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Directed by: Jean Renoir 
Written by: Jean Renoir, Charles Spaak
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| Tookey's Review |
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| Pro Reviews |
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| Mixed Reviews |
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| Anti Reviews |
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| Trailer |
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| Cast |
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| Released: |
1937 |
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| Genre: |
FOREIGN
WAR
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| Origin: |
France |
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| Length: |
117 |
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A French officer (Pierre Fresnay) sacrifices his life for two soldiers he doesn't greatly like (Jean Gabin, Marcel Dalio), who want to escape from a prisoner-of-war camp (run by Erich von Stroheim).
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Reviewed by Chris Tookey
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| Highly intelligent anti-war film which points up the futility of nationalism and argues for men of peace to unite against warmongers. It was a timely, though as it turned out ineffectual, message. Not surprisingly, the film was banned by Goebbels in Germany; and when Vienna was invaded, the Nazis took it off in mid-reel. On a more philosophical level, the film also takes a beady-eyed view of the possibility of true "escape"; it's clear that the French soldiers will never escape their class background. Some may find the film too talky and cerebral, but it repays patience. Its humanity and technical excellence (Christian Matras's deep-focus photography is especially effective) make this a classic. Despite pressure from Hitler on Mussolini, it won a prize at Venice for the best artistic ensemble. |
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| "The story is true. It was told to me by my friends in the war... notably by Pinsard who flew fighter planes. I was in the reconnaissance squadron. He saved my life many times when the German fighters became too persistent. He himself was shot down seven times. His escapes are the basis for the story." |
| (Jean Renoir) |
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