what a way to spend a resistance
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jacobmax — 19 years ago(March 02, 2007 01:14 AM)
I saw this film last week and felt the exact same thing. I enjoyed the film quite a bit, but the actual "resistance" depicted in the film is laughable. It's strange, because Melville is certainly interested in the futility of their cause. He just never really presents them fighting for that cause.
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conductor71-2 — 17 years ago(August 05, 2008 10:18 AM)
It's strange, because Melville is certainly interested in the futility of their cause. He just never really presents them fighting for that cause.
However "strange" it may seem to you, that was the reality of the French resistance during the period depicted in the film. All they could do is to report informations to London where De Gaule was, and who back then was not yet getting enough supports from the Allies. I think they even mention that in the film itself, in the London sequence featuring the real "Colonel Passy."
On the other hand, Melville here is clearly interested in the moral and philosophical, more intellectual aspects of the inner resistance, and not the resistance as a political nationalist myth that it has become after the end of the war. However, there is one sequence depicting the actual contribution they made to the cause of liberating France; the Baron allowing them to use his terrain as a landing ground for airplanes. That by itself must have served a lot. -
Arnold1502 — 19 years ago(March 18, 2007 11:49 AM)
Anti-american talk from Europeans how original.
Remember, the war wasn't coming to us. It was a major decision, and when we did come in, we did win it. So thanks would be nice. Oddly enough when we go in to help other people - Iraqis - you guys go up in arms.
Anyway. Melville's best film. And the resistance is shown as it was. Melville knows first hand. The fight wasn't in the battlefields, but in information, and sabotage. -
JohnnyFrench — 18 years ago(May 14, 2007 09:13 AM)
What decision ? Japan attacked your fleet on december 7th, 1941, and Germany declared war on you on december 11th. So America entered into war because it was forced to do it.
And, frankly, four years after the beginning of the war in Iraq, I wouldn't mention it as a liberation war. -
RDrrr — 18 years ago(August 15, 2007 08:10 PM)
If we're going to nitpick (since Germany wasn't exactly storming onto US shores)
According to the German declaration of war:
"On September 11, 1941, the President of the United States publicly declared that he had ordered the American Navy and Air Force to shoot on sight at any German war vessel. In his speech of October 27, 1941, he once more expressly affirmed that this order was in force. Acting under this order, vessels of the American Navy, since early September 1941, have systematically attacked German naval forces. Thus, American destroyers, as for instance the Greer, the Kearney and the Reuben James, have opened fire on German sub-marines according to plan. The Secretary of the American Navy, Mr. Knox, himself confirmed that-American destroyers attacked German submarines."
..
Yes frankly, Iraq is a mess, always has been always will be, but we liberated Sadaam well enough. -
kayaker36 — 12 years ago(November 20, 2013 05:36 PM)
As I heard it, France didn't go to war against Nazi Germany with any great elan, either. How long did the drole de guerre (phony war) go on before the Germans attacked westward in May, 1940?
["We have all strength enough to bear the misfortunes of others./"]
La Rochefoucault -
harkness78 — 18 years ago(May 28, 2007 04:24 PM)
Blah blah blah. Us yanks are so stupid. If we enter a war to help someone, were stupid ignorant dicks just 50 years later. Good thing we stopped the germans huh? I love Europe and think our country is making lots of bad decisions. And that is what the vast majority of Americans think and feel.
Is this clear and understood? Hopefully so, because then I can get back to writing about how much the French Resistance sucked in Army of Shadows (not in real life, they kicked ass back in the day). This film's resistance couldn't resist a wet paper bag. They just sat around getting arrested and then shot the arrested once they got out. Tres bon! They killed more french than german. Thats how you win a war. If only Al Quedia were so efficent. -
gbr-8 — 18 years ago(June 07, 2007 04:24 AM)
This movie is about the activities of the LEADERS of the Rsistance, not about the ground fighters'. That's why there are no scenes of bravoury against the enemy depicted in this movie (although the showing of the tortures lead by the Gestapo already renders quite well what resistance was all about).
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AhaVanuR_24 — 18 years ago(November 05, 2007 10:10 PM)
You're acting like a bit of an a$$hole, hannah. He/She has a valid point of the people in the Resistance not actually accomplishing much. THat's not to insult their characters or the French Resistance, it's more Melville's point about the fighter's persistence in the face of futility. There's really no need to condescend to the poster like that.
Now then, you sound like you know Melville's films pretty thoroughly, and I'd like to see more of his work. Which of his films do you think is must-see?
Believe me, you don't want Hannibal Lecter inside your head." -
RDrrr — 18 years ago(August 15, 2007 08:20 PM)
As an 'American', I find the post title and your 'amusement' to be trivializing of the subject. Otherwise what? the movie needs scenes of shooting and exploding to make its point? As mentioned elsewhere, these weren't the 'foot soldiers' of the Resistance movie was about 'administration, those who arranged for supplies and rescues, obviously. What's wrong with that
One of the more interesting parts was it seemed that the brothers didn't know each other were working in the Resistance. And it seemed the younger brother purposely got himself caught to help his friend Felix with whom he had flown
Perhaps. -
deeveed — 16 years ago(April 22, 2009 12:09 PM)
And that's the idea isn't it? Ordinary French people doing what they did even not knowing where they stood as group in the face of the German occupiers. The Resistance,in its essence,was just the sum of each individual who was willing to simply say "no" and act on it. No talk of heroics or awards or praise. It was all just individual action coming from their consciences to see the Germans
out of France.