INDIGENES

France, 2006, 128 minutes, Colour.
Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Roschdy Zem, Sami Bouajila, Bernard Blancan.
Directed by Rashid Bouchareb.

Anyone who has experienced a European colonial past will resonate with this war film and its message. It is an eye-opening and memory-jogging tale of how a colonial power took it for granted that it was superior to other peoples and that they could use them in patriotic defence of the motherland. The focus here is on the Mediterranean countries of northern Africa but it is just as true of colonies in Africa, Indochina and British colonies everywhere.

Every reviewer will probably refer to its use of traditional war movies conventions – and it has, with films, especially, like Samuel Fuller’s The Big Red One. But that is merely a classification rather than a review. Indigenes shows considerable skills in recreating the battles in Italy and France between 1943 and 1945. This looks like a big-budget war film. And it keeps the interest as such.

But the underlying theme is what is really important. The film opens with recruiting in Algeria and Morocco, the French officers glad to have the men but snobbily regarding them as inferiors, incapable of leadership. Throughout the film, there are sequences of disdain and humiliation of the Africans, the different treatment of the French nationals, seen as heroes, the taken-for-granted attitudes towards the men from imperialist France. This is combined with what now seems extraordinary patriotism on the part of the Africans most of whom had never been to France before. On their tombstones in Alsace, we read that they gave their lives for love of France.

The plot follows, as war films so often do, a small group of men: the intelligent and well-read corporal who is overlooked in promotion, the sniper who falls in love with a Marseille girl, two brothers and an illiterate young man who is servant to their sergeant who keeps his North African origins hidden. We follow them through Italy, Provence, the Vosges into Alsace, their comradeship, their tensions, their being put down yet their unswerving loyalty.

The postscript in 2005 when a survivor visits the cemetery and we are given information about the French government’s reluctance to honour pension promises, means that we leave the theatre moved and chastened.

1. The impact of the film? For French audiences? African audiences? Worldwide? A portrait of World War Two in the classic style? A message about tolerance and understanding for the 21st century? The acting award at the Cannes Film Festival?

2. The North African settings, Algieria and Morocco? The war in Italy and France? The seasons, the terrains, the hills, the forests? The difficulties? The musical score?

3. The staging of the battles, especially the siege of the Italian hill? The Vosges, the forests and towns of Alsace?

4. The message concerning France, its colonial power, influence, especially in Africa? The Algerians and others seeing France as a motherland? Their patriotism, loving France, on their graves, dying for France? Yet the initial officer and his disdain of the troops? The discrimination throughout the war – the incident with the tomatoes, the fact that soldiers should be able to read? The decision that they were unable to exercise leadership? The derogatory names? The highlighting of the French soldiers – as heroes over and above the Africans?

5. The impact of the ending, the old man visiting the Alsace cemetery, the number of graves, the crosses on the Christian headstones? The Muslim headstones? The inscriptions – and the dying for France? The pathos of the visit? The fact that the men were buried in France where they had never lived? The Muslim background? The film’s comment on pensions, French legislation, the going back on legislation?

6. The opening recruiting scenes in Algeria and Morocco? Said and his relationship with his mother, her not wanting him to go, his motivation for joining up? The others in Morocco? The motivations of Abdelkader, Messaoud and Yassir (and his brother)? The officer and his snobbery, his speech to the troops? The Africans marching, in uniforms, the drill? One hundred and thirty thousand indigenous soldiers from Africa joining the army for France?

7. The sergeant and his command, his personality, the photo of his mother, keeping it secret, his being north African? His treatment of the soldiers? A military man? The training, the drill? Said and the grenade, his throwing it? His leadership, the fighting at the hill? His adopting Said as his servant? The bond between the two? His exercise of leadership, the dispute over the tomatoes? His handling the situation with the officers? The issue of reading? Pleading the cause of the Africans? Issues of promotion, his own promotion? The final clash with Said, the discussions about the photo after giving Said the whisky? His being wounded in Alsace, Said and his anger with him, Said coming to save him – and their dying together? His finally being shot by the Germans, his grave?

8. The battle scenes in Italy, the strategic nature of the hill, French pride and its defeats, the first victory in World War Two? The soldiers and their fears, the trenches? The preparations to go up the hill? Facing death, the running up the hill, the barrage from the Germans, the soldiers being wounded? The throwing of grenades? The victory and the pride of the French? The pride of the Africans?

9. Going to Provence, being in Marseilles? On leave? The French greeting the liberating troops? Irene and her presence at the welcome, her meeting Messaoud, her being with him, the dance? The relationship? Their night together? His writing the letters, her writing the letters, going to the office to see whether he was dead or not? The censors and their destroying their letters?

10. The transition to the Vosges, the arguments, Messaoud wanting to go AWOL, his being in the prison? Abdelkader and his leadership of the men, his position? His wisdom, discussions about reading? His defying the authorities, going to prison? The discussion with the colonel, the promise of promotions, his saying he was a man of his word? The Africans volunteering to go on the expedition? Their achievement – and the officer passing by in his vehicle? Ignoring them?

11. Said, his story, his being wounded, his love for France, being in France, his devotion to the sergeant, the others saying that he was a slave? The incident with the whisky, the photo, their falling out? Their dying together?

12. Abdelkader and his being the corporal, his exercising of leadership, reading literature, his courage on the hill? Defying the authorities, going to prison – his part in the town siege? His surviving?

13. Messaoud, his being chosen to be the sniper, seeing him in action, on leave, the relationship with Irene, his wanting to get away, prison?

14. The two brothers, their significance of their visit to the Catholic church, looking at the crucifix, one telling the other not to rob the poor box? Their discussions about the French massacres in Algeria – and the alleged pacification?

15. The brief sketch of Irene, welcoming the troops, fascination with Messaoud, her love for him, the night together, the letters?

16. The group volunteering to go to the town, their being trapped by the mines, the few survivors, their trek through the snow and the mountains, arriving at the town, the people absent, gradually coming out to welcome them? Their ambush of the German troops? The next wave of Germans, the siege of the town, their skill in fighting, their deaths and courage?

17. The cumulative effect of this experience of a classic telling of a war story? Permeated with the civil rights message?