The restored French classic L'armée des ombres is re-released on Blu-ray this Monday.
Having been critically panned on release in France in 1969 and subsequently denied a theatrical run in the US, after a thorough restoration over thirty five years later, Army of Shadows has finally found recognition. It is director Jean-Pierre Melville’s final word on the French resistance in wartime France, of which he himself was a member.
Lino Ventura plays Philippe Gerbier, a chief in the French resistance in German occupied France, 1942. We first meet Gerbier on his way to a prison camp, having been betrayed by one of his subordinates. From here Melville unravels a harrowing tale of ethical dilemmas, split loyalties and courage of a type that only those who lived through such times can fully comprehend.
A bleak portrait is painted of life for the resistance members, one of near futility as their efforts seem to consist almost solely of evading capture and risking their lives with no reliable way of knowing who to trust, only to find out that the powers that be consider them of little use against the German war machine. Melville poses questions such as whether ones own life has any value in the grand scheme of things, particularly if one feels of little use to anyone alive. The tension between personal friendships and loyalty to a cause is also explored, leaving you with unsettlingly ambiguous thoughts that hint at the kinds of things that kept the resistance members awake at night.
Melville’s typically sparse and minimalist mise-en-scène reinforces the chillingly matter of fact atmosphere. Characters pace through scenes, their footsteps echoing as the camera lingers in a way that leaves the audience room for a quiet sobriety of thought, of a kind that the fast cutting and handheld camerawork of more recent war films can only dream.
Éric Demarsan’s haunting score is evocative of Cold War-esque melancholy secrecy. The icy strings and poignant piano melody weave a non-specific yet memorable soundscape to reflect the troubled and cagey characters. The performances throughout are superbly restrained and affecting, particularly those of Ventura in the lead and Simone Signoret as resistance member Mathilde, a character whose personal ethical hell is perhaps the most sympathetic.
While slow and intellectually demanding, like a ponderous game of chess, Army of Shadows remains a treasure trove for anyone looking for a vivid and challenging insight into the experiences of the French resistance, told in a beautiful cinematic style which is now sadly all but forgotten.
Blu-ray extras: Army of Shadows - The Hidden Side of the Story (Documentary), Booklet on the movie written by Ginette Vincendeau (Professor and Film Critic)
