MA Fine Art students are running a weekly term time movie night. See something that's not a Hollywood Blockbuster with free beer/soft drinks and pizza. 

 

This week's film is:

La Grande Illusion (1937, Jean Renoir)

During the First World War two French officers and aviators, the aristocratic Captain de Boeldieu and Lieutenant Mar échal (of more modest social background), are shot down during a reconnaissance mission. They are both captured by Captain von Rauffenstein who maintains a respectful association with the two, particularly with Boeldieu due to his own aristocratic background. Mar échal and Boeldieu are moved from camp to camp throughout the war, making numerous escape attempts as they go before being moved to Wintersborn, a mountain fortress prison commanded by Rauffenstein, who has been so badly injured in battle that he has been promoted to Major, but given a posting away from the front, much to his regret. Rauffenstein informs the officers that the prison is escape proof…

A fantastic expression of a new social order emerging at the beginning of the 20th century as aristocracy is in decline and a recognition of class becoming a dominant identifier over nationality.