Grand Illusion

(Directed by Jean Renoir, France 1937)

Filmmaking, unlike other fields of art, is a work of fake and illusion. We know that the events that take place on the big screen are not real. In other art forms like painting and sculpture there are fakes and forgeries, while in the film business there’s no such thing. The term ‘fake movie’ doesn’t exist in our vocabulary. It’s all fake, and that’s the beauty of it - the illusion of cinema.
“Illusion is an erroneous perception of reality or belief”, says the definition according to the dictionary, and my general assumption is that Jean Renoir would have probably agreed with that definition. In his great masterpiece, ‘Grand Illusion’, he uses the art form of illusion to present his own perspective about life, friendship, love, nature, borders, and especially war. I’d like to examine these various aspects and try to understand what these illusions are, according to Renoir.
The strong memorable image of the last scene of ‘Grand Illusion’ describes the two heroes, Lieutenant Marechal, played by Jean Gabin, and Lieutenant Rosenthal, played by Marcel Dalio, struggling their way in the deep snow, surrounded by scenic forests and mountains. They cross the border to the safe soil of Switzerland, but there’s no ‘physical’ border. It’s an illusion. The beauty of nature is on both sides and by setting the scene there, Renoir states his belief about the stupidity of barbwires and borders, and shows his enormous respect for the great outdoors.
In the first part of the film, a friendship between a German Captain, played exquisitely by Eric Von Stroheim, and a French Captain takes place. Despite the fact that a horrific war is going on, and by all standards they should be foes, a gentlemen’s friendship engages these two Captains in their own world, their own illusion. In one of the peaks of the film, the French Captain De Boeldieu, played by Pierre Fresnay, makes a choice and prefers his French real friends to the illusive friendship with the German Captain. This decision costs him in his life, but saves the lives of his friends.
Moreover, there’s another aspect of illusion in the French Captain story. In order to help his friends escape from the camp, he has to cause some sort of distraction. Renoir chooses to cause it by the sweet sound of flutes. That choice is not arbitrary, and, in my opinion, Renoir refers to the famous allegory tale ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’. Captain de Boeldieu runs around the camp, playing the flute like a modern version of the pied piper, and the German soldiers, like confused mice, follow him. This absurd situation in the prisoners’ camp emphasizes the surrealistic nature of war and captivity. The German soldiers are captivated by the music of one of their prisoners. Having demonstrated that, Renoir asks a really big question; who is the prisoner? The jailer or the criminal? In this moment of magic music there are no boundaries – the illusion is in its prime.
The comic element in ‘Grand Illusion’ is well felt throughout the film, despite the fact that this is a ‘war movie’. In one of the early scenes, the prisoners of the camp wear women clothes and organize a show. I think there is more to it than a comic relief. The fact that there are no women in the camp makes the French prisoners invent them. They create an illusion that everything is normal in the camp; there are good-looking girls; there’s entertainment; there’s good food. They’re trying to create an illusion that will make them believe they’ve never left Paris.
In the second part of ‘Grand Illusion’, a love story takes place. Lieutenant Marechal and Lieutenant Rosenthal encounter Elsa, the main female character in the film (other female characters are very small and almost insignificant; it seems that Elsa is the only woman in the film). Elsa, played by Dita Parlo, is a German farm woman, who hides the two French fugitives in her farm. They find one gentle soul in a hostile country. Is she really that humane? Is it just an illusion? Would she turn them in to the authorities? Renoir answers these questions by using the power of love. Lieutenant Marechal and Elsa fall in love, and for a minute it seems they would live forever in this peaceful dwelling. This is another illusion, because they both know that the current ideal situation can’t continue for long.
One of the most powerful points of ‘Grand Illusion’ takes place towards the end, when the two French lieutenants watch the unseen border that symbolizes their freedom. They wonder out loud how they hope this would be the last war. One of them wishes and believes that there won’t be another one. Of course, it’s a grand illusion. Wars will never end, and we always wish that this war would be the last. The big illusion is the naivete of people that think that this will be the last.
In conclusion, there are many layers in ‘Grand Illusion’. It seems that Renoir created a work of art with an extraordinary depth. As you reveal the core of the film, you realize how complicated, subtle, humane, and prophetic this film is. On a personal note, I’ve seen ‘Grand Illusion’ twice. The first time was five years ago, and the second time was a week ago. In between I have served for three years in the Israeli Army. I remember how confused I was after watching it for the first time. I didn’t realize what Renoir has tried to express. After experiencing the ‘Army life’, I’ve gained a better understanding about Renoir’s statements. I realized borders are only lines that interrupt nature, and in wars people die without any sensible reason. I wish I could stay in a state of grand illusion, and think that this war is definitely the last one, but we, and Renoir, know better not to fall into that trap.