Wednesday 1 September 2010

(500) Films of Empire - Day 351

214 - Army Of Shadows - 3 stars
There is a scene near the start of the film that shows the reality of what it takes to kill someone. Having found the traitor in the group, three men take him to a hideout to kill him. But they find out that if they shoot him then the neighbours could hear the gunfire. They then debate how to kill him, perhaps by knife - no, too long and too messy, so they finally opt for strangling him. All throughout the debate, the victim is forced to listen to them talk about the method, while he slowly weeps in the corner. The other men forced to kill him go through a whole range of emotions until the task is complete.
It is an outstanding scene, similar to one in Torn Curtain, and is the highlight of an otherwise slightly cold and bleak take on the French Resistance during WWII.
To match the mood of the film, the cinematography has a washed-out look that is full of blues and greys. Performances were good but the cold feel of the film kept me at a distance, making it feel more like a document of events rather than opening up the characters to empathy from the audience.

Days remaining - 14 Films remaining - 14

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