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54 out of 66 people found the following review useful: 1945 you say ?, 29 September 2006 Author: b00012409 from France
I did not know what to expect from this movie starring guys like Djamel Debbouzze or Samy Naceri, more used to non sense jokes and wrong way taxi driving, but I must say I was astonished.First pictures are beautiful, dialogs and pace slow but efficient.Second the way the four main characters perform is great (although Naceri is maybe not quite as good as the three others). All moved by different motivations, they have a sole dream: to be a real part of it, a part of the French country they have been fighting for. And they make you believe it. Not only because they fit perfectly into their roles, but also because the suffering and the inequalities they undergo in the war fields of the movie still exist six decades after in their every day life."All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others". True it was in Provence or in Alsace, true it is in today's France.To me this film is more than the French Private Ryan, it is a subtle way to ask: "how much more is it going to take before we can all be on the same boat ?" Go and see it.
50 out of 60 people found the following review useful: And the award for Best Foreign Language Film goes to..., 28 November 2006 Author: Flagrant-Baronessa from the kingdom of far, far away (Sweden)
France 1943. Indigenous Moroccan soldiers – still wet behind the ears – are called in to the 17th infantry to defend their 'motherland' against the ongoing German occupation. Their goodness and patriotism are unmistakable and Saïd (Jamel Debbouze) remarks how "If I liberate a country, it's my country, even if I've never even been there." Here is a good-hearted contingent of North African soldiers who hope to catch some of the victory's glory, but whom are repeatedly shifted to the backseat because of their name, skin and accent.There was no way I would miss a film that French president Chirac cites as the sole reason he immediately rectified the pension plan for indigenous veterans, offering them the promise of equality for the law for the first time. Indigènes is puffed full of political correctness with heavy-handed treatment of salient issues such as racism, inequality and intolerance. But we do not mind, because the film so rigorously establishes a brotherhood feeling with our triumvirate of central characters that we find ourselves completely engrossed in their struggle, rooting for them, laughing with them and often crying because of them. In the front row for sympathy sits Saïd, Yassir, Messaoud and Abdelkader, all inhabited by capable unknown actors with great emotional transparency. Saïd is a kind of clumsy teddy bear who kisses his mom goodbye in Morocco and immediately botches his way through combat, even choking on the victorious scotch and fumbling with the token victor's cigar when the first battle has been won. These are heartbreakingly real people. Arguably even the hard-edged Sergeant elicits a warm response when he unflinchingly takes on the father-role for the contingent – he is rough, harsh, cynical but fair. The male ensemble won the Cannes award for 'Best Actor' earlier this year, which solidifies their collective likability and serve as a mark of the film's warm cast centre. If you want to nitpick, it needs to be said that some moments (such as key death scenes), although tragic, inexplicably lack the propelling poignancy to elicit tears. Why this is I do not know, but it ought to be attributed to the film and not the superb performances.When the squad of wet puppies make their way across the motherland, they are faced with two disturbances: the internal conflicts that arise in the army when it becomes apparent that North African soldiers are not given the same treatment as native French (no tomatoes, no weekend leaves, no promotions and no glory) and the gruesome reality on the battlefield. The former is captured safely but compellingly through little rants, intense stares and cries of "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité!" all in the token French political spirit. The latter, however, is Indigènes' true goldmine. No description will do the warfare sequences justice; they need to be seen. Think Call of Duty plugged into the silver screen, with epileptic zooming, fast-paced action, gory reality, humming rocket launchers and one massive sense of immediate danger. It nearly puts Steven Spielberg's warmovie fare to shame.The cinematography channels one storyline from 'Babel', from the epic aerial shots of the craggy hills and desert-laden plains of Morocco to a juxtaposition of lush French soil. Even the French sheets are a great source of awe for the North African soldiers. Much like 'Babel', the film never shies away from blending equal amounts of Arabic and French into the dialogue, something that reinforces the realism.Indigènes (2006) is an excellent film with strong performances and a strong, political core. Its flaws, however apparent, are generally marginal. The one thing that jumped out and grabbed me, striking me as below average, was the hammy and inexcusably hackneyed score. When Arabic soldiers are fighting for their lives and bleeding in the process, slapping on a dutiful ethnic score that sings and wails like it means business, the film is just preaching to the choir. If I hear an "epic, ethnic" score in a movie like this again, I will probably go out and kill someone – either the Arab who is singing, or the stupid Westerner who thinks mainstream audiences need everything spelled-out for them with this mandatory music inclusion.Aside from this minor misstep, Indigènes is a worthy merit to France's resumé of films, one that will surely be a frontrunner for the Best Foreign Language Film Award at the Oscars next year. Nevermind that this is an excellent and real film, the competent political notions may just be enough to tip things over in its favour.8 out of 10
34 out of 41 people found the following review useful: great film, 13 October 2006 Author: mark from london
indigenes is a WW2 epic - but it isn't just about the spectacle and destruction of war but about the human aspect of warfare.Bouchareb has made a film that works on three different levels. On the one hand this is a films about comradeship, about men learning to work together as a team to overcome physical and mental hardship, and about survival. On the other it's about the forgotten soldiers of the second world war. France whitewashed the algerian army's support after Algeria declared independence from France, and it has become something of a scandal in recent years, one that the french government has now rectified on the back on this film.On a much deeper level, and this is the reason I think the film is so important, it's about the arab world and the western world uniting against a common evil. And I think that, given the chaos and the paranoia that we live in now regarding the East and the Arab world, Indigenes' message is a powerful polemic that west and east can live and work together and that we have in the past been a unified force, and can still be - despite recent events.
34 out of 42 people found the following review useful: A Nutshell Review: Days of Glory, 11 October 2006 Author: DICK STEEL from Singapore
So you've done a great piece of work, and are awaiting your just rewards. Somehow along the way, someone else, by colour, creed, or connections, get all the recognition that you're due credit for. You feel frustrated, but you think of your rice bowl, and decide to grit your teeth and bear it, calling it just another day, secretly longing for a time where you are empowered to do something about it.In the liberation of France during WWII, North African men were recruited and enlisted in the French army in the fight against the Nazis. Why do they do it? One reason is to escape poverty, and the holding on to the glimmer of hope that they can be accepted, when the war is over, as equals based on their fight for the "motherland". These soldiers, mujahedeens, fought hard, often being in the frontline, but always overlooked when it comes to recognition of basic military welfare and promotions, not that these rewards will cost an arm or a leg, nor are the fighters so hard up for them. All they're asking for was fair treatment, but all they got was discrimination.Yes, and that is the pain. WWII movies are aplenty, but Days of Glory offered a unique look at the battles by a group of men, for what they deem their motherland and will defend with their blood, and what more, for a land of people who do not see them as equals. Loving someone who does not love you back, sounds familiar? And it's not just love, but sworn allegiance to protect at all costs.The movie is well paced and straddled moments of action and quiet contemplation with aplomb. Credit must go to the ensemble cast of actors who play the warriors of North Africa, as they battle both the enemies on French soil, as well as enemies of men's heart. They grapple with trying to remain rational in their reason(s) to do what they're doing.At times, watching this movie made me think about the recent flurry of mails to the press about foreign talent and the issue of citizenship, about NS obligations and whether PRs will flee at the first signs of trouble, or stand shoulder to shoulder with citizens (also, who are those who will flee?) in defending our land. What are the issues of contention, discrimination against, or general presumptions about foreigners here?Those expecting all out battle scenes might be disappointed. In truth the movie's never about the glorification of gore, violence and war - most scenes aren't really blood splattering to draw in the crowds. Instead, if you'd prefer moments where you can think out loud about the issues presented, then this is for you. However, the final battle would please action fans, as it is well choreographed and executed, and you feel both the pain and victory from a bunch of tightly knit soldiers trying their very best to defend a small town, in a samurai- seven-ish sort of way, also reminiscent of Saving Private Ryan's somehow.If you've missed this during the French Film Festival, don't fret. I believe this movie is also slated for general release. Keep a look out for it!
26 out of 32 people found the following review useful: Muslim volunteer soldiers help to liberate France from the Germans., 12 October 2006 Author: max-vernon from United Kingdom
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Viewing this film in a French cinema left much of the audience in tears, including myself. Indigenes examines the contribution of Arab/African volunteers who fought for Free French forces in World War II. French Arab/Berber actors play the main characters. Much of the film is in Arabic with subtitles. The soldiers portrayed fought in the less well-known campaigns in Italy, the Rhone and Vosges-Alsace during 1943-1944. Restoring French national honour and developing a post-war consciousness lie at the heart of this film. The importance of Free French forces in the Liberation of France after the military disaster of 1940 is an underlying theme. The action scenes are well-choreographed. During the large-scale assault in Italy the troops appear to be used as disposable meat to locate German positions which can then be pounded with French artillery. The last small-scale encounter in an Alsatian village is one of the best action scenes I have seen. The fear/courage equation which grips a man fighting for his life is shown very effectively.But this is no simple war movie. War is merely the stage upon which more contemporary and pressing themes are examined –i.e. France's relationship to its 3½ million Muslim citizens and their relationship to La Patrie. Most scenes raise issues of identity. "What are we doing here?" is the sceptical question posed by one volunteer who has fought his way to a cold and wintry mountainous region leaving many dead comrades behind him.The French officers and their Muslim volunteers both wish to believe in the national ideals of 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.' But doubts continue to arise. "When I was young, our families were killed by the French. Why?" asks one character. "Pacification," replies his friend. The film portrays an endemic 'institutional racism' within the French authorities of that time – poor promotion prospects for Muslims, unequal rations, sandals on bare feet in the winter snow rather than regular army boots. More tellingly, army censorship of love letters from an Arab soldier to his French girlfriend.Sergeant Martinez provides the only sympathetic face. He is a pied-noir who comes from European Christian colonist stock in North Africa. He supports the promotion of some of his soldiers whilst discouraging one intelligent and literate soldier (Saud) from his ambitions for an army career. The Martinez character shows the complexity of this whole colonial class. They were deeply insecure in their own identity regarding both metropolitan Frenchmen and their Arab/Berber compatriots. Martinez favours and then physically assaults his Arab batman Said, enraged by Said's revelation that he knows that Martinez' mother was also Arab. Colonialism had schizophrenic effects on many of its children. Having wished Martinez dead, Said later dies trying to save the man with whom he has had a very on/off relationship. Racial and class divisions go deep and make human bonding difficult.In contrast, the relationship between ordinary French citizens and their Muslim liberators is portrayed as warm and generous. One girl offers herself to Saud and they part company on the understanding that their relationship is permanent. He explains that such a relationship would be socially unacceptable in his homeland. Racial mixing was always frowned upon more in the colonies than in the mother country – fear of the colonisers themselves being colonised! The film ends with a visit to a war cemetery in Alsace and shows the graves of Muslim soldiers who 'mort pour la France.' We are informed that the French government froze the war pensions of these soldiers in the 1950's when the colonies became independent. This film helped to prod President Chirac into righting this wrong.In its portrayal of officers in jeeps making patriotic speeches and Arab volunteers foot-slogging through difficult country, the film underlines a divide which continues to exist within French society. Official France offers well-meaning platitudes but continued to freeze war pensions. The French state perpetuates an anti-religious version of secularism which was born out of the great Schism of the French Revolution. The divisions of the 1790's continue to divide French society – Republican/Monarchist, Left/Right, Secular/Religious and now non-Muslim/Muslim. Descendants of those soldiers who lie dead in that Alsatian cemetery 'mort pour la France' are denied the hijab in state schools. The same anti-religious spirit which framed the Ferry educational laws of 1879 is alive and well and is still trying to forge a new secular French identity out of the ashes of the Revolution. The search continues for a new non-religious superglue which will bind all Frenchmen, heart, mind and soul.Paradoxically, in the USA (the main target of Jihadist terrorism), American Muslims should have no problem in forging a new American identity for themselves in a pro-religious, all-inclusive version of secularism which grew out of American history. France's secularism is as exclusive and narrow as her 'enarquist politocracy' and poses problems for Muslim integration.Indigenes highlights the simple fact that we all have multiple identities. On the one hand it can be seen as a sensible and worthy attempt to integrate Muslims into official French history. On the other hand it raises uncomfortable issues about integration and identity within contemporary France. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity are only words. How French people live together under them is a complex and compelling matter.The film successfully raises this issue. It shows one thread of French history in World War 2. There are many other threads – Jews, German occupiers, collaborators, Resistance, slave labourers etc. Acknowledging the reality of these different histories and empathising with the characters involved is, in my opinion, the only real way forward in creating a present and future identity which we can all feel part of. History remains the most important subject to study. Fanaticism, ill-will and violence arise out of ignoring it. A deep and thorough study of our multiple histories can only unite humans and light our way forward. This film is a major contribution towards lighting that path.
18 out of 20 people found the following review useful: A War Film That Explifies Human Tragedy, 27 June 2007 Author: maczones from United States
This is a French film that "Explifies Human Tragedy". One, it shows the dark side of war and the reasons why good vs. bad is being defended and it also exemplifies clearly how those we consider the good guys, are actually in the same category as the enemy...Racists. It is a film that shows the unknown exploits of brave North African "French" WWII recruits fighting alongside French compatriots to expel the Germans from their homeland...France. We have all come accustomed to seeing so many movies of WWII, showing in detail why the Germans were so bad, yet we have never been exposed in great detail as this film as illustrated, the realities of a double standard that was practiced in those days by the victors of a repressive regime. This is a film that touches all of us and tells us what it means to be loyal and patriotic as well as exposing that thin veil that no matter where you come from, what color or creed you may be, Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is fought with that regard in mind. Unfortunately, as this film illustrates, those ideas are an exception to the need for victory and an exception to the rule of becoming a second class citizen again when those rules do not apply any longer. This film left me with such a deep understanding like no other WWII film I have seen in my 50+ years. It left me with deep respect to those men of little education but full of monumental pride and dignity. I highly recommend this film and personally think that it was one of the best films I have ever seen. The acting from mostly unknown actors is simply a miracle and the director certainly deserves more credit than he has received. How this film ever got released without the accolades it rightly deserves is certainly one of the greatest omissions in movie history.
18 out of 22 people found the following review useful: very poignant movie about different cultures, 9 November 2006 Author: painting_monalisa from United States
This is the tale of a very intrepid group of diverse African peoples that were recruited to help defend and free France during WW2. It was very inspiring that these men could go to such lengths to help France when not being treated as equals to the French, even though they were to consider France their homeland. This was based on true events that happened. It was filmed to deal with the war experience of the men as individuals as opposed to just a fighting war movie that makes people seem anonymous. There were gruesome parts but true to any movie of war. It portrayed these men as heroic and very human. Unappreciated by the French even years later when pensions were withheld. It was very touching without being sentimental.
16 out of 19 people found the following review useful: War and cultures, 6 February 2007 Author: Tommy Antonsen from Denmark
The movie takes the viewer on a trip back to the second world war, showing how parts of the Arabic population fought with the French colonists for their freedom, against Nazi Germany trying to occupy Africa. As the movie evolves, other aspects than the fight for freedom and the brutality of war emerges. The viewer is reminded that the the social identity of the white bourgeoisie class and the stereotypes that follows not emerged with the current world of terrorism. Questions of power, humanity, religion, racism, love and honour follows the viewer through this exciting, emotional and realistic movie. Along with the plot and acting in this piece of work, the critical viewer should be satisfied.
13 out of 15 people found the following review useful: Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, 15 October 2007 Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
In World War II, the Muslims from French colonies enlist to fight for their motherland France. In the 7th battalion commanded by the tough Sergeant Roger Martinez (Bernard Blancan), the soldier Abdelkader (Sami Bouajila) has leadership with the troop and seeks promotion and recognition from the command; Said Otmari (Jamel Debbouze) is a servile and illiterate private, happy in serving his sergeant; Messaoud Souni (Roschdy Zem) is the sniper of the group and has fallen in a corresponded love with the French Irène (Aurélie Eltvedt); and Yassir (Samy Naceri) is fighting together with his brother to raise some money. Along the campaign in Italy, France and Alsace, they realize that French soldiers are promoted, have better food and have leaves to visit their families, while the Arab soldiers are shamefully discriminated and treated like 2nd ranking soldiers."Indigènes" is an excellent movie of war, disclosing an unusual theme: the discrimination of the soldiers from the French colonies in World War II. The anti-Semitism is presented in most of the films about WWII; racism and segregation with the American soldiers has been explored in a couple of movies; but the treatment spent to the Arab soldiers in World War II by France command is the first time that I see in a movie. The screenplay, the direction, the performances, the pace and the cinematography are great and gives a magnificent homage to these forgotten and discriminated heroes. The lack of payment of pension plan to the survivors and families by the French government is another example of the level of intolerance and lack of respect in the world of the present days. In the end, it is a great deception that the beautiful message "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity" is not applicable to the soldiers from the exploited colonies. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Dias de Glória" ("Days of Glory")
16 out of 22 people found the following review useful: A film in defense of Algerian French soldiers in WWII, 17 December 2006 Author: Chris Knipp from Berkeley, California
This is the story of a "band of brothers," Algerian Arabs fighting in the French army under French or pieds noirs (North African born French) cadres in World War II, a steadily dwindling unit fighting across the theaters of the war like the one in Fuller's 1980 The Big Red One, the film ending with a lone survivor as an old man, the actor, heavily made up, revisiting the battlefield cemetery à la Saving Private Ryan. This is in many ways the creditable recreation of a Hollywood dogface drama recast as an exposé of colonialist exploitation.Rachid Bouchareb's earnest, often conventional, but nonetheless essential war film is about his grandparents' generation (Bouchareb was born in France of Algerian parents). In the film, the volunteers in Algeria declare allegiance to France at the outset, and sing the "Marseillaise" with fervor, though many of then can't read Arabic or French and speak the colonial language haltingly. For the most part doggedly loyal and always good fighters and brave, the principals all meet with prejudice from their white French superiors, failing to receive recognition or promotion after each exploit. As it proves itself the company is moved from North Africa to Italy and then France, fighting its climactic battle, isolated into the platoon with the lead actors, even their pied noir sergeant disabled and near death, in a remote Alsatian village where all are wiped out but one in a dramatic battle against a much larger unit of Germans.Adopting Days of Glory as the English title loses half the point of the film. The actual title is much more ironic and bitter: Indigènes -- i.e., natives -- is what the French called their colonial locals, a public substitute for nastier words spoken in private, which are rendered in the English subtitles as "wog." All the principals are played by French-Arab film acting veterans -- who won a collective Best Actor award at Cannes. Even this prize carried an unintentional insult with its implied equation: 4 Arab actors = 1 French one, but that doesn't change the fact that for Jamel Debbouze, Roschidy Zem, Sami Bouajila, and Samy Naceri, Indigènes represents an exceptional personal opportunity met with due honor and commitment. It's watching these skilled actors doing the most serious, accomplished work of their lives that constitutes the chief pleasure of the film, but it also has authentic locations, convincing battle scenes, and fine camera-work, and the specific goal of the film was to prod France into finally rewarding the survivors with their pensions.Each character and incident exists to make a point, again with the reservation that the good acting makes it nonetheless work. Sergeant Martinez (Bernard Blacon) is ostensibly a pure Frenchman born in North Africa – a pied noir – but a photograph reveals that he's probably half Arab himself, and hides this fact out of internalized racism and expediency: were it known, he might not have even made sergeant. He leads the little band of men and is with them till the end, acting as their protector and defender, but still reinforcing French prejudices. Messaoud (Zem) is the soldier in love: he also wants to become French, to marry into French society, because his girlfriend is a pretty French girl. The army is successful in keeping them apart. Abdelkader (Bouajila) is the best educated and has the greatest leadership potential; he is the lone survivor and the one who speaks up most strongly along the way about France's failure to deliver the "liberty, equality, and fraternity" it promises them. Yassir (Naceri) is a country rube who steals and exploits, but turns out to be a crack fighter. Saïd Otmari (Debbouze) is a little one-armed illiterate naïf adopted by Martinez as his personal dogsbody. Even he proves a brave fighter in a pinch. If there was a negative side to the Meghrebi soldiers and they committed some atrocities when unleashed in Europe as depicted in De Sica's 1960 Two Women (La Ciociara), that's not what this picture is about. When people are telling their story for the first time the format tends to be conventional and the content idealized.In the final battle sequence, after a lull that is perhaps too long, the platoon, whose tough stringy leader, Martinez, is wounded and dying now, Abdelkader takes charge in the fierce battle in the Alsatian town. The few remaining men wipe out a much large number of German soldiers armed with flamethrowers. Sure, this is idealized – it forces us to see the Arabs as superior soldiers – but it's also a gripping war gunfight sequence worthy of Spielberg or John Ford. Your feelings hover between awe, pleasure, and horror as they should and must. When you see Abdelkader, the bravest and the most caring of the men, left alone staring at the sergeant and Saïd's entwined, torched remains, and he weeps, you weep with him. The moment is richly earned.The Alsatian villagers come out after the battle and many more French soldiers arrive and a photographer takes pictures and you realize the Arabs' heroism is going to be bypassed even after this extraordinary final test. Nobody saw it and nobody is going to care. Sure, the messages are telegraphed simply, but they're far more bittersweet than any US war picture's. This has been compared to Zwick's 1989 Glory, but Zwick wasn't a black man; the director is Arab of Algerian descent speaking of his own recent forebears.
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