For anyone interested in the impact of war on ordinary men, Army of Shadows proves a sobering and invaluable experience.
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09/22/06
Army of Shadows (1969)
97
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:71
Fresh:69
Rotten:2
Average Rating:8.6/10
Consensus: Originally made in 1969, this recently reissued classic is a masterful examination of the inner workings of the World War II resistance efforts.
Theatrical Release:Apr 28, 2006 Limited
Box Office: $231,660
Synopsis: Well-known for his influential crime films (LE SAMOURAI, LE CERCLE ROUGE), director Jean-Pierre Melville explores the lives of French Resistance fighters in his moody World War II masterpiece, ARMY... [More]
Starring: Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Simone Signoret
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
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Reviews for Army of Shadows
Top CriticThis memorable movie movingly pays tribute to those who chose not to remain silent, to those ordinary men and women who chose to do extraordinary things... from the shadows.
09/21/06
Top CriticPlace it squarely in the category of overlooked gems.
09/15/06
Its lack of sentimentality and melodrama is what elevates this thriller to another level.
09/08/06
Characterizations as thin as those in Army of Shadows would detract from most movies, but here, they give the movie strength. Melville's point is that the people themselves are not as important as their cause.
08/25/06
... more than lives up to its reputation.
08/12/06
... a riveting account of life among the French Resistance during World War II's Nazi occupation.
08/12/06
Watching it evokes a combination of pity for [the protagonists'] naive idealism and awe at Melville's uncanny brilliance.
08/04/06
Another masterpiece on Melville's resume.
08/01/06
The result is in many ways the height of Melville’s splicings of daredevil, adventure-story heroics and exceedingly grim twists of fate.
08/01/06
Its moral is just as relevant today as it ever was during the resistance years -- that the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
07/21/06
It doesn't require a lot of dialog and action to create a mood; instead it fills the screen with tension and the constant threat of danger.
07/14/06
A painstaking study in courage and conviction under agonizing pressure.
07/13/06
Top CriticAustere yet probing portrait of the French resistance...beautifully made and thoroughly engrossing.
07/10/06
Taut, superb acting, narrative told by mood rather than action, the understated visuals, the elements of 'Army of Shadows' merge to seep in under the skin and create an unforgettable and disturbing experience.
07/08/06
Escapism in Melville's cinema inevitably gives way to existentialism; pure entertainment becomes unattainable.
07/07/06
There is little safety in Army of Shadows, and its dangers add up humanly, not melodramatically (to call it a 'war film' seems trite).
06/30/06
Melville outlines the valorous and dirty deeds of heroes in taut action sequences that reach unusually existential heights.
06/26/06
In [Melville's] stark and unvarnished film, the violence is routine and ugly, the moral choices painful and uncertain, the relationships deep yet fragile, the victories costly and ephemeral.
06/23/06
Deals with the French resistance during World War II, but it's nothing like any other French resistance film ever made.
06/23/06
Top CriticLatest News for Army of Shadows
October 05, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Departed" Is Best Reviewed Wide Release of 2006
This week at the movies, we've got cops and robbers in Boston ("The Departed," starring Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Matt Damon), chainsaw massacres in Texas... More...
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