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Army of Shadows
Army of Shadows
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Army of Shadows

Army of Shadows

1969
Drama, War
2h 25m
France, 1942, during the occupation. Philippe Gerbier, a civil engineer, is one of the French Resistance's chiefs. Given away by a traitor, he is interned in a camp. (imdb)

Directed by:

Jean-Pierre Melville

Screenwriter:

Jean-Pierre Melville, Joseph Kessel

Starring:

Claude Mann, Paul Crauchet, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Simone Signoret, Serge Reggiani, Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Christian Barbier, Marco Perrin, André Dewavrin

Genres:

Drama, War, History

AKAs:

L'armée des ombres, Army in the Shadows

Countries:

France, Italy

Languages:

English, French, German
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Army of Shadows

1969
Drama, War
2h 25m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 76.97% from 1219 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 24 Oct 2009
9
93rd
I've never seen a film nail what it means to be afraid as much as this one did. The fear was palpable. Very sad and moving story and very worthy of all the praise it gets. The cinematography is unparalleled, almost becoming its own character in the film. Melville owns.
Rated 24 Oct 2009
shmendrekShmendrek
Rated 15 Dec 2008
4
83rd
Although the acting is brilliant, the real stars of this uncompromisingly bleak, punctiliously crafted war drama are Melville and his cinematographers. Each scene and each shot proves a meticulous attention to detail. My only complaint is the lack of emotional investment in some of the characters.
Rated 15 Dec 2008
djrossdjross
Rated 13 Jun 2013
78
90th
A very good dramatisation of a situation in which it becomes increasingly impossible to decide whether actions and decisions are absolutely meaningful and significant or utterly meaningless and futile.
Rated 13 Jun 2013
afx237viafx237vi
Rated 18 Sep 2012
70
69th
About as unglamorous a depiction of war as it is possible to make. Melville's austere direction, sparse dialogue and desaturated colour combine to create an almost unbearable atmosphere of fear and distrust. Essentially it's a film of desperate people in desperate situations doing desperate things, quite often to each other.
Rated 18 Sep 2012
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 02 May 2008
91
95th
An amazingly photographed and extremely bleak film about the French resistance. The actors, especially Lino Ventura's, are all wonderful and there are some scenes that will remain with me for a long time because of well performed they were.
Rated 02 May 2008
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 05 Jun 2007
5
93rd
Melville would return one last time to the Nazi occupation of France, this time filming it with the formalist sensibilities he had grown to ritualize in numerous gangster films. It is bleak and austere, a hushed fatalism painted with muted colors.
Rated 05 Jun 2007
teddedonTedDedon
Rated 26 May 2007
94
92nd
Harrowing and piss-yourself good.
Rated 26 May 2007
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 23 May 2007
5
91st
An extremely harrowing and depressing film. Few movies have such a strong sense of futility, in which characters move ahead with their plans despite their (and the viewers') knowledge that they will fail, and are likely to die. Melville's direction - that combination of detailed perfectionism and naturalism that makes him so compelling to me - is at its best here; every shot, every frame, every camera movement, seems absolutely perfect.
Rated 23 May 2007
wwallce4prezWWallce4prez
Rated 30 May 2019
91
97th
The definition of fear. Melville takes his characteristic procedural and detailed style to depict paranoia in a saga with the greatest stakes. Of course it is beautifully shot, but in a gray and dreary fog. There isn't really anything like this.
Rated 30 May 2019
icarusIcarus
Rated 01 Dec 2011
97
98th
One of the great war films of all time, the film exhibits magnificent tension through glacial pacing, exquisite framing from the opening shot onward, and masterful performances from all, esp. Ventura and Signoret. Even though these resistance fighters are on the right side, the moral haze thickens as the film progresses, and what seems an easy decision early in the film looks much more complex and tortured late. Brilliant.
Rated 01 Dec 2011
kasperlKasperL
Rated 15 Mar 2010
70
65th
I can understand why people are taken with this. It's very well-made; a rock solid production. But the film is not short and I found myself growing restless.
Rated 15 Mar 2010
crayonCRAYON
Rated 25 Nov 2009
89
81st
There are parts of this movie that make you hold your breath. You wait for the scene to unravel so you can breathe again. These parts are amazing, some of the most tense scenes I have ever viewed. The problem is that there are only a few scenes like that, and the rest of the film was just a tad slow for me.
Rated 25 Nov 2009
panzerwolfpanzerwolf
Rated 12 Nov 2009
80
85th
Very bleak, dark mood that fits the film well. The plot moves at quite a slow pace, but doesn't grow tedious at any point. The whole movie has a strange feeling to it, like looking through a window on a gray, rainy day, there is a sense of desperation and sadness to everything that happens.
Rated 12 Nov 2009
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 20 Feb 2009
10
97th
Grey is a word I'd use to describe this film. Melville keeps the focus on the heroic measures those people took, their emotional struggle and the notion of mutual loyalty, it reminded me a lot of a quote from ‘Band of Brothers': "I wasn't a hero, but I served in a company of heroes". The cinematography is also great, both beautiful and hypnotizing. ‘Army in the Shadows' is a masterpiece from French cinema, a harrowing and unforgettable war film. Highly recommended!
Rated 20 Feb 2009
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 19 Jul 2008
70
82nd
Good film.
Rated 19 Jul 2008
suture_selfSuture Self
Rated 14 Mar 2008
7
67th
Very depressing and very dark. It's sad how in the grand scheme of things, nothing really was accomplished aside from each person's own impending death.
Rated 14 Mar 2008
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 19 Aug 2007
86
87th
Quite exciting at times, but extremely dark. The characters occupy a grey area, emphasized by the grey palettes of the photography. In fact, one must take it as a given that these are the "good guys", since we never get a sense of what they are fighting for. All they seem to do is hide, get arrested and try to rescue each other. Of course, the audience knows what the stakes are, and the lack of large-scale heroics and moral grandstanding makes it easier to focus on the Resistance as individual
Rated 19 Aug 2007
peyrinpeyrin
Rated 28 Nov 2020
80
81st
The thing about war and the struggle for justice that seemingly everyone except Jean-Pierre Melville misses is, you never see the end while you're fighting. There is no beginning, no end, no protagonist, no goal, no climax - the film ends more or less exactly where it begins. Even the audience's knowledge of the eventual outcome is neutralized, with no mention of dates anywhere until the final minutes.
Rated 28 Nov 2020
judo_koalaJudo Koala
Rated 01 Jul 2015
89
96th
Few films make so utterly palpable the fear of death, its world as grey as the moral compass under which its characters are forced to navigate. As taut and tense a thriller you will find, Melville's deromanticization of both France itself and espionage fiction in general is one of the most tragic and memorable depictions of honour, duty, and the will to live put to celluloid. As threat abounds, AoS is a masterpiece to behold with bated breath--we'll hold it alongside that of the characters.
Rated 01 Jul 2015
henrikmHenrikM
Rated 04 Dec 2013
88
93rd
A beautiful film that portrays hopeless heroes better than ever. It's got everything.
Rated 04 Dec 2013
nobletNoblet
Rated 19 Mar 2012
81
73rd
A bleak and hopeless story, with dull gray/blue winter colors and sad music - it was almost too much for me at times. Thankfully, the characters are very strong and the constant tension really kept me invested in the Resistance's struggle to survive. The camera movements, framing and lighting are all top-notch as well.
Rated 19 Mar 2012
zayankZayanK
Rated 21 Feb 2011
91
86th
That opening shot is one of the greatest moments in cinema ever.
Rated 21 Feb 2011
barthalenBarthalen
Rated 08 May 2010
87
94th
Bleak, cold, tense, distant, and therefore perfectly fitting. It took a rewatch to realise how subtly effective the movies' atmosphere is. These are desperate people trying their best to make a difference, even though every gesture seems futile and hopeless.
Rated 08 May 2010
joseywalesjoseywales
Rated 12 Apr 2010
88
95th
Very powerful film.
Rated 12 Apr 2010
farzanFarzan
Rated 17 May 2009
90
89th
Army of Shadows is such a well made film. The photography is just amazing, the use of colors really makes the atmosphere of the film. The acting was great, and there are some incredibly intense moments. Extremely enjoyable.
Rated 17 May 2009
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 09 May 2009
82
92nd
Nice Movie
Rated 09 May 2009
actionbergActionberg
Rated 23 Feb 2009
90
92nd
I've seen a couple other Melvilles but none of them come close to affecting me as profoundly as this one. Trademark methodical camerawork and an engrossing war story leave out any dull moments.
Rated 23 Feb 2009
tonydaltonydal
Rated 14 Dec 2008
70
41st
Actually...kinda dull. Could've had at least 45 minutes lopped off of it, I'm pretty sure.
Rated 14 Dec 2008
purgatospurgatos
Rated 05 Oct 2008
93
94th
This isn't a typical war film. These people are really only good because they're not Nazis. It shows us a very desperate group at a very desperate time. Melville's use of lighting and especially shadow throughout is stunning. Every shot helps to build the mood and none ever seem to miss the mark.
Rated 05 Oct 2008
stainStain
Rated 28 May 2007
90
86th
Harrowing, coal-black story of the French Resistance. Not a film you will soon forget
Rated 28 May 2007
dclagerdclager
Rated 18 May 2007
100
98th
The only way to be young and get to Melville is through Criterion, and thier first releases from the master captured my attention within minutes, but this is on an entirely differnt level. Before working with Alain Delon, Melville worked with ensemble casts, and his small pack of Resistance agents are all compelling, and fully realized through silence as much as dialog. Technically outstanding, artistically perfect.
Rated 18 May 2007
ronthedogronthedog
Rated 16 Jan 2024
83
70th
Brilliantly executed resistance drama
Rated 16 Jan 2024
shockularSHOCKULAR
Rated 17 Dec 2023
80
72nd
I wouldn't count any of Melville's most notable movies among my favorites, but they're all very good. What he gets as well as any director is the power of the use of silence to create drama and tension. He's not afraid to let his films breathe, and they're better for it. A less sure hand would probably be scared of this. As with some of his others, it started a little off for me but picked up as it went along. He's especially good at extended tension where nothing goes wrong but so much might.
Rated 17 Dec 2023
glumpy99glumpy_99
Rated 17 Sep 2023
97
94th
An absolute master-work from Melville, taking the clichéd beats of a hoary WWII actioner and turning them on their head, leaving a slow, agonising descent into high-level tragedy, culminating in a climactic discussion of a key character’s fate exposing the slippery, corrosive world of morality these characters inhabit. Melville’s signature chilliness is used brilliantly here, providing an apparently impassive and detached view which only heightens and underlines the ultimate horror.
Rated 17 Sep 2023
jschlanskyJSchlansky
Rated 14 Nov 2022
83
83rd
It's a film about the French resistance made by a filmmaker who was a part of the French resistance. While I do think Melville's detached, emotionless style is better suited to less heavy subject matter, there is plenty of power in Army of Shadows all the same.
Rated 14 Nov 2022
mixmaxtermixmaxter
Rated 08 Oct 2020
75
19th
honestly a pretty confusing film. the extended shots and tense scenes do a lot but the plot kind of goes in circles and leaves me disinterested
Rated 08 Oct 2020
crytenocryteno
Rated 12 Apr 2020
65
39th
Overrated.
Rated 12 Apr 2020
fenixdownfenixdown
Rated 31 Mar 2020
87
96th
A masterwork of mood and composition.
Rated 31 Mar 2020
feublofeublo
Rated 22 Mar 2020
75
41st
Damn, Melville whips up a wicked style. I'm just not as drawn to the heroic measures the movie portrays, but it is well put together.
Rated 22 Mar 2020
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 19 Mar 2020
90
80th
Viewed March 18, 2020.
Rated 19 Mar 2020
capodelnullacapodelnulla
Rated 06 Jul 2019
85
90th
melville'in savaş zamanı odaklı bir filmde dahi zarif bir iş çıkarabiliyor olma başarısı...
Rated 06 Jul 2019
picklemanPickle_Man
Rated 28 May 2019
100
94th
Paranoid, bleak, and often noir-ish tone. Nonetheless, a beautifully calm and composed film.
Rated 28 May 2019
ceekay19Ceekay19
Rated 11 Dec 2018
70
54th
Philippe Gerbier: "No, I was thinking of the officer who was sure I'd run too. Like a scared rabbit..."
Rated 11 Dec 2018
skapskap
Rated 04 Mar 2018
50
19th
In this film, the French Resistance seems to be exclusively preoccupied with rescuing each other (over and over again) from gestapo prisons, eliminating traitors, and going for a weekend to London (on a submarine !) to see Gone with the wind. The plot is one of the least believable in the history of cinema too. For example, if you want to get someone out of a gestapo prison, you take a couple of friends, dress as German solders, and do your best to speak German without accent. So simple.
Rated 04 Mar 2018
driscarpindriscarpin
Rated 21 Oct 2017
97
96th
Em honra do centenário de Jean-Pierre Melville. O filme para acabar com todos os filmes sobre a resistência.
Rated 21 Oct 2017
oskarhuoskarhu
Rated 10 Oct 2017
80
73rd
Not as exhilarating as some of Melville's other works but solid in structure and characters. Maybe a bit too long considering its considerably slow progression.
Rated 10 Oct 2017
le_mamile mami
Rated 10 Jan 2017
65
59th
I admire the job. It is well-done movie and it's not like the every other WWII movies that's no doubt. However, the subjects lose my interest with the growing time. It's really really long-movie.
Rated 10 Jan 2017
dardandardan
Rated 26 Jul 2015
85
90th
Shadows are silent. And when, trying to escape the light, and also communicating about it, through it, the only safe way to do so is to walk in silence.
Rated 26 Jul 2015
thereeldealthereeldeal
Rated 29 Jun 2015
85
91st
It's remarkable and deserving of more respect how contemporary Jean-Pierre Melville's films still look. Show Army of Shadows to your cousin and I can't promise they won't call it boring, but they certainly wouldn't look immediately away. A palpably cold struggle against one of the most imposing mountains of an army in human history. As with Le Samourai the dark foreboding in the air invites you to wait for the inevitable tragedy with bated breath. A baton pass structure keeps the pacing strong.
Rated 29 Jun 2015
zapperlifeZapperLife
Rated 20 Jun 2015
96
99th
Revisited (2)
Rated 20 Jun 2015
thehynesthehynes
Rated 28 Mar 2015
46
23rd
dull, extremely dry & more than a little po faced
Rated 28 Mar 2015
salomaordsalomaord
Rated 02 Jan 2015
50
0th
Jean-Pierre Melville #1
Rated 02 Jan 2015
lonewolf2003Lonewolf2003
Rated 03 Dec 2014
90
96th
(2nd viewing, 1st:90)
Rated 03 Dec 2014
lethiaslethias
Rated 13 Sep 2014
90
89th
Je voudrais tout de même vivre, et je vais mourir, et je n'ai pas peur. C'est impossible de ne pas avoir peur quand on va mourir. C'est parce que je suis trop borné, trop animal pour y croire. Et si je n'y crois pas jusqu'au dernier instant, jusqu'à la plus fine limite, je ne mourrai jamais. Quelle découverte ! et comme elle plairait au patron!
Rated 13 Sep 2014
glm01glm01
Rated 19 Sep 2013
89
97th
89.000
Rated 19 Sep 2013
synthonosynthono
Rated 30 Apr 2013
90
92nd
Just constant foreboding. You know something bad is going to happen. You rarely know what, or how, just that nothing is safe. What a fascinating portrait of war.
Rated 30 Apr 2013
walkenrollWalkenRoll
Rated 27 Mar 2013
90
93rd
Very interesting French Resistance thriller, very well shot - it looks amazing. One of the best War films that I've seen
Rated 27 Mar 2013
michaelhashMichaelhash
Rated 31 Oct 2012
94
83rd
94.000
Rated 31 Oct 2012
rthornhillrthornhill
Rated 07 Aug 2012
95
93rd
favorite line: the score will be settled. slowly paced, however, this one always kept me involved and constantly wondering....qui sont ils?
Rated 07 Aug 2012
tartanllamaTartanLlama
Rated 12 Jun 2012
80
74th
Intense, atmospheric and hauntingly beautiful -- Army of Shadows explores the men (and women) of the French Resistance with restraint and deliberation. The metallic low-key lighting and striking compositions emphasise the coldness and pessimism in the film and create some incredible imagery; the opening shot of German soldiers marching in front of the L'Arc de Triomphe is among the best I've seen. At times, the length and slow pace cause the film to drag, but don't damage it untowardly.
Rated 12 Jun 2012
glmglm
Rated 07 May 2012
92
96th
92.000
Rated 07 May 2012
theyshoot11theyshoot11
Rated 30 Nov 2011
78
56th
#449
Rated 30 Nov 2011
dogubombDogubomb
Rated 06 Oct 2011
50
61st
Well acted, well shot, nice tone, ect. I was definitely on board for the first half of the film, after that it started to loose me, it seemed to flounder a bit. By the time the third act rolls around I felt completely derailed. The old "capture, rescue, capture rescue" routine got a bit stale, it ran a bit too long over all. A shame because the first half of the film really had something going.
Rated 06 Oct 2011
jonnykungfujonnykungfu
Rated 03 Aug 2011
95
97th
One of the greatest war films I've ever seen, though it definitely doesn't play out like a typical war film. In tone, it feels more like a tragic gangster film, such as The Godfather. The cool, muted tones of the cinematography, and the general bleakness make for a dark, pessimistic, but brilliant and complex resistance story.
Rated 03 Aug 2011
calexicoCalexico
Rated 04 Jul 2011
70
36th
A good story at its core that kept my attention. However, I felt like the emotional investment the movie generated in me was very minimal, which really limited my enjoyment of it. This is a problem I seem to have with most older movies that I see. I guess they're just more subdued.
Rated 04 Jul 2011
grouchoGroucho
Rated 31 May 2011
40
93rd
"Melville outlines the valorous and dirty deeds of heroes in taut action sequences that reach unusually existential heights."
Rated 31 May 2011
derekstarDerekstar
Rated 22 Mar 2011
90
85th
Army of Shadows has me torn. On one hand, it's slow, meandering, long, and boring at times. It took me three sittings to get through. On the other hand, it's beautiful, deliberate, and has at least two transcendent scenes. The opening shot of the Arc de Triomphe and the escape from the machine-gunning executioners are strong enough to elevate the entire film. Actually I'm not that torn at all. My guess is that Army of Shadows will be worth viewing multiple times, just as Le Samourai is.
Rated 22 Mar 2011
rewilde-brewilde
Rated 08 Mar 2011
78
47th
A very well-made and engrossing film, but the 96 TCI rating was way, way off. For one this is one of the most ponderous, leisurely films I've ever seen. This doesn't lend itself well to a war film. Also whilst the direction and cinematography were impressive for a film of this age, the acting was mediocre. The subtitles were often poorly translated. So yeah, good film, but hardly one of my all-time top 5, as was suggested.
Rated 08 Mar 2011
begoniabolbegoniabol
Rated 13 Feb 2011
94
98th
Absolutely incredible movie. Moving, intense, great cinematography. Simply amazing, it's timeless
Rated 13 Feb 2011
prenzlauPrenzlau
Rated 06 Nov 2010
95
96th
Anti-romantic tragedy, full of contained pain and emotion of human beings, who choose to not deviate from duty.
Rated 06 Nov 2010
slantmagSlantMag
Rated 19 Oct 2010
40
97th
"Jean-Pierre Melville's Army of Shadows finally emerges from anonymity this April to assume its rightful canonical place alongside the French master's peerless Parisian noirs." - Nick Schager
Rated 19 Oct 2010
shalevshalev
Rated 02 Sep 2010
67
8th
A tedious and uninteresting film about the French Resistance. This film make it seem as though the only thing this guys ever did was hiding, getting arrested, escape and kill each other.
Rated 02 Sep 2010
hulothulot
Rated 02 Sep 2010
80
82nd
watched: 2010, 2022
Rated 02 Sep 2010
mchaleMcHale
Rated 02 May 2010
80
62nd
Classic Melville.
Rated 02 May 2010
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 27 Apr 2010
90
97th
Melville's most perfect film. Army of Shadows has stupendous acting - Ventura and Signoret are simply breathtaking; It renders Nazi-occupied France highly foreboding using Melville's signature slate / midnight / mahogany / ochre palette; Its musical score is exact; and using restrained, concise text, it tells a powerful, fatalistic tale of mutually entangled loyalty and betrayal.
Rated 27 Apr 2010
theyshoot10theyshoot10
Rated 14 Jan 2010
76
52nd
490
Rated 14 Jan 2010
pompousasspompousass
Rated 11 Nov 2009
60
85th
Falling between Le Samourai and Le Cercle Rouge, this would appear in some ways, at least superficial ways, to be Jean-Pierre Melville's most "personal" project, deviating from the archetypal, abstract, imitation-American gangster films with which he is most identified, veering instead toward his first-hand experiences as a Jew in the French Resistance.
Rated 11 Nov 2009
theyshoot08theyshoot08
Rated 19 Dec 2008
71
42nd
573
Rated 19 Dec 2008
optimusmikeOptimus_mike
Rated 04 Dec 2008
95
96th
An incredibly tense movie that shows what true heroism is. Every character is fantastically portrayed as someone who has the courage to stand up to a seemingly insurmountable enemy. Mathilde is probably now my favorite female character ever filmed, and the escape (and the grasping hands) is easily in my top 10 of favorite scenes. Highly recommended to anyone who is interested in WW2, The French Resistance, and has the slightest interest in French movies.
Rated 04 Dec 2008
theyshoot07theyshoot07
Rated 02 Mar 2008
67
47th
# 669
Rated 02 Mar 2008
schnofelschnofel
Rated 13 Aug 2007
82
92nd
La Rèsistance in noir abstracts. A pitiful fight for some future humanity.
Rated 13 Aug 2007
johnnyzombieJohnnyZombie
Rated 03 Jul 2007
93
91st
Good noir-ish war film. It asks questions about how far one would go for freedom. Would you kill a friend or loved one? Would you willingly be tortured? Would you run knowing that in the end you'll probably be shot anyways? No, its not dark, just grey.
Rated 03 Jul 2007

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