Not deserving of its reputation
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Army of Shadows
buff-29 — 19 years ago(June 19, 2006 09:35 PM)
This movie is well put together and the acting is uniformly fine, but the story is so fanciful that it borders on the silly. When the resistance fighter wants to get a message to a jailed colleague, he gets himself arrested and put in the same cell as his buddy. Oh sure, that'd work. The Gestapo was always nice about that. The big escape scene is ludicrous, with resistance fighters dropping a rope to their comrades (who face a Gestapo machine gun) so they can climb out. A joke, really. But it is packing 'em in at the Film Forum in New York. There is no accounting for it.
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this_seat_taken — 19 years ago(July 21, 2006 11:57 PM)
An old movie called "Soldier of Orange" is similar to this, and I couldn't tell you which is better. But since one is directed by Melville and the other by Verhoeven, you know which film gets more respect.
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oOgiandujaOo_and_Eddy_Merckx — 19 years ago(July 22, 2006 04:02 PM)
ok this movie is very autobiographical, Melville was in the resistance, your comment is actually insane. this movie is as close to reality as you are gonna get. soldier of orange is also a ludicrously good movie, but doesnt have the same authenticity.
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marcus_barnett — 19 years ago(July 23, 2006 03:12 PM)
soldaat van oranje is bloody amazing, probably my favourite movie of all time. also, it's not an 'autobiographical piece', as jean pierre melville was in the free french forces, not the french resistance - the two were wildly different. if captured by the germans, free frenchmen were treated as prisoners of war. however, resistance members were considered unprotected by the geneva convention and were harshly beaten and executed. However, he based the film on Joseph Kessel's novel of his time in the resistance (Kessel is the fictional Philippe Gerbier).
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oOgiandujaOo_and_Eddy_Merckx — 18 years ago(June 16, 2007 12:45 PM)
It is based on a novel, yes. But wouldn't you have thought that Melville had some sort of acuity for this subject, what with having fought with the Free French. At least some of his experiences have impacted on this movie. In that sense it is autobiographical.
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dayode714 — 19 years ago(August 02, 2006 09:17 AM)
I agree, as well, the notion that the simone signoret character mathilde would be so stupid as to keep her daughter's photo in her possession seems completely out of character. Not a bad movie, but not great by any means
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jriley555 — 19 years ago(August 29, 2006 08:26 PM)
just saw this at the local art cinema.
it was compelling, visually enthralling. on the history, however
it seemed rather flat. showing the resistance, outside of the context of the collaboration, did not ring true.
there can be no doubt that some people of enormous courage operated in such dire circumstances. just wish the palette was full. it would show their heroism more distincly.
but a damn good film. -
helaine2-1 — 19 years ago(October 03, 2006 12:14 AM)
Hello I read your post and I try to answer ( sorry for my English). You missed an important point : collaborationists are everywhere in this film. For example, Gerbier is arrested in the restaurant by the milicia of Vichy .
Best regards. -
Jackleton — 19 years ago(September 16, 2006 06:17 PM)
""This movie is well put together and the acting is uniformly fine, but the story is so fanciful that it borders on the silly. When the resistance fighter wants to get a message to a jailed colleague, he gets himself arrested and put in the same cell as his buddy. Oh sure, that'd work. The Gestapo was always nice about that. The big escape scene is ludicrous, with resistance fighters dropping a rope to their comrades (who face a Gestapo machine gun) so they can climb out. A joke, really. But it is packing 'em in at the Film Forum in New York. There is no accounting for it.""
what reputation?
only handfull of peoples non french saw this movie!
what's your point?
it's not a blockbuster to travel the world, just an autor filming a near documantary for his country mates!
L'arme des ombres is really for french peoples, foreigners couldn't understant it! -
turtlemom1 — 19 years ago(September 28, 2006 02:05 PM)
I just saw the film and was enthralled by it's spareness and noir mood.
The reality of the film is obvious to those who know their history of WW2. The resistance was plagued by paranoia and betrayal, yet many brave souls continued to participate, and many died. Their exploits are largely unknown, since anonymity was essential to survival, as this film made clear. If you were known, if you made a name for yourself, you were arrested and/or shot by the Nazis occupying France.
I was also impressed by the raw and real feel of the film some truly horrifying acts were played out as they might have really been without Hollywood bombastics. No need to show torture you saw the results and all else could be imagined [if modern audiences still have the capacity for using theirs].
Human history is mostly mundane and heroes often die unheralded. This film allows us to understand that reality. I think it's stunning. -
hiccough — 19 years ago(December 13, 2006 04:23 PM)
for those being tortured, which is mentioned a few minutes earlier. Whatsisname knew he'd be up for it, having turned himself in as resistance. It's funny that he didn't tell his comrades what he was doing though, since they wanted to let Felix know they were coming. What if, not knowing St John would do it, they'd tried something else, risky? Besides being heroic I don't see the point as long as he mentions that he had cyanide with him (so that they know they don't need to rescue him, as well).
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Krustallos — 19 years ago(January 09, 2007 08:03 AM)
I saw this film two or three decades back, before I knew it had a "reputation" and it's remained vividly with me ever since.
That tells me it's a pretty damn good movie, at the very least.
No heroics, just heroism.
I used to want to change the world. Now I just want to leave the room with a little dignity. -
cm300401 — 19 years ago(February 01, 2007 05:02 PM)
I saw this film two days ago. in the q&a session after the film, we had a french historian fill us in on the background of the resistance. The escape from the firing squad scene, which is admittedly one of the more fantastical scenes in the movie, actually happened. Or at least, was based on a real escape, considering all the characters are fictional.
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TheMadRemix — 19 years ago(February 28, 2007 08:26 PM)
I just saw this a week ago: I wholeheartedly agree: it's a solid, well-made film, but NOT deserving of the over-the-top praise people lavish on it.
"Guessing won't be nessecary, she informed me"
-Kill Bill vol. 1