Army of Shadows12A

Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville | France | 1969 | 2h 25m | French w/ English subtitles | Starring Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Simone Signoret, Claude Mann

In 1942, a group of French resistance fighters band together to battle against the Nazis in German-controlled Marseilles. But as the war continues and the grip of the occupying force tightens, loyalty and trust give way to secrecy and suspicion. Drawing on his own experiences as part of the French Resistance in World War II, Jean-Pierre Melville’s masterfully tense thriller channels the atmospheric minimalism of his earlier gangster films while honouring the bravery of the resistance fighters.

Classic Season: Vive La Resistance

Reviews

‘Rarely has a film shown so truly that place in the heart where hope lives with fatalism.’
★★★★★
Roger Ebert

‘Melville handles with consummate cinematic mastery the suspenseful set-pieces.’
★★★★★
Tom Dawson, BBC

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We showed Army of Shadows between June 16, 2024 and June 17, 2024.

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Today (Thursday 8th October)
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13:30

De Gaulle: Résistance 15
2h 38m | French w/ English subtitles
June 1940: France has fallen. Army general Charles de Gaulle refuses to accept defeat, fleeing to London to rally resistance. Simon Russell Beale plays Churchill in this internationally cast first chapter of Antonin Baudry's two-part historical epic. x§

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18:30

Bad Apples 15
1h 41m
A teacher at a struggling school kidnaps her most disruptive pupil and locks him in her basement, then watches the rest of the class flourish. Saoirse Ronan stars in this satirical black comedy about how doing the wrong thing sometimes gives the right result.

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21:00

MISSNOMA Women’s DJ Collective N/A
The Oxford-based women’s DJ collective MISSNOMA, is joining forces with the UPP cinema to hold a unique listening-room session featuring DJs Zahra Haji Fath Ali Tehrani, Lily London, and Martha, powered by Oxford-based FLOW soundsystem.

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Tomorrow (Friday 9th October)
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14:00

De Gaulle: Liberté 15
2h 39m | French w/ English subtitles
June 1940: France has fallen and signed an armistice with Germany. With no army, no backing and little hope, General de Gaulle gambles everything to convince the world France's fight isn't over. Part two of Antonin Baudry's historical epic.

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17:30

Sense and Sensibility U
2h 12m
Mrs Dashwood and her daughters lose their Sussex home to her stepson and move to a Devon cottage, finding love and heartbreak. Georgia Oakley (Blue Jean) directs Jane Austen's story, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Fiona Shaw and George MacKay.

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20:30

Babystar 12A
1h 38m | German w/ English subtitles
Luca has been an influencer since birth, and her parents live off her income. As they consider having another child, performing for strangers starts to break her. Maja Bons gives a breakout performance in Joscha Bongard's unsettling debut.

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