. He has also directed episodes of Ally McBeal, Moonlighting, St. Elsewhere, Fame, A Series of Unfortunate Events and TV Movies like Elvis Meets Nixon and Shake Rattle & Rock as well as the mini-series, The Temptations, for which he won an Emmy. He used to have a lost film, Get Crazy, but Kino/Lorber found it in time for Christmas 2021. His day job is teaching Film production & history at the AFI.
I’m glad Allan is getting away on a great holiday. I’ll give this movie another watch as well