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The most personal film by the underworld poet Jean-Pierre Melville, who had participated in the French Resistance himself, this tragic masterpiece, based on a novel by Joseph Kessel, recounts the struggles and sacrifices of those who fought in the Resistance. Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, and the incomparable Simone Signoret star as intrepid underground fighters who must grapple with their conception of honor in their battle against Hitler’s regime. Long underappreciated in France and unseen in the United States, the atmospheric and gripping thriller Army of Shadows is now widely recognized as the summit of Melville’s career, channeling the exquisite minimalism of his gangster films to create an unsparing tale of defiance in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES • High-definition digital restoration, supervised by director of photography Pierre Lhomme, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack • Alternate 2.0 surround soundtrack, presented in DTS-HD Master Audio • Audio commentary from 2006 featuring film scholar Ginette Vincendeau • Interviews from 2007 with Lhomme and editor Françoise Bonnot • On-set footage and excerpts from archival interviews with director Jean-Pierre Melville, cast members, author Joseph Kessel, and real-life Resistance fighters • Jean-Pierre Melville et “L’armée des ombres” (2005), a short program on the director and his film • Le journal de la Résistance (1944), a rare short documentary shot on the front lines during the final days of the German occupation of France • Restoration demonstration by Lhomme • Trailers • PLUS: An essay by critic Amy Taubin, along with a piece by historian Robert O. Paxton and excerpts from Rui Nogueira’s Melville on Melville

Description

From Jean-Pierre Melville, the legendary director of Bob Le Flambeur, Le Deuxième Souffle, Le Cercle Rouge and Un Flic, comes this highly influential film noir classic. The backstabbing criminals in the shadowy underworld of Le Doulos have only one guiding principle: “Lie or die.” A stone-faced Jean-Paul Belmondo (Classe Tous Risques) stars as enigmatic gangster Silien, who may or may not be responsible for squealing on Faugel (Serge Reggiani, Army of Shadows), just released from the slammer and already involved in what should have been a simple heist. By the end of this brutal, twisty, and multilayered policier, who will be left to trust? Shot and edited with Melville’s trademark cool and featuring masterfully stylized dialogue and performances, Le Doulos (slang for an informant) is one of the filmmaker’s most gripping crime films. Co-starring Jean Desailly (Un Flic) and Michel Piccoli (Max and the Junkmen), written by Melville, from the best-selling novel by Pierre Lesou (The Cop) and beautifully shot in glorious black-and-white by Nicolas Hayer (Le Corbeau). Special Features: • UHD SDR Master by StudioCanal – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative • Audio Commentary by Film Historian Samm Deighan • Melville - The Demon Within Him: Interview with First Assistant Director Volker Schlöndorff (29:34) • Birth of the Detective Story Melville Style: Documentary (32:46) • Theatrical Trailer • In French with Optional English Subtitles

Description

A 4K Restoration! From Jean-Pierre Melville, the legendary director of Bob Le Flambeur, Léon Morin, Priest, Le Cercle Rouge and Un Flic. The backstabbing criminals in the shadowy underworld of Le Doulos have only one guiding principle: “Lie or die.” A stone-faced Jean-Paul Belmondo (Le Professionnel) stars as enigmatic gangster Silien, who may or may not be responsible for squealing on Faugel (Serge Reggiani, Les Aventuriers), just released from the slammer and already involved in what should have been a simple heist. By the end of this brutal, twisty, and multilayered policier, who will be left to trust? Shot and edited with Melville’s trademark cool and featuring masterfully stylized dialogue and performances, Le Doulos (slang for an informant) is one of the filmmaker’s most gripping crime dramas. Screenplay by Melville, adapted from the best-selling novel by Pierre Lesou (Un Condé), with top-notch cinematography by Nicolas Hayer (Le Corbeau). Special Features: -Audio Commentary by Film Historian Samm Deighan -The Demon Within Him: Interview with First Assistant Director Volker Schlöndorff -Birth of the Detective Story Melville Style - Documentary -Theatrical Trailer