Word: humanity
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...postmodern moviegoer, violence, accompanied with the typical barrage of human insensitivity, is a prerequisite for a quality war movie...
Even high caliber films from Saving Private Ryan to Platoon embody an overwhelming sense of the uncanny human ability to destroy. Thus, when the gods of film restoration rediscover a masterpiece like Jean Renoir's Grand Illusion, the film's social commentary and reflections on humanity appear dated and escape unnoticed if one is not careful...
...distant bleep on the grand spectrum of wars; World War II stands out not only because it is more recent but also because its brutality documented relentlessly. Grand Illusion asks the modern viewer to make the leap back into the pre-World War II and appreciate the depths of human devotion from a less jaded perspective, a task that ultimately proves impossible...
...Renoir asks us to make the philosophical jump to acknowledge that capture of any form is contrary to the human spirit. His mission fails, especially after the four are transferred to a tighter security prison in the heart of Germany. The prison is a fabulous castle placed in the German countryside. The train-ride through the European backwoods creates nostalgia for the innocence and beauty Europe held before World War II. Claude Renoir, the cameraperson for this film, does an excellent job capturing a sense of movement and depth, especially given the crude technology he had at his disposal...
...However, because we are used to blood and gore as our guides to human character, Grand Illusion appears to be only a dated and trite war movie with French subtitles...