Days of Glory

Rachid Bouchareb's Days of Glory focuses on a little-known aspect of World War II—the role of colonial North African soldiers in the French army, emphasizing the men's patriotic service (to a nation from which they'd soon become independent), while also illustrating the condescending treatment the men received from their European comrades. Days of Glory concentrates on a handful of characters, beginning with their recruitment and early training, continuing through their baptism by fire against the Nazi forces in Africa, and concluding with their role in the Allied drive against the Germans on the Western front. The main figures include the squad leader, who grows increasingly dubious about his loyalty to France; the company marksman, who shares a brief romance with a French woman while he's on leave; and an Everyman-type who serves as a retainer to the stern sergeant. Treated dismissively by their French superiors, the men's traditions are also largely ignored and their abilities consistently underestimated—until they decisively show their mettle in an engagement with a larger German force (though at a heavy cost). Strongly didactic, with characters that are more symbolic than individualistic, Days of Glory features a present-day coda that rather clumsily underscores the film's message. Recommended, overall. [Note: DVD extras include a 25-minute “making-of” featurette, director Rachid Bouchareb's animated short “The Colonial Friend” (9 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a solid foreign film.] (F. Swietek)