War! Huh! What is it good for?

I've never really felt that enamored by the war movie genre, whilst my friends were watching their pirated versions of Platoon, Rambo Part II and Hamburger Hill I was being introduced to the madness of Monty Python, Carl Reiner/Steve Martin films and reveling in films more my age bracket. Blood and guts always used to make me heave and for many a year I was of the belief that all war films were of the macho posturing type, sweaty muscled men running through a barrage of bullets whilst firing off two machine guns at the same time without even earning a scratch for their heroics. It goes without saying that you won't see me in the queue for Rambo (4?), is it me or is Sly Stallone looking more like his mother with every passing year?

Sly (Jackie?) in Rambo

A couple of days back, sitting in my parents basement, my dad (a major war nut if ever their was one) asked if I'd like to watch a war film with him. My dad's tastes in films are well noted on these posts and it's because of him that I have this pure love for the cinema, so I always give him a fair shot even though I've been stung in the past by some of his previous choices, I'm still haunted by that memory of a Sunday afternoon ruined because he insisted we watch Farewell to a King. I needn't have been worried this time around, Days of Glory (or Indigenes) is a poignant and moving tale about how badly the North African soldiers were treated by the French authorities during and after WW2. The story focuses on a group of North Africans as they move from country to country, town to town, fighting for a country most had never stepped foot in.

Directed by French-Algerian Rachid Bouchareb, Days of Glory focuses on four of these indegenes (Natives) that enrolled in the French Free Army of the Free French Forces, formed to liberate France after the Nazi occupation in World War II. Facing discrimination every step they take from the authorities, fellow countrymen and troops alike, each recruit reacts in a different way to the oppression. The film takes it's time in showing the hostilities, both subtle and direct, directed towards the indegenes, from not being able to eat the same food as the indigenous country men to being looked over for promotion, even more horrifyingly they aren't allowed leave to see their families. One troop even has his letters censored when writing to his French (white) sweetheart, such atrocious and bigoted behavior sometimes feels over done but you can't exactly accuse this film of not wearing it's heart on its sleeve.

Group of North African soldiers fighting discrimination as well as the Nazi's

Obviously a subject close to the directors heart, Days of Glory can actually boast that it changed political policy, with the French government unfreezing all North African compatriots pensions soon after the films release. Despite the political tub-thumping and the almost zero growth of it's lead characters, Days of Glory works and leads to a wonderful ending with the defense of Alsace which will leave the viewer dumbstruck. I believe I was too literal in my dislike for war movies when I was younger and the last couple of years films like Full Metal Jacket, Paths of Glory and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp have become staple favourites of mine. With films like Days of Glory being made, I will certainly address my disdain for the genre in future.