Grand Illusion (1937)
0.2310Canon Score · ranked #77 all time
Aggregated from 11 of 31 authoritative lists, weighted by authority and adjusted for each list's scope and age. How scoring works →
About the film
A group of French soldiers, including the patrician Captain de Boeldieu and the working-class Lieutenant Maréchal, grapple with their own class differences after being captured and held in a World War I German prison camp. When the men are transferred to a high-security fortress, they must concoct a plan to escape beneath the watchful eye of aristocratic German officer von Rauffenstein, who has formed an unexpected bond with de Boeldieu.
Why it ranks #77
Every list on which Grand Illusion appears, with its position as published.
| List | Authority | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Brussels World's Fair 12 (1958) | Editorial list | #5 / 12 |
| Time Out 100 Best (2026 ed.) | Critics' canon | #17 / 99 |
| TIFF Essential 100 (2010) | Editorial list | #21 / 100 |
| Cahiers du Cinéma 100 (2008) | Major international poll | #68 / 100 |
| WGA 101 Greatest Screenplays (2006) | Critics' canon | #85 / 101 |
| Sight & Sound Critics' 250 (2022) | Major international poll | #148 / 264 |
| Halliwell's Top 1000 (2005) | Critics' canon | #238 / 1041 |
| Letterboxd Top 500 (2026-07 snapshot) | Editorial list | #319 / 500 |
| Ebert Great Movies (I–IV) | Critics' canon | Selected |
| 1001 Movies (2003-2024 union) | Critics' canon | Selected |
| NYT Best 1000 Movies (2004) | Critics' canon | Selected |