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Army of Shadows

Original title: L'armée des ombres
  • 19691969
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 2h 25m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
23K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Simone Signoret and Lino Ventura in L'armée des ombres (1969)
Trailer for Army Of Shadows
Play trailer1:48
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • War

An account of underground resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied France.An account of underground resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied France.An account of underground resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied France.

IMDb RATING
8.1/10
23K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Jean-Pierre Melville
  • Writers
    • Joseph Kessel(novel)
    • Jean-Pierre Melville(adaptation)
  • Stars
    • Lino Ventura
    • Paul Meurisse
    • Jean-Pierre Cassel
Top credits
  • Director
    • Jean-Pierre Melville
  • Writers
    • Joseph Kessel(novel)
    • Jean-Pierre Melville(adaptation)
  • Stars
    • Lino Ventura
    • Paul Meurisse
    • Jean-Pierre Cassel
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 112User reviews
    • 143Critic reviews
    • 99Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 wins & 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Army of Shadows
    Trailer 1:48
    Army of Shadows

    Photos191

    Paul Crauchet and Lino Ventura in L'armée des ombres (1969)
    Lino Ventura in L'armée des ombres (1969)
    Paul Crauchet in L'armée des ombres (1969)
    Simone Signoret in L'armée des ombres (1969)
    Lino Ventura in L'armée des ombres (1969)
    Alain Mottet and Lino Ventura in L'armée des ombres (1969)
    Paul Crauchet, Alain Libolt, and Lino Ventura in L'armée des ombres (1969)
    Paul Crauchet, Alain Libolt, Claude Mann, and Lino Ventura in L'armée des ombres (1969)
    Lino Ventura in L'armée des ombres (1969)
    L'armée des ombres (1969)
    Jean-Pierre Cassel in L'armée des ombres (1969)
    L'armée des ombres (1969)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Lino Ventura
    Lino Ventura
    • Philippe Gerbieras Philippe Gerbier
    Paul Meurisse
    Paul Meurisse
    • Luc Jardieas Luc Jardie
    Jean-Pierre Cassel
    Jean-Pierre Cassel
    • Jean François Jardieas Jean François Jardie
    Simone Signoret
    Simone Signoret
    • Mathildeas Mathilde
    Claude Mann
    Claude Mann
    • Claude Ullmann dit 'Le Masque'as Claude Ullmann dit 'Le Masque'
    Paul Crauchet
    Paul Crauchet
    • Felix Lepercqas Felix Lepercq
    Christian Barbier
    • Guillaume Vermersch dit 'Le Bison'as Guillaume Vermersch dit 'Le Bison'
    Serge Reggiani
    Serge Reggiani
    • The hairdresseras The hairdresser
    André Dewavrin
    • Colonel Passyas Colonel Passy
    Alain Dekok
    • Legrainas Legrain
    Alain Mottet
    • Commander of the campas Commander of the camp
    Alain Libolt
    • Paul Dounatas Paul Dounat
    Jean-Marie Robain
    Jean-Marie Robain
    • Baron de Ferte Talloireas Baron de Ferte Talloire
    Albert Michel
    • Gendarmas Gendarm
    Denis Sadier
    • Gestapo's doctoras Gestapo's doctor
    Georges Sellier
    • Colonel Jarret du Plessisas Colonel Jarret du Plessis
    Marco Perrin
    Marco Perrin
    • Octave Bonnafousas Octave Bonnafous
    Hubert de Lapparent
    • Aubert, Pharmacienas Aubert, Pharmacien
    • Director
      • Jean-Pierre Melville
    • Writers
      • Joseph Kessel(novel)
      • Jean-Pierre Melville(adaptation)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    France, 1942, under German occupation. Philippe Gerbier, a civil engineer, is a French Resistance commandant. Denounced by a French collaborator, he is interned in a concentration camp. He manages to escape, and rejoins his network in Marseille, where he has the traitor executed. This movie reveals rigorously and austerely what life was like in the French Resistance: the solitude and fear of its members; their relationships with one another; the constant threat of arrest by the Gestapo; the Resistance command structure and the way its orders were carried out. Head writer Joseph Kessel and co-writer/director Jean-Pierre Melville were both veterans of the "Shadow Army". —Yepok
    • armed resistance
    • french resistance
    • political prisoner
    • nazism
    • espionage
    • 208 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Betrayal. Loyalty. Collaboration. Resistance.
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • War
    • Certificate
      • Not Rated
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      During the shooting of this film, Lino Ventura and director Jean-Pierre Melville did not speak to each other; they only communicated through assistants.
    • Goofs
      In the London WWII sequence, double yellow lines are visible on the road. These were only introduced in the UK in 1956 and didn't become common until the 1960s; a few of the street signs have a style not known before the 1960s.
    • Quotes

      Philippe Gerbier: See you later, Comrade.

      Legrain: ...You're a communist?

      Philippe Gerbier: No. But I can still have comrades.

    • Connections
      Featured in Mémoires pour Simone (1986)
    • Soundtracks
      Symphony No. 41 (Jupiter)
      (uncredited)

      Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    User reviews112

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Heroism in its ugly glory, as history tells it
    Based on truth, the Army in the Shadows takes the French men and women of the Resistance as its theme, at a point near the end of the war when the Resistance movement and Nazi intelligence about its work and staff are both firmly established. As well as giving a thrilling history lesson in the workings of the Resistance, from the rural ladies who operated safe houses, to the chateaux-dwelling aristocrats whose lawns played host to light aircraft smuggling collaborators in and out of France, it also is a fascinating essay on the gruesome realities of heroism: including moments of hopelessness and complete failure of nerve. Events test our group of collaborators, so that each one bumps up against his or her personal limit, as to what they are intelligent enough to understand, brave enough to endure, and determined enough to achieve. Excellently acted and directed, it is a classic uncompromising Melville thriller.
    helpful•42
    2
    • rory-campbell
    • Feb 12, 2008

    FAQ1

    • What is the name of the book this movie is based upon?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 19, 1970 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • Italy
    • Languages
      • French
      • German
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Army of Shadows
    • Filming locations
      • Bunker de l'armée, Saint-Cyr-l'Ecole, Yvelines, France
    • Production companies
      • Les Films Corona
      • Fono Roma
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $771,956
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $12,620
      • Apr 30, 2006
    • Gross worldwide
      • $840,830
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 25 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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