MASTERPIECE FROM ANOTHER RENOIR.

Byline: Rob Lowman Entertainment Editor

To be banned by the fascist states of Germany and Italy is almost badge of honor enough. But the 1937 ``Grand Illusion'' is undoubtedly a masterpiece in world cinema.

Now the masterpiece has been digitally remastered so it is as close to its original as we can hope and has been released on DVD (Criterion; $39.95) with a number of extras, including a rare filmed introduction by director Jean Renoir, a radio presentation of Renoir and actor Erich von Stroheim accepting the film's best foreign film award at the 1938 New York Film Critics Circle Awards, essays on the film and cast bios.

On the surface, the film is a prisoner-of-war-escape tale, but as critic Pauline Kael wrote, that's ``like saying that `Oedipus Rex' is a detective story.' '' Indeed, it is a graceful and persuasive commentary about the borders and barriers that people erect - whether by class or nationalities.

Renoir, the son of impressionist painter Pierre Auguste Renoir, had as much of an impact on moving pictures as his father did on still lifes. What set Renoir apart was his ability to imbue his artistic concerns with a humanistic vision. Renoir followed ``Illusion'' with another masterpiece - ``Rules of the Game'' - before he had to flee to Hollywood, where his career suffered.

``Renoir has a lot of talent, but he isn't one of us,'' commented producer Darryl F. Zanuck, which explains a lot. Even after he returned to Europe following World War II, Renoir never regained his touch.

Luckily, we have ``Grand Illusion,'' which boast a number of wonderful performances. The story, which takes place during World War I, revolves around three French officers - an aristocrat (Pierre Fresnay), a rich Jewish banker (Marcel Dalio) and a working-class captain (Jean Gabin) - who are imprisoned in a German prisoner-of-war camp run by an effete, arrogant German officer (von Stroheim).

Not unexpectedly, the French and German aristocrats share a deeper cultural and class bond than they do with the middle-class men of their own countries. And it's through these class divisions that Renoir approaches his themes. While Kael calls the film an ``elegy for the death of the old European aristocracy,'' Renoir's real affection is for humanity in general - and our foibles.

Take von Stroheim's character Von Rauffenstein: Renoir imbues the stiff prison commander with a poignancy despite his inherent ridiculousness. Trapped in his 19th-century aristocratic ways during a brutal 20th-century war, Von Rauffenstein is as much a prisoner as his inmates. That is Renoir's way of allowing us to see the box in which he has put himself while not sacrificing the character's human qualities.

There are few directors that could do that well, and that is only a very small part of a very large theme in a great movie. If you haven't seen it, you're missing a big piece of cinematic history.

Recommended: It could be a long weekend, particularly if you have relatives over that you're less than fond of. So, to help you survive, here are some recommendations of recent films (in no particular order) that you may have overlooked: Eric Rohmer's ``Autumn Tale''; Wim Wenders' ``Buena Vista Social Club''; Robert Altman's ``Cookie's Fortune''; ``Election,'' with Reese Witherspoon's Golden Globe-nominated performance; the Watergate satire ``Dick''; ``The Harmonists,'' a true story of a Jewish singing group in Nazi Germany; ``The Red Violin,'' with Samuel L. Jackson; ``A Midsummer Night's Dream,'' with Calista Flockhart and Kevin Kline; the offbeat thriller ``Run Lola Run''; and Spike Lee's ``Summer of Sam.''

CAPTION(S):

Photo

PHOTO Class differences among prisoners of war - and their captors - during World War I are explored in ``Grand Illusion.''