Film Review: Army of Shadows

Army of Shadows. (aka Armee des Ombres.) Directed and Written by Jean Pierre Melville. Based on a novel by Joseph Kessel. Cast: Lino Ventura, Simone Signoret, Paul Meurisse, Jean Pierre Cassel, Claude Masure and Paul Crauchet. (1969)

Grim Film Is a True Masterpiece

Jean Pierre Melville’s film about the relationships of a small group of leaders of the French Resistance during World War II was finally released in this country in 2006.  It has been acclaimed as a masterpiece and deservedly so. It is grim, dark and extremely hard to watch.   It is one of the most important films I have ever seen and it has much to teach us about how we humans act when engaged in collective violence.

Melville, who was part of the French Resistance, focuses on the relationships among the leadership of the Resistance.  The Nazis are in the background, the enemy to be fought; the emphasis is on the challenges these characters have to meet. How do they carry out guerrilla warfare against the Nazis? They face the constant threat of arrest. Are they prepared to deal with torture? What will they do if one of them betrays the others?

French Resistance Faces Questions of Capture, Torture and Betrayal

The cell is tight-knit, the relationships based on trust and deep respect. Filmed in black and white, this adds to the atmosphere of foreboding. In an early scene the group executes one of their own who has betrayed the group. Later, when one member is captured the horrible result of his torture is shown.  In one excruciating scene arrested men are forced to run for their lives from a hail of machine gun bullets, a masquerade set up by the Nazis so that no one can win.

Film Makes Us Reflect on Questions of Terrorism

The gift of this film, for me, is to force us to reflect on our world today. At one point, a character says to a Nazi about one of the Resistance prisoners, “We’re here to pick up the terrorist.” My world turned upside down. Wait! The Nazis are the terrorists, the Resistance are the good guys! I reflected on this and saw that terrorism is in your point-of-view. There are 6.5 billion points of view in the world.  To the Israelis, Hamas and allied groups are terrorists. To Hamas and allied Palestinian groups, the IDF are terrorists. The terrorist is the one who is threatening or scaring you-period.

Moral Conundrums Inherent in Carrying Out Violent Resistance

During this film one of the Resistance leaders says with disgust, “We’re all a bunch of killers.” He is reflecting on the moral conundrum that has forced them into sacrificing someone they love, in order to protect the larger work of the Resistance. An infernal, impossible choice! Is the loss of soul, the stain on the heart of those fighting to resist worth it? We ask soldiers in war to witness and to carry out horrific acts and ask them not to talk about these things afterwards. No wonder they drink themselves to death, or suicide when they return!

Are the Wounds to the Soul from Armed Violence Worth It?

They cannot carry the memories alone. Perhaps it is better that so many of the members of the Resistance died, for to live with such memories might have been unbearable. There is no possibility for joy in living with such burdens on the heart and soul. Have members of other guerrilla armies, like Hamas or  the IRA, faced similar dilemmas as they fought against oppression and did they also become morally and corrupted by their violence? What about the other side, the powerful oppressors? Have they not been bankrupted by their use and abuse of power?

Do Humans Really Want to Live in Peace?

I come to one conclusion after watching this film —humans do not really want to live in peace—yet.   We are still justifying our use of armed violence because we believe that somehow, somewhere, sometimes it works. I am not convinced. What do you think?

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