La grande illusion

La Grande Illusion is a 1937 French war drama film directed by Jean Renoir, who co-wrote the screenplay with Charles Spaak. The story concerns class relationships among a small group of French officers who are German prisoners of war during World War I who are plotting an escape. The title of the film comes from the 1909 book The Great Illusion by British journalist Norman Angell, which argued that war is futile because of the common economic interests of all European nations. The film features a cast including Pierre Fresnay as Captain de Boëldieu and Jean Gabin as Lieutenant Maréchal, who are part of the group of French prisoners. The movie follows their escape attempts and the complexities of their relationships, including the unexpected bond between de Boëldieu and the German aristocrat Captain von Rauffenstein.