An account of underground resistance fighters in nazioccupied france. Army of shadows remains jeanpierre melvilles most personal film, the one he. Too bad the director, who died in 1973, at age fiftyfive, was not around to experience the tide turn for his most personal film. It is a film adaptation of joseph kessels 1943 book of the same name, which blends kessels own experiences as a member of the french resistance with fictionalized versions of other resistance members.
In the wake of the events of may 1968, french critics denounced the film for its perceived. French directors have shaped filmmaking around the world. Army of shadows is another film from jean pierremelville that falls back into the realm of the autobiographical, even as its based on a book by french journalist joseph kessel. Following the savaging of his 1969 film army of shadows now rightfully considered a masterpiece, jeanpierre melvilles first film of the 1970s leans heavily on noir and pulp fiction in its pursuit of the directors distinctive moral ambiguity. Filmed in a cold, documentarylike style, the shadow army tells the intertwining stories of several members of the french resistance. Larmee des ombres army of shadows 1969 french film with. Lino ventura plays philippe gerbier, a highranking officer in the french resistance.
Army of shadows is a 1969 french dramasuspense film written and directed by jeanpierre. Le samourai 1968, army in the shadows 1969, and le cercle rouge. Rarely has a film shown so truly that place in the heart where hope lives with fatalism. Moulin was a hero of the french resistance in world war two who united the scattered elements of spontaneous french. This movie reveals rigorously and austerely what life was like in the french resistance. Jeanpierre melvilles haunting army of shadows 1969 sports setpieces as literally breathtaking as the centerpiece heist sequence of his own le cercle rouge 1970, but concerns the truelife exploits of resistance fighters in vichy france. A short history of french cinema film the guardian. Jeanpierre melvilles masterpiece about intrepid underground fighters who must grapple with their own brand of honor in their battle against hitlers regime.
Lino ventura in army of shadows 1969 paul crauchet and lino ventura in army of shadows 1969 lino. Larmee des ombres is a 1969 french film directed by. Army of shadows was the third and final film in which melville dealt. Jeanpierre melville, gene siskel film center, bob le flambeur, le cercle rouge, leon morin priest, two men in manhattan, le samourai. In this war drama set during the french resistance of ww ii. It is not a film about daring raids and exploding trains, but about cold, hungry, desperate men and women who move invisibly through the nazi occupation of france. After leaving prison, master thief corey crosses paths with a notorious escapee and an alcoholic former policeman.
It follows a gang of thieves as they painstakingly carry out a jewel heist and attempt to escape with the materials. Larmee des ombres is a 1969 french dramasuspense film written and directed by jeanpierre melville. Beloved french director jeanpierre melville 19171973 was best known for his cool, noirinspired gangster films and political thrillers about the french resistance. And in le cercle rouge 1970, he showed police and gangsters who. Army of shadows is about members of the french resistance who. Army of shadows begins in occupied france in 1942, with the arrest by the. Army of shadows remains jeanpierre melvilles most personal film, the one he would cultivate for 25 years. American audiences were only able to discover the movie in 2006 when it was reissued, after which the film appeared in. Melville the criterion collection war film dark look television program historian jeans army shadows melville army patches marvel infinity war film french army jeans bing images cinema leather jacket.
This movie is one of the nicest looking movies ever. The balance of the film is a game of chance between mostly unseen german gestapo agents and resistance operatives well aware that at any moment they could be captured and subjected to torture. Army of shadows is a film about the french resistance and having been a fighter in the french underground during wwii melville was perfectly positioned to portray the realities of life under occupation, which included torture and assassination and often demanded that their own french patrons should be executed, sometimes for turning. The timing of army of shadowss initial french release, in the fall of 1969, could not have been worse. Army of shadows larmee des ombres, by jeanpierre melville. Simone signoret in army of shadows 1969 alain mottet and lino ventura in. It is a film adaptation of joseph kessels 1943 book of the same name. Pages in category films about the french resistance the following 60 pages are in this category, out of 60 total. The movie defies any sort of simple categorization.
Army of shadows is true to the resistance experience in that it is all suspense tension, with only a few of moments of action. The most personal film by the underworld poet jeanpierre melville, who had participated in the french resistance himself, this tragic masterpiece, based on a. French filmmaker jeanpierre melville wasnt one of the most experimental or introspective figures of the french new wave, but he did direct some of frances best and certainly coolest films during this era, with classic thrillers such as bob the gambler, army of shadows, le samurai, and the red circle. In jeanpierre melvilles 1969 film, shadows conceal men whose only moral principle and greatest crime is the desire for freedom. The familiar one last job trope gets another go around in the stylish neonoir the red circle. It is a crime film set in paris and stars alain delon, a french heartthrob of the 70s and reliable box office draw. Vera cruz is a 1954 american western film starring gary cooper and burt lancaster, and featuring denise darcel, sara montiel, cesar romero, ernest borgnine, charles bronson and jack elam. This is a tough, somber film that captures the absurdities involved in war, and, ultimately, in life. Army of shadows larmee des ombres is a 1969 french dramasuspense film written and directed by jeanpierre melville. At the time of its initial release in france, army of shadows was not well received or widely seen. Le cercle rouge, or the red circle, is a french film from 1970. Formerly published as fiction and film for french historians. As close to a masterpiece as any film youre likely to see this year.
His most personal movie was army of shadows, which, though misunderstood upon its initial french release in 1969, is now widely considered a masterpiece. Jeanpierre melvillearmy of shadows2 jean moulin 18991943 is the reallife prototype for the films luc jardie. Army of shadows 1969 directed by jeanpierre melville a french critic called melvilles great resistance film a sublime thriller, which gives us licence to include it here. Examining the history of the concept of cinema and its relationship to time over the course of a 266minute run time, this film took the french master more than a decade to make and isnt. A story of those french citizens who for five long years resisted nazi occupation, army of shadows is a blackandwhite film made in color, jeanpierre melvilles predominantly grayblue color. With lino ventura, paul meurisse, jeanpierre cassel, simone signoret. The films shows us the grey, cold, depleted flipside to some of melvilles more lively depictions of urban life and while overall it may certainly be more uneven than, army of shadows. In this war drama set during the french resistance of ww ii, a courageous fighter escapes gestapo. The film is cowritten and directed by jeanpierre melville. First released in 1969, jeanpierre melvilles army of shadows is an austere film that offers bleaker insight into the.
Simone signoret in army of shadows 1969 paul crauchet in army of shadows 1969 paul crauchet and. To commemorate the centenary of his birth, cinemas around the world are screening melvilles. If you have any interest whatsoever in french cinema, world war ii, moral ambiguity, or simone signoret, see this film. I spent a long time wondering when the french resistance was going to actually do something productive before realizing that this is the entire point of the film. Army of shadows1969360p french movie with english subtitles. Philippe gerbierlino ventura escapes from police station. The movie was directed by robert aldrich from a story by borden chase. I would definitely recommend the army of shadows directed by jeanpierre melville, about the french underground resistance during ww2. The film is included on roger eberts great movies list. Jeanpierre melville centennial museum of fine arts, boston. Originally made in 1969, this recently reissued classic is a masterful examination of the inner workings of the world war ii resistance. Army of shadows is a film about the french resistance and having been a. The novel by joseph kessel from which it was adapted was published in 1943. Because melville, a resistance fighter himself, had a previous history with this very same world.
A brilliant film about the french underground resistance. Jeanpierre melvilles army of shadows is about members of the french resistance who persist in the face of despair. The french resistance heroes in the story are never shown conducting sabotage or planned attacks against the germans, as one would get in a traditional world war ii movie. Though melville wanted for two decades to make a film about the french resistance, he happened to choose the worst possible time for army of shadows to be received by the cognoscenti. Melville ultimately justifies the films aesthetic audacity with an unsettling examination of the. The film or miniseries must be concerned with world war ii or the war of ethiopia and the sinojapanese war and include events which feature as a part of the war effort for short films, see the list of world war ii short films for documentaries, see the list of world war ii documentary films and the list of allied propaganda films of world war ii. Army of shadows larmee des ombres 1969 rotten tomatoes.
813 82 762 1156 426 1469 789 304 1585 1404 122 431 575 810 580 223 1567 907 696 1439 178 303 1196 1467 265 103 231 1294 347 1239 1302 829 1302 1075 1192 885 16 809 430 1378 1049 471 1134 1171 715 423 1280