Long regarded as one of the outright masterpieces of world cinema,Renoir's 1937 anti-war film was the first in a foreign language to be nominated for the Best Film Oscar.Its tale of French soldiers in a World War 1 German prisoner of war camp was banned by Goebbels not for any anti-German feeling but precisely for the depth of its wisdom and its message of common shared humanity across national boundaries.Typically,Renoir conveys his message cinematically,without resorting to preaching or over-emphasis,the dialogue is intelligent as ever,the performances by a notable cast(including the great Jean Gabin,and the former famous director Erich Von Stroheim,whom many will remember as the butler in Sunset Boulevard)superb,and the plot itself never less than fully involving.Still a tremendous,inspirational and totally relevant film experience.