Jean-Pierre Melville was the only filmmaker who understood first-hand the complexity of the wartime resistance effort. A member of the resistance himself, his experiences were directly brought to his early work, LE SILENCE DE LA MER (1949) and more directly to ARMY OF SHADOWS, his last work on the subject (1969). Here, he confronts the shifting nature of social mores and ideals in the face of war as he depicts an irresistible priest- Belmondo- and a widow who falls for him– in the setting of the total chaos of a progressing war. Melville’s aversion to telling moral tales makes his wartime stories feel truer and richer.

This July, we celebrate the great actor – and wildly popular action star – Jean-Paul Belmondo with a selection of his best work, both high-brow and low.