Disarmingly restrained and terrifyingly tense.
Comment
04/01/06
Army of Shadows (1969)
97
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:71
Fresh:69
Rotten:2
Average Rating:8.6/10
Consensus: Originally made in 1969, this recently reissued classic is a masterful examination of the inner workings of the World War II resistance efforts.
Theatrical Release:17-03-2006
Synopsis: Well-known for his influential crime films (LE SAMOURAI, LE CERCLE ROUGE), director Jean-Pierre Melville explores the lives of French Resistance fighters in his moody World War II masterpiece, ARMY... [More]
Starring: Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Simone Signoret
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Reviews for Army of Shadows
Top CriticA work of moving ideological commitment as well as beautifully detailed orchestration.
03/18/06
Top CriticMelville handles with consummate cinematic mastery the suspenseful set-pieces.
03/14/06
Top CriticSuperb.
02/09/06
Top CriticThe action is tense. Dark shadows and long moody silences predominate. The dialogue is clipped and sparse: Melville's heroes are men and women of few words and big deeds.
05/24/03
Top CriticClick to read the article
04/23/09
As bleak as it is compelling, it will leave you wondering if these freedom fighters haven't done more damage to each other than they have to the Nazi aggressors.
08/22/07
As close to a masterpiece as any film you're likely to see this year.
08/17/07
a stunning, globetrotting spy masterpiece
05/15/07
A film to be seen and savored for its moral magnitude.
04/25/07
Rich in the elegance, assurance and quasi-formality that often define Melville's style.
03/01/07
The fascination comes in minute observation of the Resistance soldiers' mannerisms, demeanor and interaction.
02/15/07
It's hard to believe that Melville's 1969 masterpiece--one of the most honest and accurate chronicles of the French Resistance--never got released in the US until 2006; Splendidly acted, this personal-political film draws on the helmer's own experience.
02/02/07
Although it has several suspenseful sequences, "Shadows" is not a spy thriller, precisely. It's much more along the lines of a melancholy mood piece...
02/02/07
The glacial pacing can be an irritant as the film unfolds -- I repeatedly wanted to speed things up -- but Army of Shadows won't leave you alone after you've seen it.
01/26/07
A superb contribution from an A-class film-maker.
01/19/07
One of the masterpieces of its era and its genre.
01/18/07
From the first sight of German soldiers goose-stepping past the Arc de Triomphe to a postscript that spells out the fate of characters whose moral confusion is all too real, Army of Shadows is a movie of its time -- and ours.
01/18/07
ARMY OF SHADOWS is a remarkable and superb film, and American audiences should be rejoicing that is finally (if belatedly) has reached theaters.
01/11/07
A fascinating picture of bureaucratic drudgery, even in the middle of war and occupation.
12/30/06
Latest News for Army of Shadows
October 05, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Departed" Is Best Reviewed Wide Release of 2006
This week at the movies, we've got cops and robbers in Boston ("The Departed," starring Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Matt Damon), chainsaw massacres in Texas... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube 
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds