Army of Shadows and the Unforgiving Code of Jean-Pierre Melville
[Originally published in slightly different form on GreenCine in 2006, in conjunction with the belated theatrical release of Army of Shadows. I've revived it in conjunction with the NWFF revival showing of Army of Shadows as part of their "69" retrospective series.]
Jean-Pierre Melville is surely the ultimate cult auteur in the French cinema. Spiritual godfather [...]