Army of Shadows (L'Armee Des Ombres)

This semi-fictional Jean-Pierre Melville film about the French underground resistance and their struggles against Nazi occupation during WWII, originally released in 1969, was not made available to foreign, English speaking audiences until 2006 (hence its placement on many critics' top ten films of that year). Army of Shadows, though perhaps a bit long (in shots and story), is worth watching for a number of reasons, including - but not limited to - bowler-topped heroes, sadistic humor, no irrelevant cuts, and historical significance. In other words, this film is well directed, well acted, and well edited with a compelling storyline, which is much more than can be said for most contemporary cinema. One scene stands out as particularly demonstrative: After escaping the clutches of his Gestapo interrogators, the protagonist runs down the curfew emptied street, ducking into the first lit establishment he finds himself in a barber shop. He asks for a shave and a painfully quiet, slow scene unfolds. As an audience member you find yourself in uneasy anticipation, uncertain if he'll survive, flinching with each pass of the razor scraping over his throat. Army of Shadows is well done and worth the hype - a not to be missed piece of French cinematic history.

IMPORTANT!
4 out of 5
Buy this film: Army of Shadows - Criterion Collection

Plot: 4
Imagery: 4
Originality: 4
Soundtrack: 3
Overall:4