In this age of Hollywood blood-and-thunder war movies, all of which preach some sort of a hackneyed message, there is nothing more refreshing than to see a brilliant war film like the twelve year-old "Grand Illusion." Starring Erich von Stroheim and Jean Gabin, this old-French epic concerns the fate of a group of French prisoners in Germany during the first World War.

Gabin and two other French officers are captured in the early days of the war and, after being treated with extreme courtesy by the members of a German fighter squadron at the front, are shuttled through a long series of PW camps inside Germany. The film deals with their fate, the death of one of them, and the subsequent escape of the other two.

The extraordinary depth and quality of this film render a coldly anylitical review impossible. Although it also has a masterful plot, perhaps the finest parts of "Grand Illusion" are a few individual scenes. For instance, on the eve of a German victory celebration, the prisoners give a revue and invite the German officers who are guarding them. In the middle of the show, Gabin hears the news the Allies have finally won this battle. He rushes on the stage, roars out the good news, and all the prisoners rise and sing the "Marsaillaise." The German officers stomp out, and Gabin is put into solitary confinement.

In another scene, a group of Russian officers invite their French fellow prisoners to the gala opening of a package they have just received from the Czarina. When the package is found to contain books instead of vodka and caviar, the Russians simply set fire to it.

Perhaps the finest point of "Grand Illusion" is the way in which it captures that nebulous quality called "atmosphere." The Frenchmen speak French, the Germans speak German, and the Englishmen speak English; the landscape and the dismal PW camps couldn't be more authentic, and the snatches of old songs ring absolutely true. There are no heroes and no villains-only individuals caught in the hopeless drama of their generation and accepting their roles quite philosophically.

When "Grand Illusion" first appeared in 1937, the general opinion was that no finer war film had been made. This reviewer feels very strongly that this verdict holds true.

"The Baker's Wife," the second feature at the Old South, stars Raimu in the role of the enckolded baker who won't bake until his errant wife returns to his bed. Altogether, the Old South is now presenting the most worthwhile program in a long time.