Army of Shadows (1969)

Title: Army of Shadows (1969)
Director/Writers: Jean-Pierre Melville/Joseph Kessel & Jean-Pierre Melville
Cast: Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Simone Signoret, Serge Reggiani, Claude Mann, and Christian Barbier.
Languages: French, with soft English subtitles.
Duration: 137 minutes.
Plot Outline: Unfolding with flawless precision, the plot begins in France in 1942 and focuses on a small, secretive band of Resistance fighters led by Gerbier (Lino Ventura), whose intuitive sense of danger lends additional suspense to the film's dark, atmospheric study of grace under pressure. While working in the classical tradition of the Hollywood films he admired, Melville breaks from convention with lengthy, deliberately paced scenes in which tension builds to a subtle yet almost unbearable intensity. Melville's visually and thematically bleak outlook may prove challenging for some, but Army of Shadows is remarkably beautiful in its own way, and it gains power with each additional viewing through flawless development of memorable characters played by a first-rate cast.

Awe-inspiring. Will almost certainly force me to rewatch/rethink Melville's other films. Great, great movie.

DVDRip. 2-CD release by PROMiSE.

Note: there was a CRC error with the archive I uploaded before, and that fact has only recently come to my attention. The files have since been replaced, and everything should work fine now. Sorry!

1.4 GB in one folder:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=145f51cb02c66a5a1686155677bb2685d2b9444ba89aebba