Grand Illusion

Release Date:	Aug 1999
Genres	Drama / War
Duration:	107 min
Cast:	Jean Gabin(Le lieutenant Maréchal), Dita Parlo(Elsa - Farm Woman), Pierre Fresnay(Le captaine de Boeldieu), Erich von Stroheim(Le captaine von Rauffenstein (as Eric...), Julien Carette(Cartier - l'acteur (as Carette)), Georges Péclet(Le serrurier (as Peclet)), Werner Florian(Le sergent Arthur), Jean Dasté(L'instituteur (as Daste)), Sylvain Itkine(Le lieutenant Demolder (as Itkine)), Gaston Modot(L'ingénieur (as Modot)), Marcel Dalio(Le lieutenant Rosenthal (as Dalio)), Jacques Becker(L'officier anglais (uncredited)), Habib Benglia(Le sénégalais (uncredited)), Pierre Blondy(Un soldat (uncredited)), Albert Brouett(Un prisonnier (uncredited)), George Forster(Maison-Neuve (uncredited)), Karl Heil(Un officier de la forteresse...), Carl Koch(L'ordonnance de von Rauffenstein...), Little Peters(La petite fille d'Elsa (uncredited)), Claude Sainval(Le capitaine Ringis (uncredited)), Michel Salina((uncredited)), Claude Vernier(L'officer prussien (uncredited)),

During WWI, French Captain de Boeldieu and Lieutenant Maréchal are shot down over Germany by Captain von Rauffenstein during a reconnaissance mission. The two French officers are captured. There is an instant rapport between von Rauffenstein and de Boeldieu, who he sees like himself, a career military man of high rank who should be afforded the respect of the position. This hierarchy has nothing to do with life outside of the military. Even at the Hallbach POW camp where they are initially housed, de Boeldieu and Maréchal are treated differently within the ranks of the other POWs. de Boeldieu and Maréchal themselves treat each other cordially but with guarded friendship, only because of their current situation. Time does not change their relationship. This hierarchy becomes more pronounced when de Boeldieu and Maréchal among others are transferred to Wintersborn POW camp on the request of von Rauffenstein, who is now the commandant there. Since their last meeting, von Rauffenstein was permanently injured leading to this new assignment at Wintersborn, a converted 13th century castle. When Maréchal and fellow captive Rosenthal muse about their next escape attempt, de Boeldieu understands his position in the plot which is in keeping with his position among the other POWs and his special relationship with von Rauffenstein.