Army of Shadows
Army of Shadows Image
Metascore
99

Universal acclaim - based on 24 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 75 Ratings

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  • Summary: Making its U.S. debut, Jean-Pierre Melville's 1969 Army of Shadows is an intimate epic of the French Resistance in WWII.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Newsweek
    Reviewed by: David Ansen
    100
    Infused with the bleak romanticism of Melville's gangster movies ("Le Samouraï," "Bob le Flambeur"), and deepened by his own experiences in the Resistance, this hard-bitten tribute to freedom fighters makes most current movies look flabby and undisciplined. Don't miss it.
  2. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Rosenbaum
    100
    A great film but also one of the most upsetting films I know.
  3. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    This restored 35mm print, now in art theaters around the country, may be 37 years old, but it is the best foreign film of the year.
  4. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Scott Foundas
    100
    The result is a brilliant and relentless thriller, painted in Melville's trademark shades of charcoal and midnight blue, marked by daring escapes, unimaginable moments of self-sacrifice and unconscionable acts of betrayal.
  5. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marjorie Baumgarten
    100
    Although made in 1969, this French masterpiece is receiving its first stateside release with a new print struck for the occasion.
  6. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    100
    The results bear witness to a time when sacrifice was bleached of everything but itself.
  7. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle
    75
    Everything Melville shows us, he shows us for a reason, and these reasons are never obscure but are rather pertinent to the action and to the moral movement of the world and the characters.

See all 24 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 37
  3. Negative: 1 out of 37
  1. LarryR.
    Dec 26, 2006
    10
    Certainly the best movie I've seen in 2006; one of the best in the past 5 years. From the opening shot to the haunting ending, I couldn't get the movie out of my mind for weeks.… Expand
  2. MatthewG.
    Dec 5, 2007
    10
    This film punched me in the chest and woke me up from my "modern cinema" induced coma. A masterpiece that captures humanity at it's best and worst.… Expand
  3. ClayC
    Sep 15, 2009
    10
    A truly great film. Your users that have given ARMY OF SHADOWS poor reviews seem not just ignorant of cinema, but, especially, ignorant of history. (They actually seem to be just plain ignorant, and very full of themselves.)… Expand
  4. brjorge2002
    Aug 20, 2010
    9
    The 99 metascore is a bit high, but the 8.1 user score is a bit low. This whole movie is very good, but there is one scene in particular (the attempt to break out a beaten associate) that really lives a strong feeling in the pit of your stomach.… Expand
  5. TimD.
    Oct 26, 2006
    8
    Stark, compelling, austere, engrossing, beautifully acted and directed. And, for me, about twenty minutes too long. If the running time had been more like two hours instead of 2:20, I would have given it a 10.… Expand
  6. JohnN.
    Jul 9, 2007
    6
    I kept hoping for the plot to move forward, but it never picked up pace. The acting and cinematography were top notched but the story, outside of 1 or 2 good scenes just didn't hold my attention for 2 1/2 hours. PS..Had trouble with the DeNiro and Shelly Winters French look alikes...!?… Expand
  7. AlyoshaM.
    Feb 15, 2008
    3
    I almost fell asleep watching this film. It has caused me to distrust the Metacritic ratings.

See all 37 User Reviews

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