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Army of Shadows streaming

Original title: L'Armée des ombres
1969 Movie Italy, France War, Drama, Thriller 143 min FSK 16
By: Jean-Pierre Melville With: Percival Russel, Denis Sadier, Gaston Meunier, Michel Dacquin, Jacques Marbeuf

France, 1942, under German occupation. Philippe Gerbier, a civil engineer, is a French Resistance commandant. Denounced by a French collaborator, he is interned in a concentration camp. He manages to escape, and rejoins his network in Marseille, where he has the traitor executed. This movie reveals rigorously and austerely what life was like in the French Resistance: the solitude and fear of its members; their relationships with one another; the constant threat of arrest by the Gestapo; the Resistance command structure and the way its orders were carried out. Head writer Joseph Kessel and co-writer/director Jean-Pierre Melville were both veterans of the "Shadow Army".

Filmium rating
82%

Mood

Bleak
Grim
Serious

Cast & Crew

Jean-Pierre Melville
Joseph Kessel
Claude Mann
Christian Barbier
Nathalie Delon
Albert Michel
Marcel Bernier
Colin Mann
Alain Dekok
Michel Dacquin
Alain Libolt
Gaston Meunier
Jeanne Pérez
Jacques Marbeuf
Jacques Léonard
Hubert de Lapparent
Paul Meurisse
Pierre Vaudier
Georges Sellier
Alain Mottet
Gérard-Antoine Huart
Paul Crauchet
Anthony Stuart
Lino Ventura
Serge Reggiani
Percival Russel
Jean-Marie Robain
Denis Sadier
Jean-Pierre Cassel
Simone Signoret
Marco Perrin
Jean-Pierre Melville (Director)
Lino Ventura (Actor)
Simone Signoret (Actress)

Adaptation

Based On Book

Budget

Mid-Budget

Cinematic Technique

Black And White
Grainy
Handheld Camera

Film Movements

French New Wave

Narrative Structure

Episodic
Nonlinear

Pace

Methodical
Slow-Paced

Runtime

Over 2 Hours

Soundtrack

Ambient Score
Minimalist Music

Style

Cinematic
Dark
Realistic

Time-Period

1940S
World War Ii

Central Conflict

Betrayal
Escape From Nazis
Resistance Survival

Characters

French Civilians
Gestapo Agents
Resistance Fighters

Ending

Bittersweet
Fatal
Tragic

Historical Context

French Resistance
Nazi Occupation
World War Ii

Key Plot Points

Félix'S Arrest
Gerbier'S Escape
Gerbier’S Capture
Rescue Attempt

Plot

Nazi Occupation
Resistance Fighters
Underground Movement

Setting

France
Gibraltar
London
Marseille

Shooting Location

France
Gibraltar
London

Theme

Moral Ambiguity
Resistance And Sacrifice
War'S Brutality

Genre

Drama
Historical
War

Audiences

Adults
History Enthusiasts
War Film Fans

Titles

Army Of Shadows
The Army Of Shadows

Awards

None

Box Office Success

Cult Classic
Limited Initial Release

Critical Reception

97% Rotten Tomatoes
Roger Ebert'S Great Movies
Universal Acclaim

Festivals

None

Popularity

Cult Following
Reappraised

Ratings

99 Metacritic
High Scores
Rating 9.1 Out Of 10

Reception

Critical Acclaim
Restored Release
Top Critics List

Production Countries

France
Italy

Release Year

1969
mowizz ID: 30c7d82e-0cd1-4948-affa-ba7565a68e72
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