Army of Shadows

Now perhaps Melville’s best known film, this classic about the French Resistance went unreleased in the United States (like most of his films) for 37 years, until its triumphant theatrical debut in 2006. Atmospheric and gripping, Army of Shadows is Melville’s most personal film, featuring Lino Ventura (Le Deuxième Souffle), Paul Meurisse (The Monocle), Jean-Pierre Cassel (The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie), and the incomparable Simone Signoret (Les Diaboliques) as intrepid underground fighters who must overcome their conflicting ideologies in their battle against Hitler’s regime.