During the 1958 World Fair in Brussels, a list of the 12 best films of all
times was created. Since then, the making of such lists is practiced by many
institutions, individuals and the media, but the original, Belgian list still
remains an important reference point. For this session, expert Nikolai Izvolov
will present Grand Illusion by Jean Renoir and investigate why it was added to
the prestigious Belgian list.
Once banned, this enigmatic film portrays class relationships among a small
group of French officers who are prisoners of war during World War I, and are
plotting an escape. The title of the film comes from a book — The Great
Illusion by British economist Norman Angell — which argued that war is futile
because of the common economic interests of all European nations. The
perspective of the film, which is regarded by critics and film historians as
one of the masterpieces of French cinema, is generously humanistic to its
characters of various nationalities.
