The Great Illusion

the Great Illusion is a film French of Jean Renoir left in 1937.

Synopsis

During the First World War, the plane of lieutenant Maréchal and the captain of Boëldieu is cut down by the commander von Rauffenstein. The two officers aristocrats, respect and even fraternize more or less under the glance of Marshal the workman and Rosenthal the banker Juif. This first part of film ends when Boëldieu is sacrificed to allow the escape from Marshal and Rosenthal. The second part shows Maréchal and Rosenthal accommodated in firm allemande whose all men left to the war then, after there to have begun again forces, which pass in Suisse.
The initial scenario envisaged an additional sequence: while separating, Marshal and Rosenthal gave themselves appointment in a Parisian great restaurant to celebrate the victory. At the said day, the two chairs remained empty, without it being known if they had given up continuing to fraternize, returned peace, or if they had been killed.

Comment

This film is the occasion to paint a gallery of portraits (two aristocrats, a Parisian kid, a Jewish banker, an actor, a teacher, an engineer, etc) per hour of the First World War. This time, which marks the end of the aristocracy, described the power struggles and affinities between different the Social classes beyond the borders and of the conflicts. the Great Illusion is besides neither a film of adventures, nor even a film of war (there is no scene of combat).

One can as note as it is a question of first film to be dealt with escape, and was a source of inspiration of the Great Escape . Rather rare characteristic, the history does not show any negative character: combatants or guards, the Germans are good guys; the allied prisoners make owe them with conscience but without excessive heroism, Boëldieu except but the thing is brought in a very probable and somewhat pejorative way (it is a relic of passed). Such as they are presented, the prison camps of 14-18 do not give the impression of a terrible hell (at least camps of officers).

The significance of the title of film caused discussions a long time: the “great illusion” does it apply to the duration of the war, of which nobody expected that it is so long? Or does it relate to the relations between the characters (the factitious bringing together of the social classes by the war, the agreement between aristocrats in spite of the conflict of their respective fatherlands)? The illusion about which the title speaks would be that of the borders, which do not separate from the nations or the territories, but which is before very social. As of the foregrounds, the individuals recognize themselves: the two aristocrats can get along in spite of the war (they attend the same places and speak several languages with facility), and the two workmen sympathize in remembering their past (Marshal employs a popular speech immediately to evoke the factory in which him and the German worked). Lastly, in the last plan in snow, no image shows that the Swiss border was exceeded. A third assumption would like that the illusion is that of the " DER of Der" what evokes Maréchal, contradicted at once by Rosenthal. Indeed the film goes back to 1937, whereas nationalism is with its roof and that the accession of Hitler to the capacity in 1933 already lets predict a new war.

the Great Illusion was immediately regarded as a chief of work, probably the best film of all the French production, not only in France but also abroad, including at the Anglo-Saxons. Until about 1970 it was always in the list of 10 best films of all times.

Data sheet

Title: the Great Illusion
Realizer: Jean Renoir
Scenario and Dialogs: Charles Spaak, Jean Renoir
Assistant réal. : Jacques Becker, Robert Rips
Adviser technical: Carl Kock
Scripte: Gourdji (Francoise Giroud)
Decorations: Eugene Lourié, assisted Georges Wakhévitch
Costumes: Rene Decrais
Dresser: Suzy Berton
Make-up: Raffels (Raphaël' S)
Accessories suppliers: Alexandre Laurié, Raymond Rammer
operator Chief: Christian Matras
Cameraman: Claude Renoir
Assistant operator: Jean-Serge Bourgoin, Ernest Bourreaud
Sound engineer: Joseph of Brittany
Assembly: Marguerite Renoir, assisted Marthe Huguet. A new assembly was carried out in 1958 by Renee Lichtig, assisted of Fernande
Musique: Joseph Kosma (Smyth editions)
Song: Marguerite if you want my happiness Vincent Telly and Albert Valsien is interpreted by Julien Carette
Directeur of orchestra: Emile Vuillermoz
Directing of production: Raymond Blondy
general Manager: Raymond Blondy, assisted Robert Rips (chief of plate) and of Maurice Barnathan (governed external)
Photographer of Plate: Sam Levin
Production: Frank Rollmer, Albert Pinkévitch and Alexandre for the Achievements of Cinematographic art (R.A.C.)
Turning: February at May 1937
Poster: Bernard Lancy
Left: the June 9th 1937 in Marivaux, Paris
Format: Black and white - Mono - Film 35 mm - Pulling: Laboratory Franay L.T.C
Distribution: R.A.C, then Cinédis, Filmsonor Gaumont
Kind: dramatic comedy
Lasted: 113 minutes
Country: France

Distribution

Jean Gabin: lieutenant Maréchal
Marcel Dalio: lieutenant Rosenthal
Pierre Fresnay: captain of Boëldieu
Erich von Stroheim: captain von Rauffenstein then commander von Rauffenstein
Dita Parlo: Elsa
Julien Carette: Cartier
Gaston Modot: engineer with the land register
Jean Dasté: teacher
Sylvain Itkine: lieutenant Demolder, known as Pindare
Werner Florian: Kantz, known as Arthur
small Peters: Burbot
Georges Peclet: Carpenter
Habib Benglia: Senegalese
Claude Sainval: captain Ringis
Roger Forster: Maisonneuve
Jacques Becker: English officer who breaks his watch
Carl Koch: gendarme of countryside
Pierre Blondy: a soldier
Albert Brouett: prisoner
Georges Fronval
Karl Heil
Michel Salina
Claude Vernier

Around film

Actors

Jean Renoir entrusted the main roles to three emblematic figures of the time: Pierre Fresnay as a declining aristocrat, Jean Gabin in Parisian kid gouaillor and Erich von Stroheim as a very rigid officer, accentuated by its minerve.

In the beginning the role of Boëldieu was written for Louis Jouvet. The change was probably happy, Jouvet being perhaps a little too austere and deadpan to incarnate an aristocrat who must know to show detachment and a certain nonchalance even in tragic circumstances.

In the beginning, the scenario concentrated on the relations of lieutenant Maréchal and the captain of Boëldieu. Following a misunderstanding with Erich von Stroheim, Jean Renoir had to rewrite the scenario whereas turning was started to give him a big role because it was not to make, in the beginning, that an appearance.

small Peters, which interprets the role of Burbot, never saw film: it was carried by the influenza a few weeks before its exit.

Turning

the indoor scenes were turned to the Studios of Billancourt and Éclair with Épinay-sur-Seine. The scenes of outsides were turned to Neuf-Brisach, with the barracks of Colmar, the Château of Haut-Kœnigsbourg, in a farm close to Ribeauvillé and with Chamonix for the last sequence (without Jean Gabin left on another film).

Claude Renoir, which worked near his/her uncle Jean Renoir since 1932, was constrained to leave turning in Alsace for health reason and was replaced during three weeks by its assistant Jean-Serge Bourgoin.

Anecdotes

a not very realistic scene: of the English able to sing the Marseillaise .

Small thoughtlessness: a chart posted on a wall shows Germany with its borders according to 1919 (the action seems to occur in the year 1916 because it refers to the loss then the resumption of Douaumont; it is spread out over several months, taking into account the changes of camps and escape bids from the characters, without counting the stay with the farm which covers Christmas 1916 or 1917).

It there forever have flotilla MF 902 (that of Marshal) but this denomination corresponds well to the system in force into 14-18 because Renoir, which was aviator, took care to use a number not allotted, the series not having reached 600.

the film was to be initially called the adventures of the lieutenant Maréchal , this character being the only present of the beginning to the end.

After the exit

the pacifist spirit (asserted by Jean Renoir) and of fraternization between the people of film had with film to be prohibited during the war.

At the time of its public presentation, the film was 18 minute old amputee, he was projected in full version only during one festival organized in Brussels in 1958.

the shortly after the first to the cinema Marivaux, the film is projected without 10 a.m. interruption at 2 o'clock in the morning. The film makes full house with each meeting and will beat all the records of frequentation: 1,55 franc million in four weeks, 200.000 spectators in two months in only one room, better receipt of the year 1937.

It would seem that the Duce, which, in deprived, appreciated film and would have had a copy of it, would have intervened to draw aside film of the supreme reward of the international exhibition of cinematographic art of Venice. Its mode was going to prohibit work as of October. Hitler, which looked at many films, judged it very good but made it prohibit for the same reasons that French censure: its very persuasive pacifist spirit. It tried to make some destroy copies and negative, but in vain; in any event, the thoughtlessness of the French was much more effective and one believed of the years during the lost original, more nobody not knowing where one had put it at the shelter.

the film will be projected exceptionally with the White House with Washington for the birthday of Mrs. Roosevelt.

the film will remain thirty-six weeks with the poster of a room new yorkaise.

Rewards

Price of the best artistic whole to the international exhibition of cinematographic art of Venice (Ve Mostra of Venice).

Price of best foreign film decreed by American criticism in 1938.

External bonds

the Great illusion on Internet Movie Database.
the Great illusion on Allociné.
Data sheet of film as well as others of Renoir, with some quotations and comments.
Some information in connection with film.

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