Army of Shadows Movie Review 1969

Melville's stunning adaptation of the 1943 Joseph Kessel novel focuses on members of the French Resistance in 1942. They lead shadow lives under false identities, struggling to survive while living in fear of betrayal. The head of this cell is Luc Jardie (Meurisse) but the most necessary of its members is field commander Philippe Gerbier (Ventura,) who metes out punishment for such betrayals. It's grim and dangerous and morally ambivalent and no one has time to be heroic (though they are) because there's too much at stake. You can't look away even if you want to. Melville himself was a member of the Resistance. French with subtitles.

Distribution

Not Yet Released

Running time 140 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

World War II, France

Screenplay

Jean-Pierre Melville

Cast

Lino Ventura, Simone Signoret, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Claude Mann, Paul Crauchet

Cinematography

Pierre Lhomme

Director

Jean-Pierre Melville

Music

Eric De Marsen

Other

Francoise Bonnot, Theo Meurisse

Producer

Jacques Dorfmann, Rialto Pictures