Days of Glory (Indigènes)

Review by Steve Rogers

Production Year: 2006
DVD Release Date: June 12, 2007
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Director: Rachid Bouchareb
Cast: Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Roschdy Zem, Sami Bouajila
Genre: War
MPAA Rating: R
Widescreen Anamorphic, 2.35:1

Over the past decade there have been a deluge of movies dealing with World War II, covering almost every front fought in the war. As the trend has continued, less publicized subjects have been covered (Windtalkers, Letters from Iwo Jima), offering viewers insights into little known or buried chapters of the most catastrophic human event of the 20th Century. Rachid Bouchareb’s Days of Glory, documents the mostly unheralded contribution of North African soldiers who enlisted to help the French fight Nazi Germany. Its original title Indigènes (or “Natives”) more closely reflected the subject matter of the film, and it was deservedly recognized with an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film as Algeria’s official entry for 2006.

The film itself chronicles the wartime exploits of four foot soldiers from the then French colonies of Algeria and Morocco as they engage the Germans in battles from Italy to France, liberating towns and greeted as conquering heroes along the way. But the flip side of the coin is an unrelenting discrimination the Arabic men face from the very French army they are serving in. Fresh vegetable rations are restricted, they are rarely allowed promotion, and leave is granted only for white French soldiers. A romantic relationship between a French woman and one of the Arab soldiers is stifled by government censors who refuse to deliver mail sent by the lovers to each other. And yet the men never waver in the face of these insults, as they exhibit courage and dedication in battle after battle.

Bouchareb has constructed a taut, engaging film that deftly displays the horror of war as seen through the men’s eyes, and also establishes in no uncertain terms the sense of disappointment and anger experienced by these men as a result of their second class treatment. The performances by the lead actors are uniformly excellent and the action scenes grippingly realistic. The final battle in the movie, reminiscent in many ways of the final scenes of Saving Private Ryan, is every bit as convincing and expertly crafted as Spielberg’s masterly work in that D-Day epic. There are other parallels that can be drawn between Days of Glory and the American Civil War film Glory, but Bouchareb’s film stands on its own as a noble testament to another long forgotten band of brothers.

Video Quality

The anamorphic widescreen presentation offers a solid transfer highlighting Patrick Blossier’s impressive cinematography. There’s a wide range of outdoor scenes in this film, from bright and sunny mountainous landscapes to dense wooded areas covered in snow, and they are all faithfully rendered. Colors are accurately portrayed, whether the drab green and brown soldiers’ uniforms or the brilliant red and blues of the French flags. The video is superior in almost every category, with no grain or artifacts.

Audio Quality

The soundtrack is French/Arabic Dolby Digital 5.1 and it’s full of ambient effects that help bring this wartime story alive. Of course the surround effects are particularly noticeable during the action sequences and the final battle featured one of the more intensely realistic firefights I’ve yet to hear on a soundtrack. English and Spanish subtitles are available.

Special Features

The standard making of mini documentary offers interesting tidbits and insights into the production of the film. Apparently, with an all-Arab leading cast, the financing of the film was in doubt until noted French comedic star Jamel Debbouze signed on and effectively provided the additional financing needed. The attention to detail evinced by Bouchareb and his production team is noteworthy, with the director creating thousands of storyboards and even miniature models of the battles scenes prior to filming. There is also a short animated film by Bouchareb, The Colonial Friend, which explores themes similar to the feature film in its portrayal of injustices visited upon Senegalese veterans who fought for the French.

Summary

Days of Glory is a welcome addition to the recent canon of World War II movies attempting to portray that conflict in a more realistic light. Like Glory, it pays tribute to a group of men whose sacrifices had long been forgotten and obscured. And like Glory, it is a gripping, dramatic portrayal of war as it really was for those who experienced it. While the special features could have been expanded to include additional background information on the actual soldiers who fought in the war, the film itself is a thought provoking history lesson for viewers.