Days of Glory

I was sceptical about this film. I quite like foreign films (this one is French,) but I am not a big fan of war films per se (this being set in the Second World War,) and I can’t help but feel that if I had a little more historical perspective when watching this, it would have made it a whole lot better.

The film follows the "Indigènes" (Algerians, Tunisians and Moroccan "Goumiers") that were enrolled in the French First Army of the Free French Forces during World War Two. These regiments were formed to liberate France after the Nazi occupation and the film follows the soldiers from recruitment through the campaigns in Italy and southern France.

The army was formed in the French African colonies and of the 200,000 men, 130,000 were “Indigènes,” 50,000 were “pieds- noirs” (French colonials) and the rest were Frenchmen who had escaped the Nazi occupation.

The plot revolves around our “Indigènes” who are sent to the front line as they fight their way through the Italian Campaign and on to Operation Dragoon to liberate France. Each has a different personal reason for having signed up, one seeks the spoils of war, one has joined the army to escape poverty in hope that it will become his family, one wishes to marry and settle in France while the other is fighting for equality and recognition of the rights of the colonised Algerians.

They didn’t get equality – and the French are still refusing to pay war pensions.

The film was really good, although a little too long. It was obvious from the start that the four we follow would be whittled down to one soldier and that their desire from signing up would not become a reality. (I also admit I had a small nap during the middle – but I don’t feel I missed a great deal.) Only 1.5 stars I’m afraid.