Jean Renoir, brother of renowned painter, Pierre Renoir, directed La Grand Illusion. La Grande Illusion was released in 1937 and recounted events of World War I, in its own way La Grande Illusion is comparable to Charles Lindbergh’s America First anti-war campaign because of its more critical view of war. Renoir’s later film, The Rules of the Game, even includes a Charles Lindbergh like character. La Grand Illusion is valuable as a film because it presents a European perspective of war and does it as a first-rate film of its day. In The Rules of the Game Renoir juxtaposes the life of the French aristocracy with that of France. Renoir’s work is significant for its quality as a film of its day and for its European perspective of France and Europe shortly before and at the outbreak of World War II. It’s also interesting to note that La Grand Illusion was condemned by the Nazis for its anti-war sentiment. Jean Renoir in many ways appears very much like a European Hitchcock. (Chap.29 Art/Media)
For more information see:
-An introduction by Jean Renoir to La Grand Illusion(1937)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l63xhUUZOH8
-The first part of The Rules of the Game(1939)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeRihuggakw
Sources:
http://www.filmsite.org/warfilms.html
http://ideonexus.com/2004/12/12/la-grande-illusion/
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