a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

I do not understand what is so great about this movie what underground activities they did is hardly shown except references and killings there is hardly any logic for title except the dark background and the lead character who is an engineer.you never identify with them at any point except three instances one where they silence a traitor although he is a loved one two where he swallows a sheet of paper to avoid being caught by Nazis and three at last where he kills Mathailde his Savior the characters introduced also fail to arouse any interest it seems the director has made the film mostly for the pleasure of it.complete waste of time. add to that 8.2 is not the score the movie deserves it is at best a 7.8 movie. People with serious expectations advised to stay away

What we would expect when the ideas behind The Army of Shadows are described to us? The image the viewer draws in their head is probably not what's represented in the actual film. The Army of Shadows is a taut film that chooses to represent the ways of secret organizations of France during the time of the Nazis with honesty...some may think with too much honesty, such as the brutal violence that's carried out by our protagonist. The writer and director, Jean-Pierre Melville, conducts his film with the feeling he wants to share with the world about the French Resistance: ambiguity. The writing knows the plot, but leaves much of the answers blank, even at the conclusion of the film to make the audience feel how the members of the Resistance felt. They trusted no one, not even those who claimed to be loyal to the beliefs of their cause. Everything about themselves had to remain a secret, which isolated them from the world to specific measures.The asset that is most surprising, when watching today, is how technically skilled the filmmakers are. The cinematography is beautiful, the sets are realistically scary, the make-up will make your make your stomach churn, and the editing is noticeably advances the story by cusses out the big moments with emotion. It's the French version of Bonnie Clyde with its production values and methods of technology. Army of Shadows has a big story that is told in a small way. It doesn't concern itself with the blockbuster action scenes that we would expect from a Nazi film. Instead it focuses on the conversations and the running of the French Resistance, the moral code, and the day-to-day struggle of trying to move ahead in their lives when Nazis on their tails trying to terminate them. The violence in the film may be more disturbing than huge action sequences because when it's shown, it's deliberately placed to make us react. Rating: 10Grade: A

There comes a time when you decide not to run. L'armée des Ombres is perhaps Melville's finest accomplishment. The rain in the opening credits pretty much tells you what you're in for. Torture, murder, futility and the ever-present cloud of endless war, is this the French Resistance in World War II or was it made yesterday? Stylish and sedate, Melville finally took on a subject worthy of his skilled eye above pop heist yarns. He was slammed around during the release because of petty politics, but it holds up like the pyramids today when nobody cares who or what a de Gaul apologist was. This thankless, gritty and thoroughly unglamourus study of an underground militia on the run isn't something you will soon forget.The most common complaint about the film seems to focus on the pacing and length. This is something I simply do not understand. When L'armée des Ombres finishes, you feel as if you have been through a torrent of experiences just as Gerbier. Any speedier editing and the movie would come off as a popular spy film - and it simply is not a fit for that genre. Even the cinematography tells us it's going to be a dim journey. It feels as if every scene is filmed through a neutral density filter and the blue cast doesn't allow any warmth in whatsoever. Though the framing is often static, there are indeed some breathtaking camera moves at the right moments.L'armée des Ombres may not have the cool factor of the Delon pictures, but it's got truth on it's side and a truckload of memorable characters and performances. There is a masterwork here for those looking to see something special. If you want something faster, go watch Ocean's 11 and forget what you saw ten minutes later. L'armée des Ombres will stay with you a long time.

This is an episodic drama about French Resistance movement during WWII. While the episodes are not bad in themselves, the lack of narrative buildup makes for an uninvolving and unsatisfying experience. The leisurely pace doesn't help matters. Melville does not seem to be a fan of editing, preferring to dwell on mundane scenes like a person walking from one place to another. This approach extends the film to an ungodly length of nearly two and a half hours. The script is rather amateurish, with situations ranging from simplistic to preposterous, including a scene featuring an escape from a firing squad that is laughably ludicrous.