Army of Shadows
Seen it?1969 | 145 min | Drama, Thriller
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
Critics loved it (97% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences rate it highly (7.9 out of 10). Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas or The Zone of Interest, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense and unsettling.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 25 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Made in 1969: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Betrayed by an informant, Philippe Gerbier finds himself trapped in a torturous Nazi prison camp. Though Gerbier escapes to rejoin the Resistance in occupied Marseilles, France, and exacts his revenge on the informant, he must continue a quiet, seemingly endless battle against the Nazis in an atmosphere of tension, paranoia and distrust.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
97% on Rotten Tomatoes, 99 on Metacritic
- AudiencesStrong
7.9 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$906K worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 79K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville
- Lino VenturaPhilippe Gerbier
- Paul MeurisseLuc Jardie
- Jean-Pierre CasselJean-François Jardie
- Simone SignoretMathilde
- Claude MannClaude Ullman / Le Masque
- Paul CrauchetFélix Lepercq
- Christian BarbierGuillaume Vermesch / Le Bison
- Alain DekokLegrain
- Alain LiboltPaul Dounat
- Jean-Marie RobainBaron de La Ferté-Talloires