Originally released in 1931, A Nous la Liberte is a classic comedy film by Rene Clair. This hilarious, innovative film tells the story of Emile, who escapes from prison and eventually becomes the head of a large corporation which manufactures portable record players. A chance encounter with old cell mate Louis threatens to expose Emile's checkered past. Much of the laughter is induced by vintage assembly line humor---think of Lucille Ball in the candy factory or Bugs or Daffy trapped on a conveyor belt. The contrast between the factory floor and the luxury offices of Emile pokes fun at an increasingly mechanized society and the differences/similarities of people dealing with capitalism/socialism. Clair asks, "What exactly is freedom anyway?" As always the Criterion Collection has produced a fully realized DVD release. There's an audio essay which explores the plagiarism lawsuit the film's production company filed against Charlie Chaplin, due to similarities with Chaplin's 1936 film Modern Times. Most fascinating is the inclusion of the 1924 Surrealist film Entr'acte which Clair directed from a scenario by Francis Picabia. I'd seen clips of this film in documentaries about Surrealism, but never the entire film. I relished seeing Picabia and Eric Satie leaping about in slow motion and Man Ray playing chess with Marcel Duchamp on a Parisian rooftop, proof positive that the Surrealists were playful creators.