Rent army of shadows 1969 starring lino ventura and paul meurisse on dvd and bluray. For one thing, the events in the film are drawn from joseph kessels 1943 novel army of shadows, which was a fictionalized account of kessels own experiences in the resistance. The latter is a 1969 film that received a mixed reception from french critics when originally released. Betrayed by an informant, philippe gerbier finds himself trapped in a torturous nazi prison camp. 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. Alain mottet and lino ventura in army of shadows 1969 simone signoret in army of shadows 1969 lino.
Upon its muchbelated american release in 2006, the new york film critics saluted army of shadows with their best foreign film award, recognizing it as much more than just a lost film from the 1960s, but one of cinemas great works. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. Atmospheric and gripping, army of shadows is melvilles most personal film, featuring lino ventura, paul meurisse, jeanpierre cassel, and the incomparable simone signoret as intrepid underground fighters who must grapple with their conception of honor in their battle against hitlers regime. Up first on the first disc is an audio commentary by film historian ginette vincendeau, which was originally recorded for bfi. With lino ventura, paul meurisse, jeanpierre cassel, simone signoret. Jeanpierre melville arguably director jeanpierre melvilles most personal film he fought in the french underground during world war ii, this shattering portrait of the early days of the french resistance is not so much a crime film as it is a. Melville makes no concession whatever to the tide of nouvelle vagueinspired realism that was sweeping world cinema in the late 60s, and in some ways army in the shadows is as stiffly arranged as.
Adapted from joseph kessels 1943 book of the same name, it is a dramatic thriller depicting the french resistance in occupied france during world war ii. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the army of shadows near you. Originally made in 1969, this recently reissued classic is a masterful examination of the inner workings of the world war ii resistance. Both the author of the novel, and the director of the film, were actual veterans of the resistance. Army of shadows is considered a very important book by members of the resistance. In its initial release in france, the film was unfairly savaged by french critics and essentially buried. The directors cut of night of dark shadows was announced to be coming to dvd in 2012 but i havent seen it, just the theatrical version. Rent army of shadows 1969 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. Last fall, rialto pictures presented the american premiere of jeanpierre melvilles army of shadows, a 1969 film never picked up for export. Even in america, the film was not shown until 2006, decades after it was first made.
Rarely has a film shown so truly that place in the heart where hope lives with fatalism. With distance, a more complete view of the french resistance has emerged. Army of shadows criterion collection is a twodisc dvd set. The north american home video premiere of army of shadows comes in a fairly loaded 2disc dvd edition. Larmee des ombres aka the shadow army is jean pierre melville 1969 masterpiece and does not deal with gangsters. This is an index of films that deal with the holocaust in europe. But i had no intention of making a film about the resistance. But army of shadows wasnt released here until 2006 when it dominated the years ten best lists topping the premiere and new york times lists and copped the new york film critics circles award for best foreign film of the year 37 years after it was completed. Army of shadows internet movie firearms database guns. All of melvilles films are filled with sam spade outfitted types, in fact he loved the look so much he called his 1962 film le doulos, a french word for hat as well as police informer. Jeanpierre melvilles army of shadows is about members of the french resistance who persist in the face of despair. The film is a mix of the directors war time experiences in the french resistance and joseph kessel successful wartime novel. These films were produced from the early 1940s before the extent of the holocaust was widely known and have continued to be made since then. Revolving around the experiences of philippe, leader of a resistance cell partly based on melvilles own combat experience, the.
As close to a masterpiece as any film youre likely to see this year. Films dealing with the subject of the holocaust include both documentary and narrative films. The most personal film by the underworld poet jeanpierre melville, who had participated in the french resistance himself, this tragic masterpiece, based on a novel by joseph kessel, recounts the struggles and sacrifices of those who fought in the resistance. Lino ventura, paul meurisse, jeanpierre cassel, and the incomparable simone signoret star as intrepid underground. The five man army 1970 a bandit peter graves and his gang target a mexican generals trainload of gold for the revolution in 1914. Army of shadows follows a small group of resistance fighters as they move between safe houses, work with the allied militaries, kill informers, and attempt to evade the capture and execution that th. Army of shadows larmee des ombres 1969 rotten tomatoes. 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. 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 middle of this filmnoir sequence, however, was a work that might appear to be an anomaly. It follows the actions of philippe gerbier lino ventura and other french resistance members in germanoccupied marseille. Its a decent scholarly commentary, filled with some interesting comments and observations about the film, its.
Army of shadows is a 1969 french dramasuspense film written and directed by jeanpierre. Jeanpierre melville only lived to be 55 years old, but the films he directed include some impressive fare les enfants terribles, bob le flambeur, le doulos, le samourai, le cercle rouge, andarmy of shadows larmee des ombres. A film masterpiece, restored more than three decades after its french release, army remains a superb, coolly accurate portrait of. Jeanpierre melvilles masterpiece about intrepid underground fighters who must grapple with their own brand of honor in their battle against hitlers regime. Philippe lino ventura, aided by resistance compatriots including maitresse of disguise mathilde simone signoret, goes underground in the face of the germ. It is a film adaptation of joseph kessels 1943 book of the same. Larmee des ombres is a 1969 french film directed by jean pierre melville. The complete jeanpierre melville criterion channel teaser. An account of underground resistance fighters in nazioccupied france. Series isbncatalog id price pages format type cover artist verif.
Army of shadows is filmmaking of high ambition, running to nearly 2. The following firearms were used in the film army of shadows. The most obvious gangster element in army of shadows is the outfits. Army of shadows takes a hard look at a horrible and. This is the complete long version of the film 145 min. Army of shadows is a 1969 french dramasuspense film written and directed by jeanpierre melville. Only in recent years has army of shadows been rediscovered and restored to its proper place among melvilles greatest cinematic achievements. Jeanpierre melvilles film army of shadows 1969 gives a dramatic account of the extreme dangers faced by the french who resisted the german occupation. Unlike house of dark shadows, night was directed by dan curtis but mgm forced him to rush cut over 35 minutes from his finished film. How the hell can the new york film critics circle choose army of shadows as the years. Army of shadows larmee des ombres is a 1969 french film directed by jeanpierre melville chronicling a group of french resistance fighters between october 1942 and february 1943. Then melville added the perspective from his own personal experiences, since he had been drafted into the french. This documents the very real way that they had to operate and it is done in a.
First released in 1969, jeanpierre melvilles army of shadows is an austere film that offers bleaker insight into the. Members of the french resistance collaborate with the british to loosen the grip of nazi rule. 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. The first disc has the movie, trailers the original french, artfully edited and narrated by melville, and the 2006 us version, and an audio commentary by film historian ginette vincendeau, who has written a book about melville. Jeanpierre melvilles army of shadows 1969, adapted from a joseph kessel novel, would be a mere adventure story if it were not for its impressive sophistication and excellent execution. One reason for this is probably that the film certainly is a very personal work. This movie reveals rigorously and austerely what life was like in the french resistance. Ethan aras rating of the film army of shadows the grids of rain. The film itself is in french audio, with english subtitles for the french dialogue. Although he escapes to rejoin the resistance in occupied marseille and exacts his revenge on the informant, philippe must continue a quiet, seemingly endless battle against the. Army of shadows jeanpierre melville 1969 the film sufi.
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