Spicezee Bureau
Acclaimed director Rachid Bouchareb’s action packed war drama ‘Days of Glory’ is one flick that is a must watch for action buffs this weekend. The movie that has the World War II at the forefront might come across as a highly predictable war drama at first but look deeper and you find much more happening than what appears to the eye.
Unlike the other war flicks that focus on the much celebrated heroes, ‘Days of Glory’ chants praises for the unsung hero and the discrimination faced by the soldiers who enlist to root out an occupying country's depleted forces, to fight for a homeland they'd never set foot in.
Even though they all fight together for the same cause, coming from a different country they have often been treated as second-class citizens within their own units, suffering everything from poorer rations to being used as cannon fodder to smoke out enemy guns.
The story follows the life of four Algerian men who know very little about the ongoing French war against Germany in the year 1943. But as fate would have it, when war calls they enlist in the French army as soldiers to fight the enemies out of the country.
And yet these brave men, who lay their lives for the defending the honour of a country they have never seen, face discrimination and malice at the hands of their own army.
They struggle under the cold and stern Sergeant Martinez who tries to train the new recruits. But the half Arab sergeant who swears by his loyally to the French soil is torn between his hatred for the Africans and his affection for his own team.
As a result he treats the boys brutally, refusing them the basic rights of a soldier at war.
The performances by the four actors - Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Roschdy Zem and Barnard Blancan are indeed commendable and do justice to the well researched characters.
But keeping in mind the small section of the Indian audience the movie would appeal too, one wonders if the story line will be able to draw enough eyeballs. In all, two cheers for this one.
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First Published: Friday, October 24, 2008, 00:00