[Movie] Days of Glory (Indigènes)

[Yeeek]

http://www.indigenes-lefilm.com/

The story

1944-1945... Liberation of Italy, Provence, the Alps, the Rhone Valley, Vosges, Alsace was essential to the victory of the allies... and to establish France’s presence among them after the armistice.

This victorious battle to advance on Germany, after much bloodshed and great losses, was the accomplishment of the First French Army, recruited in Africa in order to avoid the control of the German commissioners and the Vichy authorities: 200,000 men, including 130,000 “indigenes” (natives) including 110,000 North Africans, and 20,000 AfricansÉThe rest made up of two thirds “pieds- noirs” (French colonials) and one third young frenchmen who fled the occupation.

The film relates the forgotten story of the soldiers known as “Indigènes” following the epics of four of them: Abdelkader, Saïd, Messaoud and Yassir (le goumier) a mobile corps, reputed for their endurance, ground sense , and courage in close combat. They are sent to the front line.

If you remember the thread Marla posted a few days ago "is france turning into a masochist", you will probably understand why i post this.

How would you have felt if you coutry was "colonized" by another nation and you would end up drafted to fight in a war that wasn't yours per say. You can't compare it to the commonwealth as it is definitly not the same thing.

Not really looking for feedback about the movie's action quality, this is of course no Hollywood movie.


(if you want to watch the trailer, you will have to go through the french website and click on video tab at the top)

 

[De Lorimier]

Athough fighting on the Allies side during WWII could be considered a just action, I wouldn't have wanted to go fight for a country that invaded mine in the first place. A lot of people from Québec refused to fight in both WW for this reason. Getting killed for England was not on their agenda.

Looks like a very interesting movie and it has Jamel in it, so I'm sold!

 

[Verbose]

How would you have felt if you coutry was "colonized" by another nation and you would end up drafted to fight in a war that wasn't yours per say. You can't compare it to the commonwealth as it is definitly not the same thing.

Only they weren't drafted. They joined up since they thought France worth fighting for. It reflects rather well on France one would think, no?

http://movies.monstersandcritics.co...es_hidden_chapter_in_French_history_at_Cannes

These are the guys who saved the honour of France in WWII. For reasons like this "French" can't really be uniquely applied to some kind of white, Christian normalcy excpet in the mind of people like Le Pen.

 

[Yeeek]

Verbose, the problem i have with this is, it is not in History book in school. I thought the part on ww2 (3éme de collège, Terminal de lycée) was rather short, there was not a single word on colonial troops. I'm 26 so it may have changed since then but in my time i don't remember reading a bit about colonial troops. One more thing, there was "indigénes" too during the battle of france, 1940. Not everyone like to remember what happened to them.

I thought about posting this in Marla's thread but i find that it could use its own thread.

 

[Verbose]

Verbose, the problem i have with this is, it is not in History book in school. I thought the part on ww2 (3éme de collège, Terminal de lycée) was rather short, there was not a single word on colonial troops.

I assume they tend to be subsumed into being generally "French", which is kind of the backside of the coin of French Universalism.

These guys, the African veterans of WWII, though France worth fighting for at the time. They could have been wrong, but they are the ones who really have a say in the matter. But obviously France is in two minds about giving praise where praise is due.

It's maybe a bit like the traditional Gaullist problem with aknowledging the importance of the Communist resistance in WWII?

 

[tossi]

There was some talk about this in the news. There were some real indigene(?) veterans there and they said that they were proud about what they did and they would do it again. However they would have wanted some more recognition.

Well considering that I had never ever heard anything about this before, they are quite right.