Christopher Media

Special Guest: Nick Macdonald Guest Co-Hosts: Tom Jennings, Ken Stanley Set during World War One, Jean Renoir’s La Grande Illusion (1937) stars Jean Gabin as Lt. Marechal, an airman who, along with Captain Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay), are shot down by Captain Rauffenstein, who’s played by Erich von Stroheim. The two Frenchmen then spend most of the rest of the film in POW camps, primarily Hallbach and Wintersborn where they meet an array of fellow prisoners. Tom Jennings and Ken Stanley join Mike to discuss this seminal humanist film. Links: Buy La Grande Illusion on Blu-Ray Buy In Search of La Grande Illusion: A Critical Appreciation of Jean Renoir’s Elusive Masterpiece by Nicholas Macdonald Read Anarchist films of Nick Macdonald from ’70s to get first Chicago showings by Michael Phillips Listen to Masters of Cinema Cast Listen to 24 Frames Cast Listen to Ken’s Loud Band