Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Army of Crime Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 9, 2011

Robert Guédiguian's "L'armee du crime" a.k.a. "The Army of Crime" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer; interview with director Robert Guediguian, filmed at the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse during the Cambridge Film Festival; video interview with actors Virginie Ledoyen and Simon Abkarian; and gallery of stills. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Virginie Ledoyen as Mélinée Manouchian

German-Armenian director Robert Guediguian's latest film is set during WWII and tells the story of a group of young communists, most born and raised outside of France, who sacrifice their lives for the country they love. Before they are executed in 1944, their faces are inset on a large red poster that is consequently placed on the walls of every city in the country. The Nazis label them as "The Army of Crime."

Armenian poet Missak Manouchian (Simon Abkarian, I Saw Ben Barka Get Killed) is the leader of the group. He does not like killing, but after the Nazis begin rounding up and sending French Jews to the death camps, he decides that he can no longer be an observer. Missak is the oldest man in the group.

Melinee (Virginie Ledoyen Late August, Early September), Missak's wife, loves her husband dearly. She suspects that Missak and his friends are responsible for many of the explosions and killings of Nazi personnel throughout Paris and prays that the war comes to an end soon. Melinee also understands that Missak ignores most of her questions because he wants to protect her.

Thomas (Gregoire Leprince-Ringuet, The Beautiful Person) is a young and passionate Marxist who knows how to deal with explosives. Together with his friend Marcel (Robinson Stevenin, The Colonel), he is responsible for some of the boldest and deadliest attacks on Nazi personnel in Paris.

Monique (Lola Naymark, Sequins) is in love with Marcel and wants to be with him as much as possible. But between planning attacks with Thomas and carrying them out, Marcel hardly has any time left for her.

Inspector Pujol (Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Conversations with my Gardener) has realized that it is better to collaborate with the Nazis than fight them. To earn their respect, he provides them with valuable information about the whereabouts of wanted resistance fighters. Eventually, he is offered a promotion. He accepts it and meets Monique, who agrees to sleep with him if he promises to save Marcel.

Robert Guediguian's The Army of Crime reminded me about Rachid Bouchareb's Days of Glory. Both films tell stories about foreigners sacrificing their lives to liberate the country they love. In Boucgareb's film thousands of Algerian soldiers are summoned to fight the Nazis in North Africa and, later on, Europe. In Guediguian's film a group of Armenians, Jews, Poles, Hungarians, Italians and Spaniards unite and begin terrorizing the Nazis in Paris. Both films are based on true stories.

The Army of Crime, however, is not as flamboyant as Days of Glory. Rather, it quietly examines the lives of its main characters as they gradually evolve into fearless freedom fighters. There are no loud political statements in the film either.

The enormous emphasis on detail as well as the film's unique episodic structure, however, can be quite overwhelming. Guediguian follows the main protagonists almost too closely, making it virtually impossible for the viewer to keep track of everything that takes place on the screen.

Nevertheless, the atmosphere in The Army of Crime is terrific. The gloomy streets of Paris, the secret group meetings, the Vicny regime propaganda broadcasts, the sudden explosions, everything is done exceptionally well.

The Army of Crime also boasts a very strong music soundtrack courtesy of award-winning composer Alexandre Desplat ( The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).

Note: In 2010, The Army of Crime won Étoile d'Or Award for Best Music Score (Alexandre Desplat).

Army of Crime Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Robert Guediguian's The Army of Crime arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

This is quite interesting. Though Kino Lorber's high-definition transfer has been struck from the same master Optimum Home Entertainment used to produce their Blu-ray release of The Army of Crime, their releases are not identical. Kino/Lorber's high-definition transfer is slightly cropped to 1.78:1, while Optimum Home Entertainment's high-definition transfer retains the film's original theatrical ratio of 1.85:1. This is hardly something to worry about, though, as the difference is more or less academic. Furthermore, there is a difference in the brightness levels between the two releases. Optimum Home Entertainment's high-definition transfer is slightly darker (some of the interrogation scenes are actually a bit too dark). Kino Lorber's high-definition transfer seems to have a slightly better balance in terms of brightness levels, even contrast levels. Again, though, the difference is marginal at best. As it was the case with Optimum Home Entertainment's release, edge-enhancement is never an issue of concern. Aliasing and artifacting do not plague the high-definition transfer either. Also, there are no traces of heavy noise reduction. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Army of Crime Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Kino Lorber have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

Alexandre Desplat's wonderful music score certainly benefits a great deal from the loseless treatment, enhancing the viewing experience quite well, though the French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track won't test the muscles of your audio system. Its strength is in the wide range of nuanced dynamics it boasts. The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and very easy to follow. Additionally, there are no pops, cracks, hissings, or audio dropouts to report in this review. The English translation is very good.

Army of Crime Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview: The Director - an interview with director Robert Guediguian, filmed at the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse during the Cambridge Film Festival on September 17, 2009. The French director answers a series of questions about the message of his film, his background and memories of the Resistance, and particularly the immigrant groups in it, the complex nature of the story, whether his film is an attempt to renew interest in left-wing values, etc. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (15 min, 1080i).

• Interview: The Actors - this interview was conducted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009. Virginie Ledoyen and Simon Abkarian discuss their characters, as well as specific historic events Robert Guediguian's film recreates. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (22 min, 1080i).

• Stills - a collection of stills from the film. (1080p).

• Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for The Army of Crime. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (2 min, 1080i).

• Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for Mademoiselle Chambon. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (2 min, 1080p).

• Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for Home. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (2 min, 1080p).

Army of Crime Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Robert Guediguian's The Army of Crime is a complex, well acted and terrifically lensed period film. It may, however, prove to be too rich for some viewers. On the other hand, if you strip its story of its period elements, and think about its message in a more contemporary context, it could be quite a fascinating experience. Think about it: Can immigrants be patriots? Kino Lorber's presentation of The Army of Crime is very strong, though some of the supplemental features that appear on the Optimum Home Entertainment Blu-ray are missing. RECOMMENDED.