In Search of La Grande Illusion: A Critical Appreciation of Jean Renoir's Elusive Masterpiece

This is an extended analysis of the film, from different perspectives. The first half is largely a discussion of the cinematic technique, with key sequences analyzed shot by shot. The second half approaches the film from many other angles, including its history, the critical reception, Renoir’s life and career, and film theory, e.g., film in relation to music. A case is made that Renoir’s career was inconsistent, especially after La Règle du jeu but also during the 1930s. And rather than emphasizing the humanist, anti-war thrust of La Grande Illusion, the film is approached as a work of art that is deeply expressive cinematically.