Indigènes (2006)

Director:

Rachid Bouchareb

Writers:

Rachid Bouchareb (writer)
Olivier Lorelle (writer)

Release Date:

27 September 2006 (France)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

The true story of World War II's forgotten heroes

Plot:

During WWII, four North African men enlist in the French army to liberate that country from Nazi oppression, and to fight French discrimination.

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | France | Italy | French Soldier | Army

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Jamel Debbouze	...	Saïd Otmari
Samy Naceri	...	Yassir
Roschdy Zem	...	Messaoud Souni
Sami Bouajila	...	Abdelkader
Bernard Blancan	...	Sergent Roger Martinez
Mathieu Simonet	...	Caporal Leroux
Assaad Bouab	...	Larbi
Benoît Giros	...	Capitaine Durieux
Mélanie Laurent	...	Margueritte village Vosges
Antoine Chappey	...	Le colonel
Aurélie Eltvedt	...	Irène
Thomas Langmann	...	Le journaliste
Thibault de Montalembert	...	Capitaine Martin
Dioucounda Koma	...	Touré (as Diouc Koma)
Philippe Beglia	...	Rambert

Also Known As:

Days of Glory (Singapore: English title) (UK) (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for war violence and brief language.

Runtime:

USA:120 min | France:128 min | Canada:123 min (Ontario) | Canada:120 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Argentina:128 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

Algeria | France | Morocco | Belgium

Language:

French | Arabic

Colour:

Black and White | Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Singapore:NC-16 | France:U | USA:R | Sweden:15 | Malaysia:18SG | Malaysia:U (cut) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Ireland:12A | Argentina:13 | UK:12A | South Korea:12 | Australia:M | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Agadir, Morocco

Company:

Tessalit Productions

Trivia:

The main actors, all of North African descent, did not know of France's discrimination towards foreign soldiers serving in the French army during World War 2 until filming began.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Abdelkader and Yassir carry the bodies of killed soldiers in a cart to bury them, Yassir rests his gun against the wheel. In the next shot, the gun falls to the ground from a completely different position.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Indigenes: Le making of (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

La Marseillaise

Hopeful Education

For the first time this year the Weinstein Company has made something bearable --Hell, actually something good. The film is called Days of Glory (a title strangely reconfigured from Indigènes) and it chronicles a regiment in the war against Nazism, or, as the French call it, "liberty". But, the catch here is that these soldiers, they aren't French: They're Algerian and Morroquian. The film first suffers from superfluous paper-mâché clichés in order to demonstrate racial inequality, not as a subtle character study, but rather as an insolent whole which creates that annoying been-there, done-that feeling. Such a scene occurs when Abdelkader (Sami Bouajila) realizes that not all African troops are getting tomatoes, where as the French are. What does he do? He smashes them so "Nobody can have them". Director Rachid Bouchareb narrative is also first a bit fragmented, jumping from country to country as if they were stones. Eventually, it develops into an assured rhythm which corroborates with the film.

Brilliance in Days of Glory neither comes from ideas nor direction, but rather, through the magisterial acting, prized at Cannes, and small war vignettes. They are gripping and moving, like all war movies should be. These war scenes are powerful, and that is what makes up Days of Glory, because in the end, Days of Glory is one of the few good but flawed war films worth a damn. It has power and it is evident that it uses it wisely and vigorously.