Several news coverages nowadays discuss the issues of war in several parts of the globe. For an instant, the most common war discussed today is between Ukraine and Russia. The war between Ukraine and Russia has many aspects that are seen in history and documented in books. However, the film La Grande Illusion portrays war differently and addresses the theme of social class well in society during World War I. This film was produced in 1937 and was directed by Jean Renoir. The four main characters in the movie are Boeldieu (a French prisoner), Marechal (a French prisoner), Rosenthal (a wealthy French Jew prisoner), and von Rauffenstein (a German commander). The film tries to portray how World War 1 soldiers and prisoners of war from different nations interacted and integrated. This essay investigates the difference between the war shown in this movie and the war usually seen or known in textbooks based on history. Many films are about heroism, military posture, and French GIs. However, this film extracts the extremely mundane prison break to show the war. La Grande Illusion is a film that neutrally and gently presents the earthly world in wartime from the point of view of aristocracy or the leisure class, a calm lament, a still-existing illusion, and a chaotic expectation.
The film ‘La Grande Illusion’ presents a different perception of the Nazi Germans during World War I. several reading materials display Nazi Germans as ruthless individuals who had no sense of humanity in their behaviors and actions. According to Boschki et al., German Nazis were ruthless and had a low sense of remorse for their actions. This source is one of the sources that portray Nazi Germans as individuals with no code of humanity among them. However, the movie ‘La Grande Illusion’ provides a different account of the Nazi Germans during world war. in this case, the movie shows that Germans had a different perception of war and could also integrate with other people. For example, in the film, von Rauffenstein, a German commander, becomes friends with Boeldieu, a French soldier and a prisoner of war in Germany. The two seem to converse and share a lot. They notice that they have a lot in common and use that to create great friendships and understanding. The friendship goes to an extent where von Rauffenstein becomes reluctant to shoot at Boeldieu, as required by the German military law after Boeldieu tries to disrupt the German army by dancing and singing high up in the fortress. von Rauffenstein tries to shoot Boeldieu in the legs, but the bullets get him in the stomach. Astonishingly, Boeldieu later tells von Rauffenstein that he would do the same if he were in the same position reversibly. This implies that the two were friends despite being termed enemies as the war dictated. The two characters in the film value their friendship and common understanding more than the perspectives of the war itself. Therefore, von Rauffenstein, a German, was more humane than how historical books display the legacy of German soldiers during the World War. This implies that not all Germans were inhumane during the war.
The film ‘La Grande Illusion’ also presents a different perception of the relationship between nationalities of conflicting countries in war. In this case, many scholarly sources and films have shown that war between nations projects itself to nationalities, thus creating animosity within them. For example, in the book “Nations by consent: decomposing the nation-state,” Rothbard Murray argues that war between countries has similar impacts on their nationalities. Rothbard claims that nationals of the conflicting countries become enemies and are likely to engage in hatred and war among each other. However, the film ‘La Grande Illusion’ portrays a different analogy about the relationship between the nationalities of conflicting countries. In this case, the film shows that nationalities of conflicting countries are likely to have different perspectives and find mutual grounds for understanding each other. For example, in the movie, von Rauffenstein notices that they share common interests across borders with French soldiers after capturing Marechal and Boeldieu. This is evident when von Rauffenstein holds discussions with Boeldieu, and they both notice that they are cosmopolitan men and their interests are more than national. The film also shows the love between the nationalities of two conflicting nations, Germans and French. This is evident when Elsa shelters Marechal and Rosenthal and does not betray them by patrolling German army troops. In common war places, nationalities would easily betray soldiers of the enemy country, but that did not happen in this film. In progress, Marechal falls in love with Elsa and promises to return for her and her daughter Lotte if he survives the war. The two fall in love despite the language barrier. Several movies and books portray citizens of conflicting nations as enemies who would not easily fall in love and have such hopes for their future together. This proves that war does not automatically lead to enmity among nationals of conflicting countries. War is a different political aspect that does not define the relationships of the conflicting countries’ nationals.
The film ‘La Grande Illusion’ also presents an aspect of social class in society during the war. The two social classes depicted in the film are the aristocrats and the lower class. The film presents von Rauffenstein and Boeldieu as aristocrats, while Marechal and Rosenthal as the lower class. The movie represents von Rauffenstein and Boeldieu, people from the ruling class in Europe, educated and speak many languages. The two have a lot in common, based on their level of education and devotion to social conventions past their countries’ perspectives. Von Rauffenstein and Boeldieu converse with each other all the time in French and German. The two are sometimes seen conversing in English when discussing intimate personal issues. They could use English in their conversations to hide their issues from their counterparts from the lower social class of Europe at the time. However, the movie represents Marechal and Rosenthal as people from the working class and lower class. The people from the lower class do not have much in common and have limited levels of education. These social classes have been discussed in many books. The people from the lower social class could not discuss in multiple languages as the aristocrats could. However, many movies and books indicate that there were limited interactions between people of different social classes in Europe during World War I. This can be seen in the article “Nazi Germany’s new aristocracy” by Herbert Ziegler, which claims that the aristocrats in Europe during the World war could barely help or sacrifice themselves for the working class. The film ‘La Grande Illusion’ shows another perspective where people from different social classes in war help each other. For example, Boeldieu, an aristocrat, sacrifices himself to save his friends from the lower class Marechal and Rosenthal. This implies that people from different social classes can help each other in times of war.
Conclusion
The film La Grande Illusion depicts some un-expectations from what is commonly seen in books and movies but illustrates how social class, social interactions, and integrations occur during war. Several books and movies have depicted war and its participants differently, as depicted in this film. In this case, the books and films have documented Germans as inhumane and less tolerable to people from enemy countries during the World War. However, the film La Grande Illusion depicts that Germans were also humane and could integrate well with other nationalities from enemy countries well. The books and films also documented that people from conflicting countries during World War could not easily integrate and help each other. However, this film shows that people from conflicting countries during the World War could find their common ground of understanding, saving, and loving each other. The film shows that people from two conflicting countries could also develop hope for a better future. Moreover, books and films have documented that people from different social classes could barely assist each other during World War I. Some could specifically insinuate that people from higher social classes could not easily help those from the lower class; instead, those from the lower classes were the ones helping those in the upper classes. This is very different in the film, which shows how the people in the upper class could have common grounds than those in the lower social class. Despite these differences, the film shows that those in the higher social class could also sacrifice their fate for the better well-being of those in the lower social class. The film La Grande Illusion is worth watching since it provides a different overview of interactions between people of different backgrounds during a war. Therefore, the film is essential for a deeper understanding of the war in historical times and provides a chance for one to think critically and gain further knowledge about war and nations.
Works Cited
Boschki, Reinhold, Bettina Reichmann, and Wilhelm Schwendemann. “Towards a new theory of Holocaust remembrance in Germany: Education, preventing antisemitism, and advancing human rights.” As the Witnesses Fall Silent: 21st Century Holocaust Education in Curriculum, Policy, and Practice. Springer, Cham, 2015. 469-488.
Rothbard, Murray. “Nations by consent: decomposing the nation-state.” Secession, State & Liberty. Routledge, 2017. 79–88.
Ziegler, Herbert F. “Nazi Germany’s new aristocracy.” Nazi Germany’s New Aristocracy. Princeton University Press, 2014.
write