It’s testament to the incredible fortitude and heroism of WWII that nary a month goes by without some tale of hitherto unknown valour reaching our screens, and Robert Guédiguian’s drama continues the trend with an angry take on events in the French Resistance.
Lurking in dingy Paris back alleys, the ‘Army of Crime’ takes its name from a Vichy government poster decrying their activities, ordinary men and women –for the most part Jewish Communists – driven to extraordinary lengths by the occupying German forces.
While the foreign resistance fighter’s story is gripping, with some involving and extremely tense action as they risk death disrupting the French police efforts to round up errant Jews, the film unfortunately suffers from a drastic lack of characterisation. In such an up close and personal take on events this is a fatal flaw; the lack of distinguishing characteristics leads to confusion, and despite the undeniable heroism of the movement, it occasionally becomes impersonal and hard to empathise.
In its favour, the film is uncompromising, not afraid to show the cowardice and corruption inherent in the Vichy government and its puppet police rounding up their own citizenry, while the show trial denouement is extraordinarily tense.
It falls short of greatness because of it’s refusal to involve you personally with the participants, their motivations ultimately painted in the broadest of strokes, but it’s still another valuable addition to the ongoing cinematic WWII history lesson.
