Synopsis
The narrative of Renoir’s 1937 film, La Grande Illusion, may be sketched into four basic acts.
Act I or Prologue: Great War
In the opening act, Maréchal, a French Great War Pilot, and former mechanic, is sent on mission. Although Renoir never uses any scenes of actual battles or fighting, we see Maréchal and another aristocratic officer, de Boëldieu, arrive at Hallbah prison camp, evidently shot down behind enemy lines by Captain von Rauffenstein. Maréchal’s arm is in a sling. French aristocrat de Boëldieu is indignant that he is searched, grinding his expensive watch under his boot rather than let a German take possession of it. In contrast, Maréchal humorously says that if he had known he was coming, he would have brought more change.
Act II: Hallbah Prison Camp
In this scene, we are introduced to von Rauffenstein, an aristocratic German commanding officer, who believes in treating other officers—even enemies—as gentlemen with honor and respect, while enforcing strict rules, including shooting escaping prisoners. We are also introduced to a cohort of other French prisoners of war. Maréchal’s bunk is a microcosm of French society, and includes Rosenthal, a nouveau riche officer, who is the son of a wealthy Jewish banker, Cartier, a cabaret-style performer; and other French prisoners of war from all social classes.
We are quickly shown the parallelism of French prisoners and German soldiers during a dining hall scene. The French eat casually in informal groupings, whereas the Germans have a hierarchical, highly structured eating hall, and they eat under the omnipresent painting of the Kaiser. Invited to eat with the German officers, Maréchal meets a German soldier who was also a mechanic before the war. The soldier sees his injured arm and helps him cut his food. There is both civility, respect, suspicion and loyalty by both the Germans and the French.
Most of the prisoners’ time is split between digging an escape tunnel in their bunk and preparing for a Concert Performance. Right before the concert performance, the Germans celebrate a victory at Verdun.
During the prisoner of war concert, the German and French soldiers are united in popular song. But, when the French prisoners learn France has retaken Verdun, they spontaneously break out in song, singing “Marseilles.” The barrier is driven between the two nationalities again. After the concert, everything spirals downward. Maréchal is placed in solitary confinement, and the Germans retake Verdun. But, this time neither side celebrates. Instead, they both realize the futility of the massacre (“must not be much left of it by now”) (La Grande Illusion, 1937).
Finally, the escape tunnel is completed. The night of escape, the prisoners are transferred to other POW camps. While Maréchal tries desperately to tell an incoming English prisoner of the tunnel, the language barrier prevents disclosure.
Act III Wintersborn Castle Prison Camp
With ellipses of time, Maréchal, Rosenthal, and de Boëldieu are reunited at Wintersborn castle. We learn that Maréchal has tried to escape from five prison camps, and de Boëldieu four camps since Hallbah. The commanding German officer is again the aristocrat, von Rauffenstein, who has been injured in war and wears a neck brace and white gloves to cover badly burned hands. Aristocrat De Boëldieu has more in common with fellow aristocrat von Rauffenstein, and the two develop a friendship. Whereas de Boëldieu has reconciled himself to accepting the end of the aristocracy, von Rauffenstein cannot.
Determined to escape, using a makeshift rope, Maréchal and Rosenthal are able to climb down the castle wall.
Realizing there is no future for him in the new world, de Boëldieu helps them escape by sitting in the rafters and playing a French children’s song to create a diversion. He is ultimately shot and accidentally killed by Rauffenstein for refusing to come down (“I meant to shoot you in the foot”) (La Grande Illusion, 1937).
In a touching scene, a devastated von Rauffenstein sits by de Boëldieu’s bedside as he dies.
De Boëldieu: Neither you nor I can stop the march of time.
Von Rauffenstein: Boëldieu, I don’t know who will win this war, but whatever the outcome, it will mean the end of the Rauffensteins and the de Boëldieus.” (La Grande Illusion, 1937).
Act IV Journey to Swiss Border
Rosenthal’s foot is injured as the two escape from the fortress prison, and Maréchal’s anti-Semitism comes out during a heated argument. Maréchal leaves Rosenthal but eventually returns and helps him travel.
Rosenthal and Maréchal hide at a German farm from the soldiers. The farm is owned by a young, German peasant Elsa. She and her young daughter Lotte provide a sanctuary for the two French soldiers. We learn that Elsa’s husband and two brothers have been killed in the War.
Overcoming language barriers by finding commonalities in backgrounds and social class, Maréchal and Elsa fall in love. After a touching Christmas scene where Rosenthal carves a nativity scene for Lotte out of potatoes, Maréchal promises to return for Elsa and Lotte after the war.
Rosenthal: Not looking back?
Maréchal: If I do, I’ll never leave. (La Grande Illusion, 1937).
Maréchal and Rosenthal continue their journey toward France. The two French soldiers are almost killed by German soldiers as they make their way over the mountains but manage to make it to neutral Swiss territory just as the Germans raise their rifles to shoot.
As the two men finally part way, they ironically realize that they are just returning to war, not going home.
Maréchal: We have to finish the war. Let’s hope its the last.
Rosenthal: An illusion. Back to Reality.” (La Grande Illusion, 1937).
Source: La Grande Illusion, 1937.
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