In reference to the film, the grand illusion appears to be the possibility to escape. The french captives appear to almost escape through the tunnel, but are moved before they are able to complete it. Throughout the film, many of the french soldiers are caught trying to escape and each soldiers number of escapes are read aloud. In this scene, Marechal has just been recently caught trying to escape, and it appears that escape had eluded his grasp for so long that it has driven him mad. I feel like the lighting has created this darkness around Marechal that is creeping over him because he knows that he may never escape. Even when they actually do escape, what are they escaping to? They are escaping to go fight and die in war. death doesn't seem like much of an escape.
This image also gives what i think is another illusion that whether they are German, French, English, or American, and despite the war, they can relate to the other. This is illustrated by the proxemics of the two soldiers. Here the German soldier understands Marechal's frustration with being in this POW camp and attempts to console him with cigarettes and a harmonica. I think that this illusion inpaticular, is something that Renoir feels must change in response to this war. These countries must make efforts to understand one another more and to try and prevent these conflicts from happening. i think that despite him wanting this to occur, to a certain degree, there will always be some separation of these countries that he illustrates with Marechal not wanting the cigarettes because they are not french.
Some interesting comments here, Atlee. Actually, we're not really sure why Maréchal is in this cell. We find him here directly after the prisoners' "show," during which he leads them in singing La Marseillaise, in celebration of a French victory. Maybe that's why he was imprisoned? If so, it's a kind of petty punishment, which is interesting juxtaposed with Arthur's (the German soldier) attempt at kindness.
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