Army of Shadows

Philippe Gerbier is arrested by Vichy French police on suspicion of Resistance activity. Although he is acquitted due to lack of evidence, he is still sent to an internment camp. There, he and a young Communist begin quietly working on an escape plan.

Gerbier and a fellow prisoner work on an escape plan, but before they can act, he is transported to Paris. While waiting to be questioned by the Gestapo, he kills a guard and escapes, slipping away into the city to avoid capture.

In Marseille, Gerbier, Lepercq, Vermersch, and Ullmann trick Paul Dounat into meeting them. They take him to a house but find the neighboring house is newly occupied, so they cannot use their guns. Lacking a decent knife, they strangle their former associate.

Félix Lepercq meets his old friend Jean-François Jardie in a bar and recruits the risk-loving former pilot to join the Resistance. The recruitment expands the group's capabilities and daring.

On a mission toward Paris, Jean-François visits his older brother Luc, who appears to live a detached life. The group helps evacuate Allied soldiers to London via a submarine from the Mediterranean coast to Gibraltar. It is revealed that the 'Big Boss' is actually Luc.

In London, Gerbier tries to secure additional support from Free French leadership. Meanwhile, Luc is decorated by Charles de Gaulle for his covert work.

News breaks that Félix has been arrested by the Gestapo, prompting Gerbier to cut his trip short and parachute back into the French countryside to continue the fight.

Mathilde, a Parisian housewife and Resistance member, moves down to Lyon to run Gerbier's Resistance cell. She demonstrates capability and quickly becomes a central organizer, earning trust from her comrades.

Mathilde, Le Masque, and Le Bison attempt to rescue Félix from Gestapo custody disguised as Germans using a forged transfer order. The plan collapses when a prison doctor deems Félix unfit for transport, leaving him barely alive.

After the failed rescue, Jean-François writes a letter of resignation and anonymously informs the Gestapo, ensuring he will be jailed alongside Félix. His action is meant to shield others from exposure and arrest, a calculated sacrifice.

Despite his own injuries, Jean-François quietly gives Félix his cyanide pill. He understands that capture would force Félix to name others, so he chooses to spare him from torture. Félix accepts the pill to avoid torture and exposure.

Gerbier is ambushed in a raid by Vichy police and handed over to the Germans. He hides in an abandoned farmhouse for a month while the situation remains dangerous for the Resistance.

During a machine-gun volley, Gerbier runs toward the wall, and Mathilde and Le Bison throw smoke bombs to blind the guards and a rope to help him climb to safety. He escapes with the group into the surrounding countryside.

In a final arrangement, Luc accompanies the group to Paris, where they locate Mathilde on the street and Le Bison shoots her twice before they drive away. The closing text reveals that all four men were captured and died within less than a year, with Gerbier’s fate noted as 'on 13 February 1944, he decided not to run this time'.