Army of Shadows

Watching grass grow is more entertaining than this long, drawn out dud.

A success for a spy movie in 2 1/3 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!! In French (France) and English versions with English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As you'd expect from a non-American movie made in the 1960s, the pacing of 'Army of Shadows' is noticeably slower than most anything produced since 2000. Some may find the film detrimentally slow, to the point of being boring, but the slow-burn pacing accentuates the reality that boredom likely was part of the dramatic angst of being in the Resistance. There is something magisterial and indelible in the character's passion for liberty, politically and personally, within a fascist bureaucracy that would ultimately destroy them. The courage that was required, the sacrifices made unnoticed and unlauded, the integrity of belief in justice within an ambiance of doubt and fear, marks this film with timelessness.

Saw this movie in theater at film forum, and it genuinely was one of the best movies I ever seen. The story, the acting the twist and turns plus an amazing score to top it all off. I’m telling you this movie has it all but don’t take my word for it. Do yourself a favor and give it a watch especially in theaters if you have the option to do so, it’s so good.

You can look down on me if you want, but I thought this was incredibly boring, there was no structure whatsoever, it was just episodic in nature, it was hard to tell who was who, at one point a character shaves his moustache and they don't even show it so you spend twenty minutes trying to figure out who it is. It wasn't compelling, the characters had no depth, they tell what happens to the characters in the epilogue but they should have shown it, that would have made it more interesting. I thought the whole thing was boring and unclear.

One gets the immediate sense that one is watching a masterpiece. The restoration is almost as much of a marvel as the film itself. Melville draws on his real-life experience to make the plot and characters layered, and everything just rings true. By the end, I want the movie to continue, but then the final text proves me wrong: I'm made happy that Melville knew where to stop. It's simply a masterwork of cinema, not just a landmark of French film history.

Among political thrillers, Army of Shadows has led an unusual life. Released in the waning years of de Gaulle's influence and popularity, the film was largely denounced in France due to the political shakeups of the period, only to find international acclaim decades later as prints began to be released internationally. The unusual distribution history of Army of Shadows fits oddly well with its premise - the struggles of a French resistance group facing both internal sabotage and German persecution, with particular focus on the emotional sacrifice and cold indifference necessary in the pursuit of a larger good. Like his protagonists, Jean-Pierre Melville worked in pursuit of an end that promised no reward and invited suspicion and unease despite supporting a noble cause. The film is awash in an atmosphere of suspicion, as characters are forced into a practical prisoner's dillemma, weighing self-preservation against loyalty and knowing those around them are doing the same. While very much functional thematically, there may be some gripes in the execution; at times the endeavors of our protagonists lean more towards the fantastical and daring than the realistic and grounded (jail break during sadistic execution via smoke bomb seems more Great Escape than Melville noir). Despite those qualms, the sentiment of Army of Shadows still rings clearly, despondent and tragic though it may be. (4/5)

Filmmaking at its best. No gimmicks, no film tricks, just superb acting, straight forward story and a directing style that focus on keeping you interested in the movie from beginning to end.

Taut and dark but not as gripping as I was hoping from a resistance thriller.

This is a movie that will stay with me for a while, more than anything because of its exploration of the psychology of a small, very clandestine resistance movement.