Rating: 
Summary: Unrealistic garbage
Review: Amazing restoration, unfortunately, the film does not hold up well over time. The comments from the director about how WW1 was a "gentleman's War" only corroborate his lack of vision as to what war really means. WW1 was far from a gentleman's war ( can any war be truly that?) and the movie's very basis falls apart as we see the prisoners trying to escape from what appears to be very relaxed, humane prison camps. I cannot say if such nice prison camps existed in WW1, but I am sure that few prisoners would have tried to escape from them if they had, in order that they might fight again. WW1 was a nasty, ugly war, with human wave attacks from trenches, filled with mustard gas. The idea that prisoners wanted to escape as these did is preposterous.Over rated and poorly scripted---truly a disappointing fantasy. For a true masterpiece of WW1 cinema, see "All Quiet on the Western front" written by the French/German Erich Maria Remarque.
Rating: 
Summary: Just tell a story (c) S.Maugham
Review: And the story is perfect. Although more than half century passed since the cast, the old style of the movie is even helpful. Black and white screen make us beleive in epizodes too directly done for the modern times. The most tragic character is definitely von Rauffenstein. The broken old knight (even his orthopedic corset looks like an armor) not even achieve the last victory of de Boieldieu. He remains desperately alone and his last act of cutting the geranium (obviously for de Boieldieu burial) is one of the best in the movie. In a nutshell the DVD is definitely a must-to-buy. May be you will not watch it many times, but even having it on the shelf make life a little warmer(-;
Rating: 
Summary: Bland Delusion
Review: At the risk of being ostracized by both the Pretentious Cinema Know-It-All Society and the Woody Allen Fan Club, I must say that Grand Illusion is the hands-down winner in the category of "Most Cosmically Overrated Piece of Dreck." Even in the face of stiff competition from all-too-deserving fellow nominees such as "Paths of Glory", "Bonnie and Clyde", "The Wild Bunch", and "Citizen Caine". These others, like GI, get 4-star ratings and are called classics, or at least classics of their genre. The first three are just crap and Caine, while very good, simply does not deserve the oohs and aahs and best-film-ever ranking it so often receives. But, in the field of overratedness, they all pale in comparison, and shrink to insignificance beside Renoir's contribution. It offers an overdone theme, unimaginative staging, a hackneyed script, and 4th grade-pageant acting. The combined effect is the 20th century's best answer to insomnia since Seconal. Donnez-moi une break!
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating
Review: During WWI, a number of people connect across political boundaries. Nevertheless, they remain bound by class and circumstance. A great film, but it just didn't hit me hard enough on the gut level that I want from cinema.
Rating:
Summary: Subtle Images Foreshadow Loss of Innocence
Review: Grand Illusion is a brilliant film. The textual clarity, showcased artfully by Criterion's release of a pristine copy, is layered and poignant. The characters and their situations examine the devestation of war on individuals, societies, and countries regardless of political justifications. Man is on display in this film...his motivations, reactions, and frailities are laid bare, helping the viewer to understand his own humanity in the end. The importance of this film is also multilayered. Renoir's work stands alone on it's story, characterization, photography, and direction. While the modern filmgoer may not find the b/w and subtle storytelling to be as visceral as the latest Arnold or Mel extravaganza, the quality of the film as a whole should be very satisfying to a true film lover. The characters, like people, are not simply good or bad, generous or greedy, but driven by many needs, values, and decisions. It is an art of examination that most film writers have forgone in modern times to replace with a car chase, a joke, or a blonde...anything to alleviate the pain of watching human conflict. The viewers find themselves discomforted by the quiet determination of Renoir to make us see our own motivations. We find, of course, that general stock characters must be introduced to allow us to do this...the stern commandant, the intellectual noble, the common survivor...but Renoir manages to enable these characters with lives that beyond the "type". We see the layers of these people. and we care what happens to them. Renoir creates some wonderful shots to support his characterizations. As you watch the film, take special note of how he uses the buildings in support of the individual representations. How the entrances and exits within those buildings are creating moods and depth. These directional applications are not by chance...they are deliberate, and illuminate one small contexual layer that adds to the films relevant points.The acting, of course, is flawless. Gabin and Fresnay are very good, von Stroheim is never better, and watch for the smaller and very subtle performance of Julien Carette. Perhaps Grand Illusions greatest relevance, while not dismissing the that on it's own it is one of the great films of all time, lies in the fact that it's relativeness is altered in the Pos-WWII climate. Once our innocence was lost in the numbing knowledge of the death camps, some of the film's message becomes dated, almost over-simplistic. We are watching a time when the terms "Final Solution" and Bataan did not immediately create an image. Grand Illusion seeks to remind us that even in war, we are human. But on some level, by 1945, we had learned that while human, we can be soulless.
Rating:
Summary: So....you like war movies?
Review: grand illusion is so well known that is almost not worthy to comment on it other than it is the best war/antiwar film of all time bar none, and is also very funny. it has been copied by the great escape, stalag 17, paths of glory, just to name a few. so if you haven' t seen this; it is essential. if you have, you know exactly what i am talking about. "quite frankly, i find the theatre is much to deep for me....i prefer bicycling"
Rating:
Summary: So....you like war movies?
Review: grand illusion is so well known that is almost not worthy to comment on it other than it is the best war/antiwar film of all time bar none, and is also very funny. it has been copied by the great escape, stalag 17, paths of glory, just to name a few. so if you haven' t seen this; it is essential. if you have, you know exactly what i am talking about. "quite frankly, i find the theatre is much to deep for me....i prefer bicycling"
Rating:
Summary: Number 1 DVD transfer for the Number 1 movie !
Review: Grand Illusion is sometimes considered as one of the greatest movies ever shot. It was Orson Welles' favorite. Even though many consider that "Rules of the Game" is more important and brillant. The two movies are very different, both incredible. Grand Illusion is easier to catch immediatly while Rules let you think endlessly. In regard of the DVD : BUY IT EYES CLOSED ! The picture is incredible, looks like it was shot yesterday because coming from the original re-found negative film. It has not even one small spot or crack. It is PURE. And it is the original 114 minutes version, not the well-known 105 minutes. The DVD is full of bonus, the best being the filmed introduction by Jean Renoir, and also the audio archive of Von Stroheim. I cannot express how much I love Renoir and this movie and I hope that Rules of the Game will come up in DVD soon in Zone 1 (it exists in France in Zone 2 with a beautiful master, but has no english subtitles). Then the world can contemplate this masterpiece again and again. Buy Grand Illusion and you'll never think of war and humanity the same way again.
Rating:
Summary: Number 1 DVD transfer for the Number 1 movie !
Review: Grand Illusion is sometimes considered as one of the greatest movies ever shot. It was Orson Welles' favorite. Even though many consider that "Rules of the Game" is more important and brillant. The two movies are very different, both incredible. Grand Illusion is easier to catch immediatly while Rules let you think endlessly. In regard of the DVD : BUY IT EYES CLOSED ! The picture is incredible, looks like it was shot yesterday because coming from the original re-found negative film. It has not even one small spot or crack. It is PURE. And it is the original 114 minutes version, not the well-known 105 minutes. The DVD is full of bonus, the best being the filmed introduction by Jean Renoir, and also the audio archive of Von Stroheim. I cannot express how much I love Renoir and this movie and I hope that Rules of the Game will come up in DVD soon in Zone 1 (it exists in France in Zone 2 with a beautiful master, but has no english subtitles). Then the world can contemplate this masterpiece again and again. Buy Grand Illusion and you'll never think of war and humanity the same way again.
Rating:
Summary: Every person should see this movie
Review: I hate to say "it's one of the greatest movies I've ever seen," but it is! It is! It is! It may be THE greatest. Anyhow, I don't really have a list of my favorite films, but there are a few I've seen that are absolutely flawless. This is one of them (Renoir's "Rules of the Game" is up there too). It's one of those movies where every shot, every word, every gesture is there for a reason. You can watch it a hundred times, and it continues to get even more dense, more profound, more brilliant. I haven't seen it a hundred times myself (ten, probably), but I'm nearly positive that this would be the case.
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