Lionsgate Home Entertainment has added the French movie classic La Grande Illusion, aka “The Great Illusion” for release on Blu-Ray Disc this summer.

During the thick of World War I, a German POW camp holds a group of French prisoners, including the aristocratic Boieldieu (Pierre Fresnay), Maréchal the foreman (Jean Gabin) and the Jewish banker Rosenthal (Marcel Dalio). The trio prepares to make their escape, but is soon moved to a seemingly impenetrable fortress.

A masterpiece of French cinema, “La Grande Illusion” was directed by Academy Award® nominee Jean Renoir (Best Director, The Southerner, 1945) and was the first foreign language film ever nominated for the Best Picture Oscar® (1938). Named one of “The 100 Best Films in World Cinema” in 2010.

The Blu-Ray version of the movie will present the film in a brand new 1080p high definition transfer in its original 4:3 fullframe aspect ratio, complemented by French and German2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks.

As extras, the release contains the all-new featurette, La Grande Illusion: Success and Controversy, by cinema expert and Jean Renoir specialist, Olivier Curchod.

Also included is the all-new featurette The original negative of La Grande Illusion by Natacha Laurent from la Cinémathèque de Toulouse, and a look at Restoring La Grande Illusion.

The disc will further contain La Grande Illusion by cinema professor and film critic , Ginette Vincendeau, and John Truby film presentation.

The release is rounded out by Trailers from 1937 and 1958.

“La Grande Illusion” will be in stores on July 31 for $29.99.