My Grading System

A+ = Masterpiece (I hold back on this one.) / A = Great. / A- = Really Good. / B+ = Good. / B = Decent (Serviceable). / B- = Flawed but okay (For those times there's something redeeming about the work). / C+ = Not very good (Skip it). C = Bad. / C- = Awful. / F = Complete Disaster (I hold back on this one too).

Note on Spoilers: I will try to avoid ruining a story by going into too much detail. But if I wish to include some revealing points to my analysis I will try to remember to add a separate spoiler paragraph.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Army of Shadows (1969)

A honest yet fictional depiction of a freedom fighter during the French Resistance during WWII.  Philippe Gerbier might be one of the good guys but his cold, uncompromising relentlessness is just as harsh as the Nazis he fights.  Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, this film historically didn't find an audience until later.  It wasn't even released in the United States until 2006.  It's considered a masterpiece by many critics today.  While a little long, I did enjoy it.  The only problem I had with it was that it didn't have a strong narrative drive.  This isn't a French Resistance thriller but a drama and character study.   Yet there are some powerful scenes that will leave most shaken and pondering the paradox of using evil to fight evil for good.  Grade: A-   
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