The Grand Illusion Analysis

The Grand Illusion Analysis
Randall Webster
French History in Film

1
Set during the first World War and released as a response to the second's coming, The
Grand Illusion portrays the changing political and social landscape of the early to mid 20th
century. Along with the representation of changing times, specifically in regard to the subject of
class, the director offers up critique of both the old and the new. One that may seem naive in
today's world. What film implies is, in essence, that the social boundaries and hierarchies of our
everyday lives are the cause of a majority of our society's ills.
Displaying the social change in 20th century Europe, the film offers two contrasting class
hierarchies. The first is the old, aristocratic, elite whose power stems mostly from their bloodline,
a tradition older than the area's conquest by Rome. This class is represented by de Boeldieu and
von Rauffenstein as the two share and face similar situations on either side of the war. The other
class system is, in accordance to historical consensus, shown to be arising as a byproduct of
capitalism, nationalism, and a more utilitarian outlook on bureaucratization. In accordance with
the nature of this new class organization, it is represented far less strictly. The treatment of
officers as a cohesive class within the context of the war is the first instance of this.
The main characters, including de Boeldieu (an aristocrat) Marechal (presumably from
the working class), and Rosenthal (born into a wealthy Jewish family), are given equal treatment
within the structures of the first POW camp. Not only was their treatment equal, it was also much
better than that of the non-officers. This is later contrasted with the informal powers that
Rosenthal and de Boeldieu have as members of old and new money, echoing the transition
towards some sense of structural equality that had been occurring at the time.
This theme is further pushed in de Boeldieu's conversation with Rosenthal and Marechal
2
in which he says, The pox used to be our privilege, but we've lost it. Like so many others. . . .
We'd each die of our own class diseases, if war didn't make all germs equal.1 Pointing, again, to
the falling place of aristocrats in French society due to the fundamentally different qualities that
nationalist liberal capitalism demands of its elites. This idea is not far removed from our
understanding of the historical trends at the time, supporting the film's use in understanding
history as both a cultural artifact of the interwar period and a reasonably accurate depiction of the
first world war.2
The Film is not without its problems, however. As its point is to cast the social structures humans
had built as the true villain of the story, it presents an overly idealistic narrative that could
reinforce the popular conception of WWI being a useless war. Though, it is possible that the
director is ahead of me on this one, rather than behind. The focus solely on the officers camps is
presented in a way that it could be mistaken to represent the lives of all French POWs rather than
just the privileged few.3
The heart of the film, I believe, comes from its critique of this transition, not it is observation of
it. The aristocrats are presented as having sympathies across national lines. Especially to
Rauffenstein, the division of class is much more important than that of nationality. He and de
Boeldieu both seem to have the same education, taste in food, and taste in women. Their only
sense of nationality a result of the expectations of their class position. Yet, at the same time, de
Boeldieu is collaborating across class lines with Marechal and Rosenthal to help them escape. It
1. Jean Renoir, La Grande Illusion, Film, (1937; New York: Criterion, 1999.),
YouTube
2. Jeremy D Popkin, A History of Modern France 4th ed (New York:
Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005), 233.
3. John Yarnall, Barbed Wire Disease: British and German Prisoners of War,
1914-19, (Stroud: History Press, 2011) 52-65.
3
could be said that he understands how the times have changed and decides to not fight the
current. Instead of favoring the soft power that exists mostly as a relic of the past, he chooses to
act in accords with the new construct.
The most important point about this dichotomy is almost hidden by the conflict itself. The
film spends a majority of its time building up a system which it has been taking shots at though
its entirety. The war, a representation of this new order, is presented as strange, unnatural, even
artificial. One of the starkest commentaries being, You can't see borders, they are human
creations. Nature couldn't care less.4 Pointing, again, to the constructed nature of their major
problem. Looking at it, it seems almost ridiculous that a few hundred feet is the distance between
the same man shooting you or deciding not to.
This ridiculous artificiality is pushed by the fact that scross national lines, characters are able to
show inappropriate amounts of compassion and humanity to another while still following the
rules of the game. The pow camp in the beginning especially looks almost like an idealist's
version of the Stanford prison experiment. The actors seem like people reluctantly thrust into
roles that they, on some level, question deeply. This is brought to fruition when Rosenthal and
Marechal finally do escape. Instead of going back to their side of the war as a good soldier would
they make it to neutral territoryescaping the war itself. Most poignant is how this act was
regarded by the nearby German soldiers. Rather than calling them coward, as a good soldier
would see the situation, he says Good for them.5 insinuating that they are all looking for a way
out of this new structure; one that is no more legitimate than the last.
4. Jean Renoir, La Grande Illusion, Film, (1937; New York: Criterion, 1999.),
YouTube
5. Ibid
4
Bibliography
Popkin, Jeremy D. A History of Modern France. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J., New York:
Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005.

5
Renoir, Jean. La Grande Illusion. Film. 1937. New York: Criterion, 1999. YouTube
Yarnall, John. Barbed Wire Disease: British and German Prisoners of War, 1914-19. Stroud:
History Press, 2011.

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The Grand Illusion Analysis

French History in Film

everyday lives are the cause of a majority of our society's ills.

class system is, in accordance to historical consensus, shown to be arising as a byproduct of

capitalism, nationalism, and a more utilitarian outlook on bureaucratization. In accordance with

first world war.2

just the privileged few.3

act in accords with the new construct.

the same man shooting you or deciding not to.

Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005.

History Press, 2011.

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