Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3066 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-07-28
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: French
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 119 minutes

Synopsis
There has never been a WWII film quite like Rachid Bouchareb’s DAYS OF GLORY, which shows the ‘good war’ through the eyes of four North African soldiers fighting for the French army during the German occupation. Though similar in both structure and tone to Steven Spielberg’s SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, GLORY seeks recognition for soldiers who were treated as second-class citizens during their service and never given their due. Under the leadership of Sergeant Martinez (Bernard Blancan), a company of North African soldiers undergoes a series of skirmishes across Italy and France, preventing the advance of the Nazis. Uneducated Said (Jamel Debbouzel, AMELIE), who had few options outside of enlistment, acts as a virtual servant to Martinez. Yassir (Samy Naceri) and his brother, Larbi (Assad Bouab), also come from poverty and--though they joined for selfish reasons--are fierce fighters. Messaoud (Roschdy Zem) is strong and silent, and has deadly aim with a rifle. Abdelkader (Sami Bouajila), however, is the ambitious one, unafraid to speak up when he and his company encounter prejudice, yet ever hopeful that he will be recognized for his achievements and be given the same liberty, equality, and fraternity as those who were born French. Through a series of bloody and spectacular battles with the Germans, these men risk their lives, never knowing what they will have at the end of it all. DAYS OF GLORY packs all the punch of a great war film---thrilling and heartbreaking battles, humor, and the loss of people we grow to care for. Bouchareb fearlessly uses a time-honored genre to address an elephant in the French living room: we are told at the film’s conclusion that, in 1952, France voted to cease pension payments to soldiers from countries no longer under French rule. In 2006, following a screening of this film, Jacques Chirac reinstituted their pensions.

Customer Reviews

A truly glorious film
The comparisons that are continually being made between this film and Saving Private Ryan are completely inept. This is a far superior film in all respects. The story is more credible, being based closely as it is on the actual experiences of French North African colonial troops rather than, as is the case with Ryan, consisting of a schmalzed up version of a story loosely inspired by a real life incident. The story is gripping and intensely moving as it follows the fates of a group of colonial troops who have enlisted- for a variety of reasons- to free their supposed motherland from the Nazis. Some enlist for money, others for adventure and some out a sense of genuine idealistic patriotism. A rude awakening awaits each and every one of them. The film can be viewed and enjoyed as an adventure movie and also as a disquisition on the inherant folly and flaws of colonialism. These men - and their real life counterparts in both the French and British empires- gave their loyalty and their lives for mother countries that undervalued, despised and ultimately rejected and spurned them. I defy anyone to watch the final scene of this film without being brought to the brink of tears. French cinema at its very best.

A second time watch for me
This film i initially felt would be acomplete flop as so many other "best since private ryan warfilms are", however it was unexpectedly good. On the first watching it seemed a little of the stereotypical warfilms. But i decided to give it another chance albeit when i was more in the mood. I was astonished, as in the case of saints and soldiers, how good this film is when you watch it attentivley. The battles are good and the looks on the seemingly amateur actors faces, particularly Yassir who shows fear so well, made it very good to feel how a soldier would almost panick stricken. It showed the human side to a war and strangely struck a chord with me, thinking what if me and my friends joined from the same village to fight a war, and many were lost. It also diplayed the human inequalities between white and other frenchmen (as was the case in most army's of the time). All in all i thought that this is a good film and while not to everyones liking and taste, you shouild all at least give it a try.

Watch this
NEVER HAS AN ENDING HIT ME LIKE THIS. This film may be slow and down heart but behind it has a deep soul. How these men fought and were forgotten for a land that they never saw or lived in i wll never understand. WATCH THIS.

It may not be my best film but it has to be a film you must see before you die.