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Does anyone know if there's a R0 Blu-ray of this in the works?

From blu ray.com:

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=7349" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Grand Illusion coming to blu ray via studio canal.

Here's the schedule for Rialto's tour of the SC 4k restoration that's going on right now:

May 11 – 24 NEW YORK, NY Film Forum
May 18 – 31 LOS ANGELES, CA Laemmle’s Royal Theatre
May 18 – 31 PASADENA, CA Laemmle’s Playhouse 7
June 1 – 3 SAN FRANCISCO, CA Castro Theatre
June 8 – 14 DALLAS, TX Angelika Film Center
June 16 – 17 AUSTIN, TX Paramount Theatre
July 6 – 12 PORTLAND, OR Cinema 21
July 13 – 19 SEATTLE, WA Northwest Film Forum
July 27 ST. LOUIS, MO Cinema St. Louis
Aug 8 – 14 HARTFORD, CT Cinestudio

It's also playing here in Chicago from June 29 to July 5 at the Gene Siskel Film Center.

It's currently playing at the newly opened Angelika in Fairfax, VA (suburban DC).

I just noticed it today. Tomorrow (Thurs, 9/27) is the last of the evening showings; but they have matinee showings listed for another week (through 10/4), I think with latest showings being at 16:30 each day.

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The winner of the Jean Renoir portion of the Jean, Jean, and John mini list project is our discussion topic for this round.

It is also a very timely film for all of the centenary commemorations of the First World War that are going on at the moment. It is a film with very defined class divisions involving well bred, aristocratic officers of opposing sides having perhaps more in common with each other than those they command (in some ways the prison camps end up feeling a bit like a public school, even to the extent of being all male and putting on plays, with the well bred officers as the Prefects and Erich von Stroheim's character pressed into service as the strict corporal punishment threatening stern Governor!), though the sadness of the film is that this more refined connection between Captain de Boeldieu and von Rauffenstein has to be put aside for everyone to play their part expected of them in war to be loyal to their countrymen above all, and Boeldieu even uses his more 'trusted' position to put on a shockingly out of character display as a means of distraction from the escape attempt of the others in his final scene.

That then gets replaced in the final section of the film with the 'earthier' working class (and urbanised) Maréchal and nouveau riche (anticipating the character of the Marquis de Chesnay in The Rules of the Game to follow) Rosenthal together on the lam and their encounters with a German woman who shelters them which, ironically for wars to come, seems to try to suggest that while the aristocratic class governed by strict rules of behaviour has been swept away with this more brutal war, that a common bond of humanity and decency between all sides amongst the working class, the women left at home and between religions could potentially be formed. But there is some ambivalence there about whether that would be particularly possible (focused on more thoroughly in The Rules of the Game), as Maréchal and Rosenthal are soon back to bickering at each other as they cross the border to safety in the magnificent final shot where the arbitrary political border between Germany and Switzerland is marked by nothing more than a snowy, empty field.

I suppose my main question about the film is: "Qu'est que c'est Cadastre?"

They're screening a 35mm print for MoMA's Rialto retrospective (basically the ones Studio Canal struck when they did their last restoration from the OCN) and it looks great. I've seen this film many times and it's incredible how it's lost none of its power - in fact, it seems to gain something with time, or rather as the world becomes more fractured and polarized. It's well-known that it was essentially a prayer for peace that went unanswered, but that context seems closer than ever before in my lifetime with the rise of far right politics and the threat of war on a larger scale. I think it says a lot that the most celebrated WWI films prior to The Grand Illusion were heavy on combat scenes - they're absent here, but the spectacle of people getting maimed and killed would have undermined the film's warm portrayal of humanity. That portrayal is not a simple one either - class conflict and anti-semitism are very present - but at a time when humanity is ordered to take sides against each other, it's very moving to witness a natural inclination to find some meaningful connection across classes, language and nationalities.

For me it's Renoir's absolute masterpiece... HTS, I couldn't agree more on its ability to still pack a punch.

Put this in the FWIW category. Last month over a two week period I emailed Criterion twice. I asked if Lionsgate still holds rights for this and Contempt, and would there at least be a chance for a Criterion UHD release for either one. Never got a reply. The odd thing is I always get replies to questions and usually right away. (Like the most recent time before the aforementioned email I asked if Laura was a possibility and they replied that they have no plans to release Laura)

What does the radio silence mean, who knows, but I would think if Criterion didn't have rights they would say that. Maybe Lionsgate still has rights but they are expiring and Criterion will be bidding on them. All conjecture I know, but Criterion not having spine #1 has me believe that this is an annoyance for them

FrauBlucher wrote: Sat Apr 22, 2023 4:50 pm For me it's Renoir's absolute masterpiece.

As much as I love Toni, I agree.

Thanks to dwk's query the KLSC Insider just confirmed this is back with Criterion! Whoopee!

insider doesn't hold back anymore - just straight up said they had it, impressive work. here's hoping we don't have to wait too long for this!

Well, next year is it's 90th anniversary

The restoration is done, right?

Great news. I hope they keep the gorgeous DVD cover, but they'll probably change it.

criterionsnob wrote: Wed Jan 28, 2026 11:57 pmI hope they keep the gorgeous DVD cover, but they'll probably change it.

Agree and agree