Every year, some movie that most people have never heard of shows up on critics' 10-best list. But last year, more than a few included a movie called "Army of Shadows" — not to be confused with Sam Raimi's "Army of Darkness" — which was not some tiny independent drama or documentary that could be seen only at film festivals. Though it is of foreign provenance, it is the work of a duly acclaimed director.

The hitch? "Army of Shadows," directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, had an official release date of 1969. Unlike most of Melville's movies, this drama about a civil engineer, who like thousands of French men and women joined the underground Resistance in World War II, had never received an official United States release. So to anyone who didn't see it overseas, it was a new movie.

"Army" can now be appreciated by all via DVD (Criterion Collection) and it proves to be one of those rare "lost" films that more than lives up to its reputation. It's certainly the equal of well-known and acclaimed Melville crime thrillers such as "Le Cercle Rouge" and decidedly more passionate and personal, probably because Melville was involved with the Resistance. Lino Ventura plays one volunteer who was given no heroic assignment; he is cooking for his cell when he is ratted out by a neighbor and sent to a prison camp. Once imprisoned, he becomes fixated on discovering who betrayed him and on plotting revenge.

The restoration of the film was supervised by its cinematographer Pierre Lhomme, and the soundtrack has received a 2.0 Dolby upgrade. Extras on the two-disc set include interviews with Lhomme; on-set interviews with Melville and Resistance members; documentaries about the film and the Resistance; and the usual informative Criterion booklet of essays and book excerpts.

'PAN'S LABYRINTH'

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences can't be as stuffy and conservative as argued if they could reward the imagination and craftsmanship of "Pan's Labyrinth" (New Line), whose director Guillermo del Toro was clearly surprised and elated to accept three Oscars at this year's ceremony.

Rightly described by one critic as fairy tale for grown-ups, it's about a little girl who discovers a secret, fantastic world in the woods near the army outpost where her pregnant mother brings her to live with her new husband, a military officer, in 1940s fascist Spain. It's beautiful and truly frightening, filled with implication and mystery. The two-disc "Platinum Edition" includes a scene-setting prologue by the director along with a commentary track worth hearing, del Toro's "Charlie Rose Show" interview, making-of featurettes and a look at the amazing storyboards. There's also a single-disc, no-frills version ($28.98). It is not, unfortunately, available in Blu-ray.

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"The Dead Girl" (First Look), an involving drama in which a girl's death is explored in seven intersecting stories, was sent to awards groups for consideration late last year. But despite the able direction of Karen Moncrieff ("Blue Car") and a fine cast, it never had a theatrical release in many cities.

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