Jean-Pierre Melville’s masterpiece about the French Resistance against the Nazi occupation went unreleased in the United States for thirty-seven years, before its triumphant theatrical debut in 2006.
Atmospheric and gripping, Army of Shadows is Melville’s most personal film, featuring Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, and the incomparable Simone Signoret as intrepid underground fighters who must grapple with their own brand of honor in their battle against Hitler´s regime.
| Extra: |
| Audio commentary by film historian Ginette Vincendeau |
| New interviews with Lhomme and editor Francoise Bonnot |
| Archival video excerpts, including on-set footage and interviews with Melville, cast members, writer Joseph Kessel, and real-life Resistance fighters |
| Jean-Pierre Melville et "L´Armee des ombres (2005), a short program on the director and his film |
| Le journal de la Resistance (1944), a rare short documentary shot on the front lines of the final days of German-occupied France |
| PLUS: a booklet featuring critic Amy Taubin, historian Robert O. Paxton, and excerpts from Rui Nogueira´s Melville On Melville |
