Lesser-known 'masterpiece' on Amazon Prime is 'mix of war film and gangster thriller'

A "masterpiece" war film is hailed by fans for its "unbearable tension" and is highly rated on Rotten Tomatoes. Army of Shadows (1969) follows a group of Resistance fighters during the Nazi occupation of France in the World War Two.

Inspired by classic American gangster films, it depicts a brutal hidden world of suspicion - even among Allies - and the constant threat of capture and death.

Written and directed by iconic French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville, the film was adapted from Joseph Kessel's novel of the same name (1943) which is partly based on Kessel's own experiences in the French Resistance.

Fans praised the tension Melville builds, and the fittingly "understated" performances of the cast.

One Audience Reviewer said: "One gets the immediate sense that one is watching a masterpiece. The restoration is almost as much of a marvel as the film itself. Melville draws on his real-life experience to make the plot and characters layered, and everything just rings true.

"By the end, I want the movie to continue, but then the final text proves me wrong: I'm made happy that Melville knew where to stop.

"It's simply a masterwork of cinema, not just a landmark of French film history."

Another said: "This is not a film, this is a remorseless testimony." They added that Army of Shadows "will mark you like (very) few films".

"Never did I see such a cold-blooded way to shoot a film, and never did I see such unbearable tension. No one but Kessel could have written it, and no one but Melville have directed it I guess."

Another fan on IMDb said: Melville is blending the tension of a gangster thriller with the moral complexities of war
The film is stripped of any romanticised notions of heroism.

"Instead, it focuses on the quiet, internal struggles of its characters, people who must live in constant fear, where the line between friend and enemy often blurs.

"Visually, Army of Shadows is breathtaking. Melville's attention to detail, from the muted color palette to the precise framing, transforms the grim realities of occupied France into something almost poetic.

"But it's the humanity of the characters that lingers the longest. The acting is understated yet powerful, grounding the film in deep emotional realism.

They went on to hail the movie as "probably the most compelling war film ever made, not for its explosions, but for its quiet devastation".

The film is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 97% score on the site's Tomatometer (which reflects the percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics given it a positive review).

It's also highly rated among the general viewers, with a 93% Popcornmeter score.

Army of Shadows is available to rent or buy on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.