

Director: Rachid Bouchareb
Cast: Bernard Blancan, Sami Bouajila, Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Roschdy Zem

The entire male cast garnered the Best Actor award in Cannes Film Festival 2006 .


Synopsis:
The film tells of a little known event, that in World War II, a group of "non native" soldiers (from Algeria, Morocco, etc) were recruited to help liberate France and Italy ... Why do they fight so patriotically? How were they treated? etc ...

My thoughts:

-- Three things struck most about the film ... 

(i) first, the message ... after the recent events in the world, race/religion/ethnicity becomes a controversial issue ... the film reiterates the importance of equality and peace to the audience ... as the film transports you back to history and highlights why the "non native" French are willing to die for France and Italy ... regarding the former as their motherland ... is it for a personal cause? or a more nobel cause? ... yet at those period, there is still some discrimination ... can it be overcome? ... 

i thought the irony of identity and relationship is well crafted into some of the characters 
e.g., the sergeant (when he is actually an Arabic, but not known to many) ... and also, the relationship between him and the newbie ... the latter knows the former cares for him, and yet later in the show, the latter wishes he die, and yet at the end, he risks all to save the former ... how will it all end ...
e.g., the corporal ... is all that he believes in true/correct? ... is all that he does worthy? ...

If you were to ponder, the film does have a number of food for thoughts ...

(ii) second, why did this ensemble impress the Cannes jury? ... well, they have succeeded by making us wonder whether they are simply portraying themselves or are they acting?! ... of course, I thought this is in part due to the fact that not many of us know these actors beforehand (so, pardon us) ... nonetheless, they still did a great job ... of portraying characters that are not "flat" and very believable ... many times, you wonder if they are what they act in real life ...

(iii) seldom mentioned, i want to highlight the arabic songs that were featured in the film, they often sounded at the right time to stir the audience emotionally ... unfortunately, these are not subtitled ...

Conclusion:
Recommended. Frankly, I enjoyed the film ... ... It has nice characterization, melodramatic moments, and important messages for all ... i.e., about race, equality and peace ... of course, there may be some audience who consider the message kind of stark at times ... 

PS: It was full house the day I watched, and it was sad that several customers who were eager to watch the film were turned away at the box office ... * pity them * ... but luckily, it will be on commercial screening soon ...