La Grande Illusion - Jean Renoir

La Grande Illusion

The Grand Illusion

1937



Jean RenoirOne of the very first prison escape movies, Grand Illusion is hailed as one of the greatest films ever made. Jean Renoir’s antiwar masterpiece stars Jean Gabin and Pierre Fresnay as French soldiers held in a World War I German prison camp, and Erich von Stroheim as the unforgettable Captain von Rauffenstein.• Newly restored digital transfer, created from the long-lost camera negative

• New and improved English subtitle translation

• A rare theatrical trailer in which Jean Renoir discusses both Grand Illusion and his personal war experiences

• Audio essay by film historian Peter Cowie

• Archival radio presentation: Renoir and Erich von Stroheim accept Grand Illusion’s Best Foreign Film honors at the 1938 New York Film Critics Awards

• Press book excerpts: Renoir’s letter “to the projectionist,” cast bios, an essay on Renoir by von Stroheim, and essays about the film’s title and recently recovered camera negative

• Restoration demonstration

• Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer editionThe Criterion Collection