Grand Illusion
A Great Drama of Human Emotions
7.9(788) 1937-06-18 114 minDramaHistoryWar
A group of French soldiers, including the patrician Captain de Boeldieu and the working-class Lieutenant Maréchal, grapple with their own class differences after being captured and held in a World War I German prison camp. When the men are transferred to a high-security fortress, they must concoct a plan to escape beneath the watchful eye of aristocratic German officer von Rauffenstein, who has formed an unexpected bond with de Boeldieu.
DirectorJean Renoir
ProducerFrank Rollmer
Original Music ComposerJoseph Kosma
ProducerAlbert Pinkovitch
WriterCharles Spaak
WriterJean Renoir
Cast & characters
Jean Gabin
as Lieutenant Maréchal
Dita Parlo
as Elsa
Pierre Fresnay
as Captain de Boëldieu
Erich von Stroheim
as Captain von Rauffenstein
Julien Carette
as Cartier, the Vaudeville Performer
Georges Péclet
as Officer
No photo
Werner Florian
as Sergeant Arthur
Jean Dasté
as Teacher
Sylvain Itkine
as Lieutenant Demolder
Gaston Modot
as Engineer
Marcel Dalio
as Lieutenant Rosenthal
Jacques Becker
as British Officer (uncredited)
Habib Benglia
as Senegalese (uncredited)
No photo
Pierre Blondy
as Soldier (uncredited)
No photo
Albert Brouett
as Prisoner (uncredited)
Géo Forster
as Maison-Neuve (uncredited)
Georges Fronval
as German Soldier Who Kills Captain de Boëldieu (uncredited)
No photo
Karl Heil
as Officer of the Fortress (uncredited)
No photo
Carl Koch
as Von Rauffenstein's Orderly (uncredited)
No photo
Little Peters
as Elsa's Daughter (uncredited)
Claude Sainval
as Captain Ringis (uncredited)
Michel Salina
as (uncredited)
Claude Vernier
as Prussian Officer (uncredited)
