Army of Shadows

L'Armée des ombres (1969)

Timing: 2:25 (145 min)

7.886/10
738

7.64/10
2481

8.1/10
29000

All about film

Video 9

Photo 55

Actors and characters

Release date

1969-09-10

Country

France, Italy

Production

Les Films Corona, Fono Roma

Genre

War, Drama, Thriller, History

Budget

$0

Revenue

$810 532

Website

Director

Jean-Pierre Melville

Actors

Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Simone Signoret, Claude Mann, Paul Crauchet, Christian Barbier, Alain Dekok, Alain Libolt, Jean-Marie Robain
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Jacques Dorfmann

Operator

Pierre Lhomme

Composer

Éric Demarsan

Artist

Audition

Editing

Françoise Bonnot
All team (13)

• A film adaptation of Joseph Kessel's military novel, published in 1943.
• The film's epigraph: "Sad memories – I also greet you, for you are a part of my past." These are the words of playwright Georges Courteline, but his name is not listed in the credits.
• Melville effectively began his film career with a film about World War II, "Silence of the Sea" (1949). Twenty years later, having gained fame primarily as a director of crime films, he returned to the theme of war, adapting Joseph Kessel's autobiographical novel, a former member of the Resistance. He had dreamed of making "Army of Shadows" for a quarter of a century – since the first time he read the book.
• Melville said about the film: "Now I have said everything about the war."
• The scene of the German march on the Champs-Élysées was supposed to close the film. However, Melville decided to move it to the very beginning.
• Upon release, the film was subjected to harsh criticism. Melville was accused of being retrograde and of having made a "typically Gaullist propaganda piece." But for the director, the attitude of surviving members of the Resistance towards the film was more important. During a special screening organized for the author of "Army of Shadows" and his comrades, Melville carefully watched their reactions. At the end credits, Joseph Kessel could not hold back tears.
• For the second – and last – time, after "Second Breath" (1966), Lino Ventura played the main role in a Melville film.
• General Charles de Gaulle, or rather, his figure in the frame (since we never see his face) was played by Adrien Cayla-Legrand; his name is not listed in the credits.
• Ten years before Melville, Ventura and Paul Meriss already played members of the Resistance – in Julien Duvivier's drama “Marie-Octobre” (1959).
• After restoration, supervised by cinematographer Pierre Lhomme, Rialto Pictures released Melville’s long-forgotten film in limited American release in 2006. According to J. Hoberman, nearly 40 years after its premiere, the film finally ‘emerged from the mists of time as an epic tragedy and the apotheosis of the director’s career.’ The film grossed $741,733 in the US. The New York Film Critics Association named “Army of Shadows” the best foreign film of the year.
• In the book, Jean-François learns that his older brother Luc is also a member of the Resistance. He never finds this out in the film.
• Jean-François writes a denunciation against himself in order to end up in the same cell as Félix. This plotline does not exist in the book.
• Serge Reggiani also appears in Melville's films for the second and last time. However, if in 'Le Doulos' (1962) he played the main role, here he only plays a cameo – a barber who is effectively hiding Jef Costello, who has just escaped.
• The epigraph of the film: “Sad memories – I also welcome you, for you are part of my past.” These are the words of playwright Georges Courteline, but his name is not in the credits.
• With “Silence of the Sea” (1949), Melville practically began his career in cinema. Twenty years later, having become famous primarily as a director of crime films, he returned to the theme of war, adapting Joseph Kessel’s autobiographical novel, a former member of the Resistance. He had dreamed of directing “Army of Shadows” for a quarter of a century – since he first read the book.
• Melville said about the film: “Now I have said everything about the war.”
• After its release, the film was subjected to harsh criticism. Melville was accused of being retrograde and of making a “typically Hollywood propaganda piece.” But for the director, the attitude of the surviving members of the Resistance to the film was more important. During a special screening organized for the author of 'Army of Shadows' and his comrades, Melville carefully watched their reaction. At the end credits, Joseph Kessel could not hold back tears.
• For the second – and last – time, after 'Le Deuxième Souffle' (1966), Lino Ventura played the leading role in a Melville film.
• Ten years before Melville, Ventura and Paul Meurisse already played members of the Resistance – in Julien Duvivier’s drama 'Marie-Octobre' (1959).
• After restoration, overseen by cinematographer Pierre Lhomme, Rialto Pictures released Melville's long-forgotten film in limited American release in 2006. According to J. Hoberman, almost 40 years after its premiere, the film finally “emerged from the mists of time as an epic tragedy and the apotheosis of the director’s career.” The film grossed $741,733 in the US. The New York Film Critics Association named 'Army of Shadows' the best foreign film of the year.
• Serge Reggiani also appears in Melville's films for the second and last time. However, if in "Le Doulos" (1962) he played the main role, here he plays only a cameo – a hairdresser, effectively hiding Jervier who has just escaped.