Army of Shadows

The opening shot of Jean-Pierre Melville's devastating 1969 film casts a haunting shadow: framed by the Arc de Triomphe, German soldiers march down an eerily deserted Champs-Elysses in a nightmarish image from France's darkest hour during the German occupation. Army of Shadows was not released in the United States until 2006, when it was rapturously received by critics. Dismissed in its day by French critics (as was Melville), it now ranks as a masterpiece and is considered to be the director's most personal film. Melville was himself a member of the Resistance, and it would take him more than two decades to realize his dream of bringing the autobiographical novel by Resistance fighter Joseph Kessel (who also wrote Belle de Jour) to the screen. Army of Shadows revolves around a series of incidents and episodes involving a small cell of Resistance fighters, portrayed by an incomparable ensemble, including Lino Ventura, Jean-Pierre Cassel, and the magnificent Simone Signoret. From a daring escape and the murder by strangulation of a traitor, to an ill-fated rescue attempt from a Nazi prison and the climactic execution of a compromised member, Army of Shadows offers up dramatic tableaux both unsparing and unflinching (while not a thriller in the conventional sense, the film is by turns harrowing, intense, and tragic). DVD extras on this impeccable Criterion Collection release include an illuminating commentary by film historian Ginette Vincendeau, archival interviews (with Melville, Kessel, cast members, and real-life Resistance fighters), the 1944 short “Le journal de la Resistance” with rare footage of the final days of the German occupation, a 2005 program on Melville and the film, a look at the film's restoration by cinematographer Lhomme, interviews with Lhomme and editor Francoise Bonnot, and a booklet (featuring essays by critic Amy Taubin and historian Robert O. Paxton, as well as excerpts from Rui Nogueira's Melville on Melville). Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (D. Liebenson)[Blu-ray Review—Jan 18, 2011—Criterion, 145 min., in French w/English subtitles, not rated, $39.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1969's Army of Shadows features an excellent transfer and a DTS-HD soundtrack. Blu-ray extras are identical to the previous DVD release, including audio commentary by film historian Ginette Vincendeau, a 1944 propaganda doc “Le journal de la Resistance” (34 min.), segments from the French TV show L'Invité du dimanche (31 min.), a 2005 documentary on the film (28 min.), excerpts from an episode of the French television show Ouvrez les Guillemets (24 min.), interviews with cinematographer Pierre Lhomme (15 min.) and editor Francoise Bonnot (11 min.), interviews with costar Simone Signoret and resistance fighter Lucie Aubrac (6 min.), an interview with director Jean-Pierre Melville (5 min.), trailers, and a booklet featuring essays by critic Amy Taubin and historian Robert O. Paxton, as well as excerpts from Rui Nogueira's Melville on Melville. Bottom line: a winning Blu-ray debut for Melville's classic.]