Like most old movies I wasn’t preparing for much just a boring sentimental movie. And while
the movie wasn’t the flashiest it definitely was good. And the camera work was a like continuous
movement not like modern war movies where the camera is just all over the place. Which created
a more “powerful” viewing experience. It did also make it much easier to follow the story and
understand the characters. And making all the character human and having no clear protagonist
except war made this movie all the better.
The characters in the story display deeply human qualities which made me reflect on their
existence. Jean Renoir presents both German and French characters as ordinary people who
develop into relatable characters. The film humanizes its characters which led Nazi propaganda
minister Josef Goebbels to designate it as “Cinematographic Enemy Number One” while he
ordered the destruction of all distributed copies. The film shows how people from different
countries become equal to each other because they establish connections which continue
throughout their time in war. The story shows how prisoners develop ties with their enemies
which creates a political commentary that invites viewers to analyze how war affects human
connections.
I noted Renoir developed his landscapes and escape sequences into an artistic style. The
camera creates a smooth transition between these parts while building suspense through its
continuous motion. The sound design creates a real atmosphere through its controlled sound
elements while the lighting design uses dim lights to show snow and rooms and character facial
expressions.