DAYS OF GLORY
This one is for the war buffs. Days of glory is about the discrimination that north africans faced while fighting for the French army during World War II. The issue of racism unfolds through the experiences of four men-said (Debbouze), Messaoud (Zem), Abdelkader (Bouajila) and Yassir (Naceri). They fight under the leadership of Sergeant Martinez (Blancan), who is, ironically, half French, half Arabic. He finds himself torn French military decorum and devotion for his troops. The algerian soldiers’ experiance at war culminates in the bittersweet end when they find themselves defending a small village against the Nazis all on their own.
since its release in 2006, the film has won several awards. It has seen as Indian release only now. Rachid Bouchareb’s direction in superb, as is the performance of the main leads. The film does become a tad too much for a viewer who is not prepared for a hard-hitting war drama. But it lies heavy on one’s mind, it is only a sign of the expertise of the director and the cast, who have managed to resurrect the lives of the soldiers effectively on screen. Keep in mind that on seeing the film, the French president Jacques Chirac restored veteran pensions to the north Africans who fought alongside the French in World War II.
