{"id":84494,"date":"2022-05-31T07:47:50","date_gmt":"2022-05-31T14:47:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=84494"},"modified":"2022-05-31T19:59:14","modified_gmt":"2022-06-01T02:59:14","slug":"elusive-corporal-the-1962","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=84494","title":{"rendered":"Elusive Corporal, The (1962)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;I&#8217;m going home.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Poster-217x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"217\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-84495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Poster-217x300.png 217w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Poster-93x128.png 93w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Poster-195x270.png 195w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Poster.png 603w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 217px) 100vw, 217px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nDuring World War II, a French corporal (Jean-Pierre Cassel) repeatedly attempts to escape from German prison camps, taking various compatriots with him each time.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Escape<\/li>\n<li>French Films<\/li>\n<li>Jean Renoir Films<\/li>\n<li>Prisoners of War<\/li>\n<li>World War II<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nJean Renoir&#8217;s second-to-last feature film was this wartime flick &#8212; based on a memoir by <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jacques_Perret_(writer)\">Jacques Perret<\/a> &#8212; with thematic similarities to his earlier classic, <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=10009\"><em>Grand Illusion<\/em> (1937)<\/a> given that both films center on French men&#8217;s attempts to escape German POW camps. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Elusive_Corporal\">Wikipedia<\/a>, &#8220;Renoir&#8217;s friend and assistant director Guy Lefranc had also been a World War II prisoner of war and had developed the project for seven years;&#8221; apparently 10 percent of all <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/French_prisoners_of_war_in_World_War_II\">Frenchmen during World War II were captured as POWs by the Germans<\/a>, meaning this story had the potential to represent an underexplored facet of France&#8217;s wartime experiences. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corposal-Camps.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corposal-Camps.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"920\" height=\"576\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-84507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corposal-Camps.png 920w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corposal-Camps-300x188.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corposal-Camps-128x80.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corposal-Camps-768x481.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corposal-Camps-431x270.png 431w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 920px) 100vw, 920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Curiously, however, Renoir adds comedy into the mix &#8212; and while there&#8217;s nothing wrong with approaching serious topics like war through comedy, one wonders exactly what it achieves here, other than opportunities for slapstick: <\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Moving-Bed.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Moving-Bed.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"920\" height=\"576\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-84499\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Moving-Bed.png 920w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Moving-Bed-300x188.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Moving-Bed-128x80.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Moving-Bed-768x481.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Moving-Bed-431x270.png 431w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 920px) 100vw, 920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; or perhaps highlighting the absurdity of the entire situation.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Cassel.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Cassel.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"920\" height=\"576\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-84501\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Cassel.png 920w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Cassel-300x188.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Cassel-128x80.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Cassel-768x481.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Cassel-431x270.png 431w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 920px) 100vw, 920px\" \/><\/a> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Atmospheric cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"576\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-84496\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Cinematography.png 960w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Cinematography-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Cinematography-128x77.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Cinematography-768x461.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elusive-Corporal-Cinematography-450x270.png 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo; this one is only must-see for Renoir completists. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0055827\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1963\/02\/19\/archives\/screen-an-elusive-french-powrenoir-examines-mans-drive-to-escape.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/74007\/the-elusive-corporal#articles-reviews?articleId=161224\">TCM Article (scroll down)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m going home.&#8221; Synopsis: During World War II, a French corporal (Jean-Pierre Cassel) repeatedly attempts to escape from German prison camps, taking various compatriots with him each time. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Escape French Films Jean Renoir Films Prisoners of War World War II Review: Jean Renoir&#8217;s second-to-last feature film was this wartime flick &#8212; based on a memoir by Jacques Perret &#8212; with thematic similarities to his earlier classic, Grand Illusion (1937) given that both films center on&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=84494\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-84494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=84494"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84494\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84520,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84494\/revisions\/84520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=84494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=84494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=84494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}